The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote Thursday on the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act led by Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), a package of legislation designed to address supply chain issues for the American energy and agriculture sectors, combat rising fertilizer prices and increase the availability of higher ethanol blends and other biofuels. The legislation includes Spanberger’s …
Agri-Pulse to Host Food Security Webinar
American farmland and ranchland are rapidly disappearing, threatening our food security, undermining the agricultural economy, and making us vulnerable to climate shocks. What can be done? That question is at the heart of an upcoming June 29 Agri-Pulse webinar, “Farms Under Threat 2040: Choosing an Abundant Future.” “With the war in Ukraine, drought in the Western U.S. and ongoing supply …
Agri-Pulse West Summit Announces Speakers
The agenda for the 2022 Agri-Pulse Food and Agriculture Issues Summit in Sacramento July 11 is shaping up to include some of California’s most prominent policy makers. State Senator Melissa Hurtado, the youngest woman ever to be elected to the California State Senate and a representative of a new generation of Latina political leaders, will be the opening keynote speaker …
USDA Announces Framework to Transform the Food System
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced details of a “framework to transform the food system to benefit consumers, producers and rural communities by providing more options, increasing access, and creating new, more, and better markets for small and mid-size producers.” Vilsack said the framework “builds on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain disruptions caused by Russia’s war …
SISC and CropTrak Release Stewardship Calculator 2.0
Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops (SISC) and CropTrak® are announcing the public release of Stewardship Calculator 2.0 to help growers measure a wide-range of on-farm data for better crop management and help brands more easily aggregate that data for sustainability and ESG reporting. “Following a robust pilot program with leading brands and growers, we are now offering this online calculator …
Daugherty Water for Food Podcast Episode 11
The Daugherty Water for Food Podcast is back after a brief hiatus to bring you a new episode focused on ensuring water and food security for our growing world. Matt Foley is program director for The Combine AgriFood Incubator, a part of Invest Nebraska, which supports early stage agtech companies in row crop, animal health, digital agriculture and sustainability. The …
Biden Announces Actions for Farmers to Address Food Costs
President Joe Biden and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack visited the family farm of Jeff and Gina O’Connor in Kankakee, Illinois Wednesday to discuss new efforts to give farmers the tools and resources they need to boost domestic food production. Specifically, the actions include: Increase the number of counties eligible for double cropping insurance Cut costs for farmers by increasing …
New Agri-Pulse Newsmakers Spotlights Nutrition
The newest episode of Agri-Pulse Newsmakers is now live and the focus this week is on nutrition and food policy. Congress has funded a White House conference on nutrition, hunger and health, setting the stage for the first such gathering since 1969. The issue has been a longtime priority for House Ag Committee member and Massachusetts Democrat Jim McGovern, who …
Preview of 2022 Ag & Food Policy Summit
The annual Ag & Food Policy Summit, powered by Agri-Pulse, is coming up soon. It is live and virtual this year. I talked with Agri-Pulse President, Sara Wyant, to learn what is on the program this year. You can register here. Interview with Sara Wyant, President, Agri-Pulse: (5:17) In these uncertain times, here’s your chance to gain insight and analysis …
Tony Romo to Speak for Beef
From play by play to plate by plate, celebrity athlete and former NFL quarterback Tony Romo has been named the new spokesperson for the iconic “Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner” brand, managed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and funded by the Beef Checkoff. The new partnership, which was announced at the opening general session of the 2022 Cattle …