{"id":60628,"date":"2025-01-20T21:00:15","date_gmt":"2025-01-21T05:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/?page_id=60628"},"modified":"2025-06-26T09:55:02","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T16:55:02","slug":"food-policy-tracker","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/","title":{"rendered":"Food Policy&nbsp;Tracker"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-60584 size-medium lazyload\" style=\"padding: 10px;\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"http:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/250121-Civil-Eats-Food-Policy-Tracker-2025-Logo-rectangle-350x233.jpg\" alt=\"A logo showing the Civil Eats Food Policy Tracker, looking like a radar following food policy proposals and actions\" width=\"350\" height=\"233\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-60584 size-medium lazyload\" style=\"padding: 10px;\" src=\"http:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/250121-Civil-Eats-Food-Policy-Tracker-2025-Logo-rectangle-350x233.jpg\" alt=\"A logo showing the Civil Eats Food Policy Tracker, looking like a radar following food policy proposals and actions\" width=\"350\" height=\"233\" srcset=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/250121-Civil-Eats-Food-Policy-Tracker-2025-Logo-rectangle-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/250121-Civil-Eats-Food-Policy-Tracker-2025-Logo-rectangle-700x467.jpg 700w, https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/250121-Civil-Eats-Food-Policy-Tracker-2025-Logo-rectangle-200x133.jpg 200w, https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/250121-Civil-Eats-Food-Policy-Tracker-2025-Logo-rectangle-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/250121-Civil-Eats-Food-Policy-Tracker-2025-Logo-rectangle.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/noscript>Every day, decisions are made in Washington, D.C. that have profound consequences for how we grow, process, transport, and consume food in this country.<\/p>\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/20\/introducing-civil-eats-food-policy-tracker\/\">We\u2019re keeping track<\/a>: Consider this your go-to source for actions taken by the president, federal agencies, and Congress that directly relate to or have significant implications for the food system.<\/p>\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\">Lisa Held<\/a>, our senior staff reporter and contributing editor, is on the ground in our nation\u2019s capital, reporting and writing these daily updates. Got a tip? Email <a href=\"mailto:tracker@civileats.com\">tracker@civileats.com<\/a>. <b>(For secure communication, use <a href=\"mailto:civileats@protonmail.com\">civileats@protonmail.com<\/a>. Civil Eats reporters respect the privacy and individual wishes of their sources as to whether and how they are identified. We will do everything within our power to protect our sources.)<\/b><\/p>\r\n<p><strong>How to use this tracker:<\/strong> We&#8217;ll tag every post with the relevant government agencies and topics. You can check the boxes below to see only the posts on topics you&#8217;re interested in.<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Keep up to speed!<\/strong> You can receive these posts by email in two ways: Our Instant Updates email will land in your inbox as soon as we publish, and our Weekly Digest gets sent on Friday afternoons and collects the week&#8217;s posts in one email. Sign up for either or both by <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/account\">logging into to your account<\/a> (or <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/account\">creating an account<\/a>).<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Acronyms we&#8217;re using:<\/strong> USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture), EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), FDA (Food and Drug Administration), DOJ (Department of Justice), DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), HHS (Department of Health and Human Services), CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), DOL (Department of Labor), BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs), DHS (Department of Homeland Security, which includes Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP)).<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"pt-cv-wrapper\"><div class=\"cvp-live-filter  cvp-customized cvp-checkbox \" id=\"\" data-name=\"tx_post_tag\" data-sid=\"283aa14bvc\" data-isblock=\"\" data-postid=\"\"><label class=\"cvp-label\"><\/label><div class=\"checkbox\"><label><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"tx_post_tag\" value=\"the-white-house\" \/>The White House<\/label><\/div><div class=\"checkbox\"><label><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"tx_post_tag\" value=\"congress\" \/>Congress<\/label><\/div><div class=\"checkbox\"><label><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"tx_post_tag\" value=\"bia\" \/>BIA<\/label><\/div><div class=\"checkbox\"><label><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"tx_post_tag\" value=\"cdc\" \/>CDC<\/label><\/div><div class=\"checkbox\"><label><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"tx_post_tag\" value=\"dhs\" \/>DHS<\/label><\/div><div