Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow says she’s “very optimistic” that substantial new funding for farm bill conservation programs will be included in the $3.5 trillion spending agreement that Democrats have announced. Stabenow has been seeking $50 billion in new conservation funding to promote climate-friendly farming practices.

The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened global hunger, according to a new report from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. The FAO estimates that as many as 811 million people faced hunger in 2020, an increase of as much as 161 million people over 2019.

President Biden’s sweeping executive order pledges to address the corporate consolidation in U.S. agribusiness that has long frustrated many farmers, but his administration still has a lot of work to do to deliver on his promised relief.

The House Appropriations Committee today will debate amendments to a $26.6 billion fiscal 2022 spending bill that funds USDA and FDA. Republicans say the bill is too big and that Democrats are shorting defense spending.

The Biden administration is testing an idea for promoting cover crop adoption that has proven popular in some states - offering farmers a subsidy on their crop insurance premiums.