Will egg prices go up amid more bird flu outbreaks? 

Apr 11, 2024
Retail egg prices rose between 7.2% and 9.2% from the 2022 outbreak, according to a University of Arkansas paper.
Egg prices more than doubled at the beginning of 2023, after the bird flu infected tens of millions of hens, compared to the same period the previous year.
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Most of the Colorado River's diverted water goes to agricultural uses, study finds

Apr 1, 2024
A whopping three quarters of the river's water that is used by humans goes to irrigation for farms and livestock, according to the journal Communications Earth & Environment.
Water flows from irrigation pipes for cattle grazing land near Whitewater, Colorado.
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Farmworkers are making — and enforcing — the strongest heat protection rules in the country

Feb 29, 2024
Farms that participate in the Fair Food Program ensure workers have access to things like shade and water. In return, they're first in line to sell to big buyers.
Farms participating in the Fair Food Program ensure farmworkers receive certain heat protections, including access to shaded areas and water.
Photo Courtesy of Eva Marie Uzcategui for The Washington Post

America's farmers are getting older

Feb 20, 2024
The average age of farmers is increasing as young aspiring farmers face financial barrier to starting up.
Things like a shortage of child care, rural housing and the burden of student loans could be keeping younger people back from farming.
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The trend of small farmers selling to big ag companies continues

Feb 14, 2024
And, diversity is still a challenge in the agricultural industry. According to the census, 95 percent of American farmers are white and on average, are just over 58 years old.
Federal crop insurance, subsidies and lending practices favor large operations, says Phil Howard, a professor of food and agriculture at Michigan State University.
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Hundreds of food brands linked to hidden prisoner workforce, AP reports

The Associated Press uncovered a workforce of prisoners producing hundreds of millions of dollars worth of agricultural products and goods by popular food brands.
Nationwide, U.S. prisoners produce hundreds of millions of dollars worth of agricultural products and goods sold on the open market, AP reporters found. Above, a man walks through part of the Louisiana State Penitentiary, a maximum security prison with its own farm.
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The farm bill is caught up in gridlock ... again

Jan 24, 2024
The current bill, which funds everything from crop insurance to nutrition programs, was set to expire back in September. Congress gave itself a yearlong extension to negotiate an update — but it could take even longer than that.
If Congress doesn't negotiate a new farm bill in the next few months, there may not be a new one until 2025.
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Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture has been a COP28 priority

Dec 11, 2023
There’s been more than $3 billion pledged toward making global food systems more resilient in the face of climate change.
Food supply sustainability has been a focus at the U.N.'s climate conference, COP28.
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Federal Crop Insurance Program draws bipartisan criticism

Nov 17, 2023
Some farmers say their business models depend on the crop insurance and getting rid of the program would drive up food prices.
Mark, left, and Denny Wilson are co-owners of Wilson-Legacy Farms in Delaware. They say crop insurance is an important part of managing and stabilizing farm costs.
Maya Marchel Hoff/Marketplace

How a delayed farm bill would affect the agriculture sector

Nov 10, 2023
If an extension or replacement bill isn't passed by the new year, there could be major consequences for farmers and consumers.
The farm bill was last updated in 2018. It's more expensive to grow food now, but the legislation doesn't reflect those changes.
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