class=\"checkbox\"><label><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"tx_post_tag\" value=\"doge\" \/>DOGE<\/label><\/div><div class=\"checkbox\"><label><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"tx_post_tag\" value=\"dol\" \/>DOL<\/label><\/div><div class=\"checkbox\"><label><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"tx_post_tag\" value=\"doj\" \/>DOJ<\/label><\/div><div class=\"checkbox\"><label><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"tx_post_tag\" value=\"epa\" \/>EPA<\/label><\/div><div class=\"checkbox\"><label><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"tx_post_tag\" value=\"fda\" \/>FDA<\/label><\/div><div class=\"checkbox\"><label><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"tx_post_tag\" value=\"federal-courts\" \/>Federal courts<\/label><\/div><div class=\"checkbox\"><label><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"tx_post_tag\" value=\"hhs\" \/>HHS<\/label><\/div><div class=\"checkbox\"><label><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"tx_post_tag\" value=\"noaa\" \/>NOAA<\/label><\/div><div class=\"checkbox\"><label><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"tx_post_tag\" value=\"supreme-court\" \/>The Supreme Court<\/label><\/div><div class=\"checkbox\"><label><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"tx_post_tag\" value=\"usda\" \/>USDA<\/label><\/div><div class=\"checkbox\"><label><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"tx_post_tag\" value=\"animal-agriculture\" \/>Animal agriculture<\/label><\/div><div class=\"checkbox\"><label><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"tx_post_tag\" value=\"climate-and-environment\" \/>Climate and environment<\/label><\/div><div class=\"checkbox\"><label><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"tx_post_tag\" value=\"farmers\" \/>Farmers<\/label><\/div><div class=\"checkbox\"><label><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"tx_post_tag\" value=\"food-and-farm-workers\" \/>Food and farm workers<\/label><\/div><div class=\"checkbox\"><label><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"tx_post_tag\" value=\"food-safety\" \/>Food safety<\/label><\/div><div class=\"checkbox\"><label><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"tx_post_tag\" value=\"grocery-stores\" \/>Grocery stores<\/label><\/div><div class=\"checkbox\"><label><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"tx_post_tag\" value=\"health\" \/>Health<\/label><\/div><div class=\"checkbox\"><label><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"tx_post_tag\" value=\"hunger\" \/>Hunger<\/label><\/div><div class=\"checkbox\"><label><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"tx_post_tag\" value=\"immigration\" \/>Immigration<\/label><\/div><div class=\"checkbox\"><label><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"tx_post_tag\" value=\"indigenous-foods\" \/>Indigenous foods<\/label><\/div><div class=\"checkbox\"><label><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"tx_post_tag\" value=\"local-food\" \/>Local food<\/label><\/div><div class=\"checkbox\"><label><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"tx_post_tag\" value=\"nutrition\" \/>Nutrition<\/label><\/div><div class=\"checkbox\"><label><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"tx_post_tag\" value=\"restaurants\" \/>Restaurants<\/label><\/div><div class=\"checkbox\"><label><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"tx_post_tag\" value=\"school-food\" \/>School food<\/label><\/div><div class=\"checkbox\"><label><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"tx_post_tag\" value=\"seafood\" \/>Seafood<\/label><\/div><\/div><div class=\"cvp-live-filter  cvp-customized cvp-dropdown \" id=\"\" data-name=\"_orderby\" data-sid=\"283aa14bvc\" data-isblock=\"\" data-postid=\"\"><label class=\"cvp-label\">Sort by<\/label><select name=\"_orderby\"><option value=\"\">Newest First<\/option><option value=\"date\" >Oldest first<\/option><\/select><\/div><div class=\"pt-cv-view pt-cv-blockgrid iscvblock iscvhybrid list1 layout1 cvp-lfres\" id=\"pt-cv-view-283aa14bvc\"><div data-id=\"pt-cv-page-1\" class=\"pt-cv-page\" data-cvc=\"1\"><div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"66381\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/the-white-house\/' title='The White House' class='pt-cv-tax-the-white-house'>The White House<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Tariffs Impacting Farms and Food Prices Will Change Again This&nbsp;Week<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>July 29, 2025<\/b> &#8211; President Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/02\/trump-announces-higher-tariffs-on-major-food-and-agricultural-trade-partners\/\">announced<\/a> a sweeping set of tariffs on April 2, many of which impacted major agricultural trade partners. However, shortly afterward, he paused many of the higher, country-specific tariffs proposed, leaving in place a 10 percent baseline import tax.<\/p><p>\r\n\r\nSince then, there have been a dizzying number of changes to the plan. While Trump has backtracked on several other deadlines, he has said August 1 would be the final deadline for countries to negotiate trade deals with the U.S. If they failed to reach a deal, the higher rates proposed earlier would go into effect.