The Trump administration has finalized the first major changes to regulation of agricultural biotechnology in more than three decades.

A recent State Department move is expected to speed approval of farmworkers seeking to enter the country, but observers of the process are still keeping a watchful eye on many parts of the H-2A program.

The Trump administration has labeled agriculture as a critical industry in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, allowing businesses to continue operating as usual amid current and potential restrictions created to stem the spread of the virus.

The coronavirus has sent the markets into a tailspin, closed down schools, and turned restaurants into to-go stands. But so far, agriculture’s intricate supply chain is – for the most part – still turning.

State issues guidance to prevent coronavirus spread in restaurants * Farmworkers want more sick pay * Coronavirus ‘hangover’ stalls a rise in dairy prices

This is the fourth podcast in our five-part series examining a wide range of issues facing the dairy industry sponsored by Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative. In this episode, Spencer Chase and Ben Nuelle explore the realities of how hard it can be to secure a reliable workforce for the nation's dairy farms, what that means to the producer, and what is being done about it on Capitol Hill.

Editor's note: This is the third in our seven-part in-depth editorial series where we look ahead at “Farm & Food 2040.” Part three looks at how the failure to pass meaningful immigration reform is fueling adoption of the newest technologies in automation—primarily robotics—to stem the need for immigrant farmworkers. And we also feature new research identifying the "Farmer of the Future."