Latest Stories — Food & Power

Independent Farmers Worry About a Farm Bill Effort to Preempt State-Level Livestock Standards

The Save Our Bacon Act is the latest attempt by the big meat lobby to override state-level animal welfare standards, which some independent farmers see as a critical new market opportunity to compete against dominant firms.

Bayer Pauses Parts of Its Seed Loyalty Programs Following DOJ Scrutiny

DOJ announced that Bayer will stop problematic parts of its loyalty programs with seed breeders. Except Bayer voluntarily pulled these programs months ago. The agreement only pauses them for another 7 years. Advocates want more, meaningful guardrails.

DOJ and State AGs Settle Agri Stats Suit

Advocates hoped the Agri Stats case would set stronger limits on corporations that use a data-consultant to support collusion. State AGs felt a trial was too risky. The success of this complicated settlement hinges on a court-appointed monitor.

USDA Seeks to Increase Meatpacking Line Speeds, Threatening Workers, Consumers

USDA’s proposal culminates a decades-long effort to shift inspection duties from government officials to plant worker and increase processing line speeds, benefiting industry.

Distribution Giant Sysco Wants to Take Over a Lifeline for Small Restaurants

A group of small restaurant owners calls Sysco’s takeover of Restaurant Depot ”a gut punch to every neighborhood restaurant in America.”

USDA Delays Rule to Regulate Deceptive Payment Terms for Poultry Growers

Farmer groups across the political spectrum criticized the decision, which runs counter to Trump administration pledges to protect farmers from dominant packers.

Fertilizer Giants Make Farmers and Food Production More Vulnerable

Fertilizer prices are rising as US and Israel’s attack on Iran closes the critical Strait of Hormuz. In theory, nitrogen fertilizer can be made all over the world, so why is the industry so consolidated and vulnerable?

Seeds & AgrichemicalsClaire KellowayMarch 19, 2026Fertilizer, Iran, Nitrogen, corn, Secondary Feature

ICE Surge in Minnesota Hits Meatpacking Towns

Operation Metro Surge expanded beyond the Twin Cities metro and chilled economic activity in rural Minnesota meatpacking towns with large immigrant communities.

Ohio AG Claims Multi-State Cannabis Companies Conspired to Crowd Out Competitors

A new antitrust suit alleges that large cannabis companies made tit for tat agreements to buy each other’s products or allot each other shelf space in Ohio.

Wall Street Doesn’t Reward Resilience, Main Street Does

Minnesota shows how small businesses can support their communities through crisis while large corporations make measured statements, or worse, cooperate with authoritarian overreach.

Retail, PolicyClaire KellowayFebruary 5, 2026resiliency, Minnesota, Minneapolis, Small Business, Secondary Feature

Environmental Organizations Ask USDA to Stop Subsidizing Manure Digesters

Over 30 environmental organizations want USDA to stop subsidizing manure-to-biogas machinery that they argue entrenches large, polluting livestock operations, promotes farm consolidation, and wastes taxpayer dollars.

Dairy, Poultry & Livestock, PolicyClaire KellowayJanuary 22, 2026Biogas, Digesters, USDA, California, dairy, pork, climate change, Methane

Tyson and JBS Agree to Stop “Net-Zero” and “Climate-Smart” Greenwashing

Tyson Foods and JBS agreed to stop making misleading climate action claims after environmental organizations and the New York Attorney General sued them for false advertising.

Enforcement, Poultry & LivestockClaire KellowayJanuary 8, 2026JBS, Tyson, climate change, Secondary Feature