<\/p><p>\r\n\r\nAs that deadline approaches, these are a few of the most important things to know about how farmers and America\u2019s food system might be affected, especially with regard\u00a0 to the country\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ers.usda.gov\/data-products\/chart-gallery\/chart-detail?chartId=58374\">biggest agricultural trade partners<\/a>: Mexico, Canada, China, the European Union, and Japan. Many other smaller markets will also be impacted.<\/p><p>\r\n\r\n<b>Trade with Mexico and Canada:<\/b> Since April 2, a 25 percent tariff has been in place for many goods from our closest neighbors, but imports covered by the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) have been exempt. That includes many agricultural products like fruits and vegetables from Mexico and animal feed, grains, and meat from Canada. Trump also reduced the tariff on potash, an important fertilizer not covered by USMCA, to 10 percent. Now, he says Canada\u2019s rate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us\/trump-puts-35-tariff-canada-eyes-15-20-tariffs-others-2025-07-11\/\">will rise to 35 percent<\/a> and Mexico\u2019s to 30 percent. The carveouts for USMCA goods and fertilizer are expected to stay in place, but that has not been confirmed. Canada has since imposed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/department-finance\/programs\/international-trade-finance-policy\/canadas-response-us-tariffs\/complete-list-us-products-subject-to-counter-tariffs.html\">reciprocal tariffs<\/a> on American meat and dairy products.<\/p><p>\r\n\r\n<b>Exports to China:<\/b> The U.S. is currently charging a 51 percent tax on imports from China. That could go up to as high as 145 percent if no deal is reached, but Trump has extended the deadline for negotiations, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/china\/us-china-resume-talks-stockholm-ease-tariff-hostilities-2025-07-29\/\">which are ongoing<\/a>, to August 12. China has retaliated by imposing steep taxes on American farm goods, including corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, meats, dairy products, and more. During Trump\u2019s last term, commodity farmers were particularly hard hit by Chinese tariffs and the export market never fully recovered. Trump\u2019s USDA\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2019\/11\/13\/government-bailouts-are-the-only-thing-bringing-farm-incomes-up\/\">bailed farmers out<\/a> with close to $30 billion in taxpayer funds.<\/p><p>\r\n\r\n<b>The EU Trade Deal: <\/b>This week, Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/fact-sheets\/2025\/07\/fact-sheet-the-united-states-and-european-union-reach-massive-trade-deal\/\">announced<\/a> a major trade deal with the European Union that set the tax on imports from the E.U. at 15 percent instead of the 30 percent proposed earlier. While the rate is lower, the tariff will likely still <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/02\/op-ed-how-trumps-tariffs-could-impact-your-local-restaurant\/\">drive up prices at restaurants<\/a>, which buy products like wine and specialty cheeses from Europe, and could make it harder for small, independent restaurants to operate. Trump has also said the deal will benefit American farmers, but details on agricultural tariffs the E.U. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/07\/27\/world\/europe\/eu-trade-deal-trump-tariffs.html?smid=url-share\">has agreed to drop<\/a> have not yet been shared.<\/p><p>\r\n\r\n<b>The Japan Trade Deal:<\/b> Last week, Trump also <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/business\/5414848-trump-japan-15-percent-tariff-trade-agreement\/\">finalized a deal<\/a> with Japan to set its tariff rate at 15 percent instead of the 25 percent proposed earlier. As part of the deal, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/fact-sheets\/2025\/07\/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-secures-unprecedented-u-s-japan-strategic-trade-and-investment-agreement\/\">Japan agreed<\/a> to increase imports of American rice 75 percent and purchase $8 billion in U.S. goods, including corn, soybeans, and biofuels made from crops.<\/p><p>\r\n\r\n<b>Brazil\u2019s Looming Deadline: <\/b>Trump has proposed a 50 percent tariff on all products imported from Brazil starting on August 1, and Brazil responded by promising to reciprocate with the same rate. Brazil <a href=\"https:\/\/www.atlanticcouncil.org\/blogs\/new-atlanticist\/the-numbers-that-define-the-us-brazil-trade-partnership\/\">sends<\/a> a significant amount of coffee, sugar, and specialty foods like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us\/us-lovers-amazon-berry-aa-feel-tariff-pinch-2025-07-27\/\">a\u00e7ai<\/a> to the U.S., so the prices of those products could rise. On the flip side, it accounts for 20 percent of U.S. fertilizer purchases.<\/p><p>\r\n\r\nIn addition to the major trade deals and tariff negotiations, the White House and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) over the last month have announced smaller deals they characterized as trade wins for American farmers.