Food

Q&A: Brashears outlines USDA’s food safety priorities amid screwworm response

lydia@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 06:09:00 -0400

USDA Undersecretary for Food Safety Mindy Brashears sits down with Agri-Pulse to discuss the agency's response to the spread of New World screwworm, as well as its broader agenda that includes Salmonella reform, line-speed regulations, support for small meat processors and expanded use of Product of USA labeling.

European Union lifts tariffs on nuts, fruits, vegetables and lobsters

olivia@agri-pulse.com — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 22:48:24 -0400

The Council of the European Union and European Parliament approved regulations to remove tariffs on U.S. nuts, fruits, vegetables and lobsters as well as establish a tariff-rate quota for 500,000 metric tons of tree nuts to enter the EU market.

USDA's reorganization plans for FNA, ARS, other agencies unlawful, groups claim

steve@agri-pulse.com — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 13:55:28 -0400

A coalition including unions and nonprofits is challenging the Agriculture Department’s reorganization of agencies including the Food and Nutrition Administration and Agricultural Research Service, citing the department's own plan to allege that the reorganization is specifically designed to reduce personnel.

Trump administration declines USMCA renewal; dairy industry weighs in

olivia@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 17:12:51 -0400

The Trump administration will not renew the U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement in its current form, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced Wednesday. The agreement has been a boon to farm country, but lawmakers and the dairy industry say there's room for improvement.

USDA plans aid for small, mid-sized beef processors amid cattle shortage

noah@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:46:00 -0400

The Agriculture Department will offer small and mid-sized beef processors up to $500 million to help them weather a historic cattle shortage, Secretary Brooke Rollins announced Tuesday.

Daybreak July 1: Glyphosate duty request angers grower groups

noah@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 09:40:30 -0400

Commodity groups are protesting Monsanto’s filing of petitions seeking duties on glyphosate imported from China. A federal judge has blocked the Agriculture Department from cutting off grants to 24 groups under a Biden-era program aimed at helping underserved producers access land.

U.S. counties are bracing for SNAP cost impact

grace@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 06:10:00 -0400

Counties on the hook for SNAP cost shifts are seeking delays as senators say they are working to find a solution.

For growers and employers, Thompson’s ag labor bill offers hope for long-sought workforce stability

lydia@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 06:09:00 -0400

Phil Glaize, a third-generation farmer in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, arrived in Washington this week with renewed optimism for long-needed ag labor reforms. Glaize and dozens of ag producers from across the country gathered on Capitol Hill Tuesday for the release of the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act.

Justice Department settles with three top egg producers over price inflation

olivia@agri-pulse.com — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 14:24:11 -0400

The Justice Department has reached proposed settlements in a civil lawsuit against three top egg sellers accused of illegally inflating market egg prices through claims that avian flu depleted supplies.

Boozman signals openness to delaying state SNAP cost-share

lydia@agri-pulse.com — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 12:41:20 -0400

Senate Ag Committee Chair John Boozman, who has consistently said he doesn’t want to touch the state SNAP cost sharing requirements enacted in last year's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, tells Agri-Pulse Newsmakers he’s open to providing some relief to states working to comply.

Trump signs executive order promoting regenerative agriculture

lydia@agri-pulse.com — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 21:07:44 -0400

A new executive order signed by President Donald Trump seeks to promote precision ag techniques and expedite approval of new pesticide active ingredients. Trump signed the order shortly before hosting farmers for dinner at the White House Rose Garden.

Most states' SNAP error rates will trigger benefit payment requirements

steve@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 14:36:55 -0400

Only nine states had payment error rates in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program below 6% in fiscal 2025, USDA has announced, which would allow them to avoid paying a portion of SNAP benefits starting in October 2027. Another six, as well as the District of Columbia, were above a higher threshold that gives them a two-year delay.

SNAP negotiations underway in Senate with farm bill at stake

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 06:07:00 -0400

Partisan fighting over nutrition aid policy is threatening to derail efforts to pass a Senate farm bill.

Demand boom seen driving high oleic soy acres up as much as 600%

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 06:04:00 -0400

After about a decade of research that's still ongoing, demand from the dairy and food service industries is seen fueling big growth in U.S. plantings of premium soybeans known as high oleic.

Court vacates USDA approval of SNAP purchasing restrictions for five states

noah@agri-pulse.com — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 18:02:53 -0400

A federal judge has vacated the U.S. Department of Agriculture's approval of pilot programs in five states that barred Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients from using their benefits to buy soda, candy, and other items, ruling that the agency exceeded its legal authority and bypassed required public notice procedures.

