Stricter limit on SNAP benefits faces vote in House committee
House Republicans proposed broader application of a 90-day limit on food stamps for able-bodied adults as part of the annual USDA-FDA funding bill on Wednesday. The proposal mirrors the GOP position in debt ceiling negotiations with President Biden.
Arizona must deploy a diverse range of strategies to solve water crisis
Arizona’s water crisis is getting worse, and on Wednesday, environmental groups warned that there’s no “silver-bullet” solution that can fix it. In a new report by the Water for Arizona Coalition, analysts urge the state to embrace a diverse range of water conservation and management strategies — and to start investing in them fast.
Override Supreme Court on livestock regulation
The meat industry encouraged farm-state lawmakers on Wednesday to legislatively override the Supreme Court ruling that gives states the power to set animal welfare standards and regulate meat sales. The Supreme Court decision upholding California’s Proposition 12 “opens the door to chaos,” said Bryan Burns of the North American Meat Institute.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Do we have a deal?: After months of negotiations and acrimonious debate, California, Arizona, and Nevada are nearing a deal to voluntarily cut back on their use of Colorado River water. (Washington Post)
Committee advances Torres Small: The Senate Agriculture Committee cleared for a floor vote the nomination of Xochitl Torres Small to serve as deputy agriculture secretary, the No. 2 post at the USDA and the official in charge of the department’s day-to-day operations. (Senate Agriculture)
BP’s biofuel strategy: BP is considering buying stakes in biofuel feedstock producers and investing directly in farming ventures to secure supplies as the global race for the low-carbon fuel gathers pace. (Reuters)
Avocado crisis: Severe drought is forcing farmers in Spain’s Malaga region, Europe’s top avocado producer, to reconsider the water-guzzling crop, despite soaring demand. (France 24)
Haddock crash: U.S. regulators have cut catch quotas of haddock by more than 80 percent to prevent the collapse of the fishery; the white fish, a staple of fish-and-chips, has been caught off the East Coast for centuries. (AP)
Goodbye, Red Dye: California’s Assembly passed a bill banning Red Dye No. 3, potassium bromate, and other harmful chemicals from processed foods sold in the state. (Food Safety News)