<\/p><p>\r\n\r\nOn July 1, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/news\/press-releases\/2025\/07\/01\/make-agriculture-great-again-trade-wins-president-trump-secures-win-american-poultry-producers\">said<\/a> Namibia will now accept imports of American poultry products, \u201cunlocking a market valued at $15 million.\u201d On July 23, Rollins <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/news\/press-releases\/2025\/07\/23\/make-agriculture-great-again-trade-wins-president-trump-secures-greater-ag-market-access-australia\">said<\/a> Trump had negotiated access to Australian markets for U.S. beef producers, but Australia\u2019s prime minister <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/asia-pacific\/australias-pm-says-easing-curbs-us-beef-not-prompted-by-trump-2025-07-27\/\">later said<\/a> the decision to ease the restriction on U.S. beef, in place due to historic concerns around mad cow disease, had nothing to do with Trump.<\/p><p>\r\n\r\nSince March, the percentage of federal revenue provided by tariffs <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/trumps-tariff-collections-expected-grow-june-us-budget-data-2025-07-11\/\">more than doubled<\/a>, from about 2 percent historically to 5 percent; fiscal year revenue from customs duties topped $100 billion for the first time in June. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#tariffs-impacting-farms-and-food-prices-will-change-again-this-week\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p><div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div><span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"66340\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/fda\/' title='FDA' class='pt-cv-tax-fda'>FDA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/nutrition\/' title='Nutrition' class='pt-cv-tax-nutrition'>Nutrition<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Federal Agencies Will Create an Official Definition of \u2018Ultra-Processed&nbsp;Foods\u2019<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>July 28, 2025<\/b> \u2013 On Friday, officials at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture <a href=\"https:\/\/www.federalregister.gov\/documents\/2025\/07\/25\/2025-14089\/ultra-processed-foods-request-for-information\">published a notice<\/a> in the Federal Register asking the American public to weigh in on a key question: What, exactly, is an \u201cultra-processed food\u201d?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe threats posed to our health by foods often considered ultra-processed are clear and convincing, making it imperative that we work in lockstep with our federal partners to advance, for the first time ever, a uniform definition of ultra-processed foods,\u201d FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/news-events\/press-announcements\/hhs-fda-and-usda-address-health-risks-ultra-processed-foods?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery\">in a press release<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The FDA is housed within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is a frequent critic of ultra-processed foods, also referred to as \u201cUPFs.\u201d The first Make America Healthy (MAHA) Report, released by the MAHA Commission he leads, <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/05\/22\/maha-report-focuses-on-ultra-processed-foods-goes-light-on-pesticide-risks\/\">focused heavily<\/a> on the foods\u2019 health harms. Last month, HHS <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/06\/17\/health-department-solicits-proposals-for-campaign-against-processed-foods\/\">also announced<\/a> it will run a public-facing campaign to warn Americans of the dangers of ultra-processed foods.<\/p>\n<p>While many nutritionists have been recommending diets heavy in whole foods for decades, the science on the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2020\/09\/17\/op-ed-the-rise-of-ultra-processed-foods-is-bad-news-for-our-health\/\">specific health harms of ultra-processed foods<\/a> is still new, and no clear, single definition exists. The most common definition comes from <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC11575809\/\">the NOVA system<\/a>, developed by researchers in Brazil. However, some experts <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC6389637\/\">point to<\/a> its limitations.<\/p>\n<p>In the Federal Register notice, officials ask the public to weigh in on some of the complicated details that often get discussed when it comes to what is and isn\u2019t a UPF: Which physical processes should lead to a food being considered ultra-processed? Which ingredients on a label immediately make a food UPF, and does the amount in the food matter?<\/p>\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/07\/27\/fda-head-marty-makary-on-food-dyes-ultra-processed-foods-and-the-maha-agenda-00478151\">an interview<\/a> with Politico\u2019s Dasha Burns over the weekend, Makary acknowledged that landing on a \u201cperfect\u201d definition will be difficult; he characterized the process as essentially figuring out where to draw the line between simple processing that doesn\u2019t affect the healthfulness of a food (like chopping a cucumber) and industrial processing that does.