Boozman unveils farm bill draft that sidesteps thorny issues

noah@agri-pulse.com — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 14:29:20 -0400

The Senate Agriculture Committee's five-year "farm bill 2.0" would bolster key farm and rural development initiatives while sidestepping the most controversial food and ag issues of the day.

EU passes gene editing regulation

steve@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 06:07:00 -0400

The European Union has adopted a regulation allowing streamlined approvals for gene-edited plants — a development that seed and biotech companies are lauding as a breakthrough on a continent known for its strict oversight of agricultural production.

JBS to close two facilities, displacing nearly 2,000 workers

grace@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 06:03:00 -0400

JBS announces closures of its Souderton beef plant and Memphis value‑added facility.

Danone sues Chobani over allegedly misleading high-protein yogurt claims

grace@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 06:02:00 -0400

Danone US is suing Chobani over an alleged “deceptive naming, labeling, and advertising campaign” involving protein yogurts.

Daybreak June 16: Fertilizer prices drop on news of peace deal

noah@agri-pulse.com — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 08:58:12 -0400

Price indicators for key farm inputs tumbled on Monday following news of the U.S.-Iran preliminary peace deal. The latest U.S. soybean crush data signals robust oilseed processing for the June-August quarter, says Arlan Suderman, chief commodities economist for StoneX Group.

Daybreak June 12: States outline costs of SNAP compliance

noah@agri-pulse.com — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 09:19:10 -0400

The costs states face in co-funding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are comparable to the roughly $15 billion spent on transportation in fiscal 2025, the National Association of State Budget Officers tells Senate and House Agriculture committee leaders. USDA Undersecretary for Food Safety Mindy Brashears says 7,000 inspectors with the Food Safety Inspection Service are “leading the animal health charge” in the fight against New World screwworm, and the parasitic pest does not pose a threat to the food supply.

Daybreak June 11: USDA using terminated food programs to fund screwworm efforts

noah@agri-pulse.com — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:18:39 -0400

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says the $1.3 billion fight against a potentially deadly livestock pest includes federal funds reallocated from a local food buying program. Rollins said USDA is “stretched” on using the Commodity Credit Corporation because the $30 billion annual cap has not been increased since 1987.

Rollins touts deregulation, nutrition reset and ag labor reforms to produce sector

lydia@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 13:25:55 -0400

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins used her time with the International Fresh Produce Association to highlight the administration’s deregulation push, as well as efforts to reshape federal nutrition policy, expand export markets, lower labor costs and support specialty crop producers.

Food, energy prices up in May as inflation hits 4.2% over past year

steve@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 11:03:22 -0400

Beef prices fell but energy prices rose, helping lead to a 0.5% rise in inflation in May and a 4.2% 12-month increase that is the largest jump in three years.

States gird for changes in SNAP, urge delays as USDA seeks data

steve@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 06:07:00 -0400

USDA and blue states aren’t giving an inch in their continuing battle over SNAP data, as Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins continues to blast the program as rife with fraud, waste and abuse. The fight over SNAP was highlighted at a recent House Agriculture Committee hearing where Ranking Member Angie Craig, D-Minn., harshly criticized Rollins over SNAP.

Kennedy: Defining ultra-processed foods is first step toward reshaping Americans' diets

lydia@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 06:06:47 -0400

Speaking to attendees at the International Fresh Produce Association’s Washington Conference, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the UPF definition is currently under review at the Office of Management and Budget with a goal of unveiling a final publication in “the next couple of months.”

Winemaking weather woes muddle vineyard economics, study shows

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 06:05:00 -0400

A new Cornell University study examines the tradeoffs involved for wine grape growers when trying to adapt to more extreme weather versus completely changing grape varieties or picking up and moving elsewhere.

Medical schools, boards to update nutrition education requirements

noah@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 06:03:00 -0400

Nineteen medical schools have agreed to require at least 40 hours of nutrition education or an equivalent by this fall, joining 54 others that have already made such commitments, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Monday.

UN report identifies disparities in livestock consumption

grace@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 06:02:00 -0400

A new report from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization shows that low-fat terrestrial animal source foods – mostly dairy products, eggs and meat – are often unavailable in small stores serving marginalized communities.

Daybreak June 9: Senate Ag’s farm bill gets pushed back

noah@agri-pulse.com — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 09:28:08 -0400

The Senate Agriculture Committee is expected to consider a farm bill during the work period between July 4th and August recesses, Chair John Boozman, R-Ark., says. The Senate Agriculture Committee advanced the nomination of Glen Smith to be undersecretary of agriculture for rural development along party lines, setting the stage for a Senate floor vote.