food security

Republican lawmakers in the U.S. Senate introduced legislation last week that would strike down California's animal-welfare law created as a result of Proposition 12.  The Food Security and Farm Protection Act introduced by Iowa’s senators Chuck Grassley, Joni Ernst,  as well as Roger Marshall from Kansas, would prevent any state or local government from passing laws that interfere with commerce a

The USDA will provide $466.5 million to strengthen global food security through its two premiere international development programs.  Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says the agency will provide $248 million to the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program, and USDA will provide $218.5 million...

March is National Ag Month, and Second Harvest, an organization that offers hunger solutions in Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho, is celebrating by putting the spotlight on agriculture's contributions to the effort.

Congressman Dan Newhouse introduced legislation to prevent foreign adversaries from exploiting U.S. land near national security sites by giving the CFIUS jurisdiction over any potential land purchases by foreign adversaries.

President Joe Biden recently signed a National Security Memorandum to Strengthen the Security and Resilience of U.S. Food and Agriculture.  Colin Woodall, CEO of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, said the memorandum instructs government officials to identify threats to American food and agriculture and respond appropriately.   “What ...

In 2021, households that included an adult with disabilities reported higher food insecurity rates than households with no adults with disabilities.  ERS reports that in 2021, for U.S. households that included an adult out of the labor force because of a disability, 28% were food insecure.  Am...

The State Department recently hosted a virtual round table, with public and private sector stakeholders, focused on the subject of food security issues arising from Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Among the participants, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack: "We really want to know what you know, we also want you to know what the Biden administration is doing to addressing these problems with an

A group of lawmakers have sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security, opposing the Department’s final rule when  it comes travel restrictions into the U.S. The 12 lawmakers, led by Dan Newhouse, chair of the Western Congressional Caucus, told DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that the rule could have serious ramifications the farming industry, the nation’s food supply as well as rural ec

An annual report from Virginia Tech University shows agriculture is behind the pace of meeting the productivity needs of 2050. The 2021 Global Agricultural Productivity Report urges the acceleration of productivity growth at all production scales to meet consumers' needs and address human and environmental well-being threats ...

The USDA recently released it's annual look at household food security. "In 2020 the prevalence of food insecurity was unchanged from 2019. The prevalence was 10.5 % of US households. In 2020, 3.9% of US households had very low food security, and that was not significantly different from 4 ...