<\/p>\n<p>The agencies will take public comments until September 23. The process is likely to draw significant input from health and nutrition advocacy groups, food companies and their trade associations, and the agricultural groups that represent farmers growing crops that get turned into common UPF ingredients, such as corn and soy.<\/p>\n<p>In the press release, the agencies said that when completed, the final definition \u201cwill allow for consistency in research and policy to pave the way for addressing health concerns associated with the consumption of ultra-processed foods.\u201d That could include <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/23\/banning-ultra-processed-foods-in-school-meals-is-not-as-simple-as-it-may-seem\/\">significant implications for school meals<\/a> and food aid programs. While federal regulations in those programs don\u2019t currently include restrictions on UPFs, <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/07\/07\/rfk-jr-supports-states-on-snap-soda-bans-seed-oil-menu-labels-and-more\/\">several states<\/a> have already begun passing laws that do, <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/16\/trump-administration-charges-forward-on-state-maha-initiatives\/\">with Kennedy\u2019s help<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt a time when the cost of diet-related disease continues to grow, we welcome any effort to help consumers identify and avoid UPF and build healthier diets,\u201d said Scott Faber, senior vice president for government affairs at the Environmental Working Group, in a statement. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#federal-agencies-will-create-an-official-definition-of-ultra-processed-foods\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"66260\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Proposed Bill Would Ensure Individuals Can Sue Pesticide Manufacturers<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>July 24, 2025<\/b> \u2013 Senator Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.booker.senate.gov\/news\/press\/booker-introduces-pesticide-injury-accountability-act\">introduced<\/a> a bill that would change federal pesticide laws to codify the individual right to sue companies for harms caused by agricultural chemicals.<\/p>\n<p>The Pesticide Injury Accountability Act is a response to Bayer\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/08\/bayers-effort-to-block-roundup-lawsuits-kicks-into-high-gear\/\">ongoing efforts<\/a> over the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/03\/27\/inside-bayers-state-by-state-efforts-to-stop-pesticide-lawsuits\/\">past two years<\/a> to lobby for laws at both the state and federal level that would make it harder for individuals to sue agrichemical giants based on claims that their products caused cancer and other illnesses. Those efforts were successful in two states: Georgia and North Dakota. And last week, Republicans in the House <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#house-bill-would-halt-assessment-of-pfas-risk-on-farms\">added a clause<\/a> to an appropriations bill that could also make it harder for individuals to sue. Representative Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) plans to introduce an amendment to strike the provision.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRather than providing a liability shield so that foreign corporations are allowed to poison the American people, Congress should instead pass the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.booker.senate.gov\/imo\/media\/doc\/pesticideinjuryaccountabilityact.pdf\">Pesticide Injury Accountability Act<\/a> to ensure that these chemical companies can be held accountable in federal court for the harm caused by their toxic products,\u201d Booker said.<\/p>\n<p>Organizations including the National Family Farm Coalition and Farm Action praised the bill. Groups aligned with Robert F. Kennedy\u2019s Make America Healthy Again movement\u2014including Moms Across America and Children\u2019s Health Defense, which Kennedy founded\u2014are also backing it. While advocacy groups have been pushing for reforms to pesticide policies for decades, Booker and Pingree have long been some of the only lawmakers in Washington willing to support them.<\/p>\n<p>Booker\u2019s bill was just one of several pieces of food and farm legislation introduced last week. Some of the following bills could get attached to a farm bill if Congress decides to move forward with a slimmed-down version later this year.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/adams.house.gov\/sites\/evo-subsites\/adams.house.gov\/files\/evo-media-document\/chu_015_xml.pdf\"><b>Asunci\u00f3n Valdivia Heat Illness, Injury and Fatality Prevention Act<\/b><\/a><br \/>Named after a California farmworker who died of heat stroke after picking grapes, the bill would direct the Occupational Standards and Health Agency (OSHA) to create stronger regulations to protect workers from dangerous heat. It was introduced in both the House and the Senate with a long list of co-sponsors, all Democrats.