Diet for a healthy planet: Half the red meat and sugar, more grains, nuts, produce A three-year collaboration by three dozen experts in nutrition, agriculture, economics, and the environment says it has solved one of the world’s great challenges: how to feed an expected 10 billion people at mid-century without… Continue reading
EPA to drop proposal for younger pesticide applicators On the same day that President Trump nominated Andrew Wheeler to be EPA administrator, the agency said it would withdraw a Trump-era proposal to set a minimum age of 16 for farmworkers to handle, mix, or apply pesticides, down from the age… Continue reading
Federal nutrition assistance at risk in a long-running shutdown Two of the major public nutrition programs, SNAP and WIC, could run out of money if the partial government shutdown persists into February and beyond, affecting millions of people. While the USDA says funding is assured for this month, it is… Continue reading
Administration would toughen 90-day limit on food stamps On Thursday, hours before President Trump was expected to sign the farm bill, the administration has proposed restricting the power of states to waive the usual 90-day limit on food stamps for able-bodied adults who do not work at least 20 hours… Continue reading
Sales of antibiotics for livestock drop 41 percent as result of FDA efforts Sales of medically important antibiotics for use in food animals are down by 41 percent in two years as part of the FDA’s campaign to preserve the efficacy of antibiotics. Pork, the meat-export leader Large domestic hog… Continue reading
USDA shutdown would likely delay Trump’s tariff bailouts According to a USDA plan developed for the brief shutdown earlier this year, if there is a partial government shutdown at the end of this week offices running the farm program would be closed, which probably would mean that Trump tariff payments… Continue reading
Farm bill 2018: Late, yes, but not as late as some The 2018 farm bill, which President Trump could sign into law as early as next week, is more than two months overdue, largely because of a fight over SNAP work requirements that led Rep. Collin Peterson to say, “I… Continue reading
White House expects immediate action by China on ag trade Taking a “show me” stance, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on Monday he expected China to roll back tariffs on U.S. farm exports promptly and begin trade reforms in line with the trade deal struck by President Trump… Continue reading
U.S. ag sales to China to fall by 45 percent in trade war China, formerly the No. 1 customer for U.S. ag exports, will buy a comparatively paltry $9 billion worth of those exports this fiscal year, a startling 45 percent cutback due to the trade war, said the USDA… Continue reading
As China tightens its belt, U.S. soybeans feel the pinch The giant of world soybean trade, China, will slash its soy imports by 10 percent this trade year under the dual effects of a trade war with the United States and an outbreak of African swine fever, said the U.S…. Continue reading
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