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Food and agriculture groups say the Trump administration’s attempt to define “ultraprocessed” foods and reduce their consumption isn’t justified by the science and could sweep up a wide range of healthful foods. In formal comments filed with the Food and Drug Administration, the groups note there’s a lack of scientific consensus on how the term should be defined.

Farmers and ag industry leaders warned the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday about the rising cost of seed and fertilizer to producers but didn't agree on what should be done about it.

More than two dozen U.S. states and the District of Columbia are suing the Trump administration to prevent a lapse in SNAP benefits in November.

The top U.S. fertilizer lobby, amid increased calls for greater scrutiny of the market for crop nutrients, is calling for immediate federal actions to help farmers, including expansion of domestic production. 

The government shutdown heads toward a new crisis point this week with the potential lapse in SNAP benefits, and President Donald Trump is in Asia for meetings that are scheduled to include his face-to-face with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Several Trump nominees of particular importance to food and agriculture policy have hearings on Capitol Hill.

A growing number of states are seeking Agriculture Department approval to restrict purchases of soft drinks, candy and other sugary foods with SNAP benefits. USDA has so far approved requests from a dozen states for SNAP restrictions of various kinds and is considering four more, according to an Agri-Pulse analysis.

Four years ago, there were high hopes in agriculture for the future of sustainable aviation fuel. The airlines joined the Biden administration in announcing a commitment to use 3 billion gallons of SAF by 2030. But SAF is still struggling to take off.

The U.S. ethanol industry is facing a major setback as the American Petroleum Institute withdraws support for legislation to allow year-round sales of higher blends of the corn-based biofuel throughout the country. 

The partial government shutdown drags into another week with no end in sight, and Senate Democrats are likely to force another vote on President Donald Trump’s tariff policy even as his administration continues discussions with China. The Senate Ag Committee will take up the Grain Standards Reauthorization Act and more. 

A federal judge sternly warned the government not to RIF any federal employees who are part of union bargaining units while the current shutdown is in place, at a status conference in a lawsuit brought by federal employee unions Friday.