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/files.constantcontact.com\/1849eea4801\/50eab3df-8bbe-4494-8cb9-489657b13ca9.pdf\"><b>DIGNITY Act<\/b><\/a><br \/>Among other immigration provisions, the bill would fund border security and mandate the use of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.e-verify.gov\/\">E-verify<\/a> while creating a new \u200b\u200bpath toward green card status (but not citizenship) for immigrants who have been living and working in the U.S. without legal authorization for at least five years. It <a href=\"https:\/\/files.constantcontact.com\/1849eea4801\/50eab3df-8bbe-4494-8cb9-489657b13ca9.pdf\">was introduced<\/a> in the House by Representatives Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Florida) and Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) and has bipartisan support.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bacon.house.gov\/uploadedfiles\/afida_improvements_act_of_2025.pdf\"><b>AFIDA Improvements Act\u00a0<\/b><\/a><br \/>Makes changes to the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA) to mandate more comprehensive, timely tracking of foreign investment in and purchases of farmland. Representative Don Bacon (R-Nebraska) <a href=\"https:\/\/bacon.house.gov\/news\/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2725\">introduced the bill<\/a> along with nine House colleagues from both sides of the aisle. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#booker-introduces-bill-to-give-individuals-the-right-to-sue-pesticide-manufacturers\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"66289\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/mwheeland\/\" rel=\"author\">Matthew Wheeland<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >USDA Announces Major Reorganization, Relocation of Employees<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>July 24, 2025 \u2013\u00a0<\/b>The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) this morning <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/news\/press-releases\/2025\/07\/24\/secretary-rollins-announces-usda-reorganization-restoring-departments-core-mission-supporting\">announced<\/a> a significant reorganization of the agency that Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said would \u201censure all agencies are efficiently and effectively delivering services to our constituents.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/p><p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/sm-1078-015.pdf\">a five-page memorandum<\/a> and an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Jz8PDXfddwQ\">unlisted YouTube video<\/a> aimed at USDA employees, Rollins laid out the details of the plan, which includes four key pillars:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Ensure the size of USDA\u2019s workforce aligns with available financial resources and agricultural priorities<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Bring USDA closer to its customers<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Eliminate management layers and bureaucracy<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Consolidate redundant support functions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p><p>The plan notes that the agency will move \u201cmuch of\u201d its 4,600 D.C. area employees out of the capital, eliminating what it calls \u201ca bloated, expensive, and unsustainable organization.\u201d Rollins said that the five hubs, where most D.C. staff will be relocated, will bring the USDA closer to its \u201ccore constituents.\u201d Those hubs are located in:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Raleigh, North Carolina<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Kansas City, Missouri<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Indianapolis, Indiana<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Fort Collins, Colorado<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Salt Lake City, Utah<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p><p>The move builds on Rollins\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/05\/06\/rollins-defends-usdas-local-food-cuts-and-funding-freeze-says-she-will-move-staff-out-of-dc\/\">testimony to Congress in May<\/a> that the agency was close to finalizing its plan to restructure and shrink the USDA. During the first Trump administration, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue led <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2017\/10\/17\/the-state-of-trumps-usda-what-you-need-to-know\/\">a similar effort<\/a> to reorganize and relocate USDA employees. The Biden administration worked to undo those efforts, but the reorganization of two offices within the USDA resulted in a loss of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.govexec.com\/oversight\/2023\/01\/although-usda-agencies-relocated-kansas-city-have-recovered-staff-exoduses-their-diversity-hasnt\/381877\/\">half their staff<\/a>, and similar moves in the Bureau of Land Management led to an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/article\/donald-trump-election-federal-agencies\">exodus of leadership<\/a> during the first Trump administration.<\/p>\n<p><\/p><p>Rollins&#8217; message to USDA employees is below; Civil Eats will continue to report on this plan as the details take shape. