Trump administration issues first of three rules to restrict SNAP access
Nearly a year after President Trump announced “immediate action on welfare reform,” his administration said on Wednesday that it would more stringently apply a 90-day limit on food stamps for able-bodied adults, a step that would disqualify 688,000 recipients from the SNAP program.
Key changes needed to ensure sustainable fisheries amid climate change, report says
Several key strategies must be implemented if there is any hope for sustainable fisheries in our rapidly warming oceans, says a new report from the Environmental Defense Fund. The report’s release coincides with COP25, a global climate conference being held this week in Madrid.
Japan approves ag and digital trade deal with U.S.
Beginning on Jan. 1, Japan will lower or eliminate tariffs on $7.2 billion worth of U.S. farm exports under a “mini” trade pact that received final approval in Japan’s parliament on Wednesday.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Plant-based push in China (Wall Street Journal): As Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods look to expand into China, they face challenges in a country that has a long history of plant-based meat substitutes and plenty of fake-meat startups.
A healthier burger? (New York Times): Even as the demand for plant-based burgers grows, experts are trying to determine if the highly processed meats actually offer a clear health benefit.
Kudlow working on biofuel mandate (Bloomberg): White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow is reportedly working with EPA officials on a proposal to assure greater use of corn ethanol, a response to Corn Belt complaints that the agency’s current plan is too weak.
As climate warms, birds shrink (Washington Post): A long-term study by a Chicago ornithologist found that birds weigh slightly less and have slightly longer wings than they once did, most likely as a result of higher summer temperatures.
‘Naturally fatty’ foie gras (Reuters): Researchers in France have found bacteria that, when ingested by geese in a serum, stimulates a natural build-up of fat in the liver, creating the possibility of the world’s first ethically friendly foie gras.