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#usda-announces-major-reorganization-relocation-of-employees\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p><div class=\"post-simple\"><iframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Jz8PDXfddwQ\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><div class=\"post-simple\"><\/div><\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"66272\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/animal-agriculture\/' title='Animal agriculture' class='pt-cv-tax-animal-agriculture'>Animal agriculture<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/mwheeland\/\" rel=\"author\">Matthew Wheeland<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >House Ag Committee Continues Efforts to Block Animal Welfare&nbsp;Rules<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>July 24, 2025 \u2013<\/b> In a three-hour <a href=\"https:\/\/agriculture.house.gov\/calendar\/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=7971\">hearing<\/a> Wednesday, the House Agriculture Committee brought in representatives of the animal agriculture industry to provide testimony that state-level animal welfare bills, notably <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2022\/10\/05\/supreme-court-docket-farm-animal-welfare-prop-12-california-gestation-crates-pork-industry\/\">California\u2019s Proposition 12<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2016_Massachusetts_Question_3\">Massachusetts\u2019 Question 3<\/a>, are harming farmers, ranchers, and consumers.<\/p>\n<p><\/p><p>Among the groups represented at the hearing were the National Pork Producers Council, the Iowa Farm Bureau, and the American Farm Bureau Federation, along with agricultural economists.<\/p>\n<p><\/p><p>The hearing represents\u00a0 the latest salvo in <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2021\/09\/27\/is-the-pork-industry-using-food-justice-to-stall-californias-new-animal-welfare-law-prop-12-prop-2-pork-gestation-crates\/\">a years-long effort<\/a> to overturn animal welfare rules that were established in 2018 by Prop. 12. In advance of the hearing, House Agriculture Committee Chair G.T. Thompson (R-Pennsylvania) issued a statement claiming Prop. 12 \u201chas wreaked havoc on America\u2019s food supply chain, forcing chaos and cost onto producers and consumers nationwide.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/p><p>\u201cIn the name of so-called animal welfare, radical activists are using state law to impose their extreme agenda on all 50 states and our international trading partners,\u201d he wrote, adding that Congress must now \u201crestore order and protect the balance between states\u2019 rights and interstate commerce.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/p><p>Republicans and witnesses repeatedly said during today\u2019s hearing that the retail cost of some pork products has increased by\u00a0 an average of 20 percent as a result of Prop. 12. These numbers are inconsistent with research, however, and, as\u00a0 Civil Eats <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/05\/06\/opponents-of-prop-12-ask-congress-to-overturn-it-again\/\">reported in May<\/a>, are based on limited data: a seven-month period during which the law was being phased in.<\/p>\n<p><\/p><p>The Bureau of Labor Statistics and the USDA\u2019s Economic Research Service both report much lower real and projected increases.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/regions\/mid-atlantic\/data\/averageretailfoodandenergyprices_usandmidwest_table.htm\">BLS data<\/a> show about a 1 percent increase in pork prices between June 2024 and May 2025, and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ers.usda.gov\/data-products\/food-price-outlook\/summary-findings\">USDA data<\/a> show pork prices rose about .6 percent between May 2024 and June 2025. Politico\u2019s Grace Yarrow is <a href=\"https:\/\/subscriber.politicopro.com\/article\/eenews\/2025\/07\/23\/usda-pork-data-california-prop-12-farm-bill-ee-00469070\">reporting<\/a> that the USDA released new data showing that Prop. 12 increased pork prices in California by nearly 19 percent compared to last year.<\/p>\n<p><\/p><p>Democrats in both houses of Congress are speaking out in opposition to any efforts to roll back the animal welfare rules. In today\u2019s hearing, Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Illinois) said that 82 percent of small pork producers (those who raise fewer than 500 pigs) are benefiting from Prop. 12. A group of 28 Democratic and Independent senators <a href=\"https:\/\/www.padilla.senate.gov\/newsroom\/press-releases\/padilla-schiff-booker-markey-lead-28-senate-colleagues-in-effort-to-protect-californias-proposition-12\/\">sent a letter<\/a> to the Senate Agriculture Committee earlier this month urging them to reject efforts to repeal the rules, which they say threaten not only these state-level food and farm bills, but would undermine countless state and local laws and create \u201can overnight regulatory vacuum.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/p><p>Meanwhile, Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) on Wednesday introduced\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/cbs2iowa.com\/news\/local\/rep-hinson-introduces-save-our-bacon-act-gov-reynolds-sends-letter-supporting-it-ashley-hinson-kim-reynolds-proposition-12-brenna-bird-mike-naig-us-supreme-court-legislation-congress-iowa-farmers-farm-bureau-federation\">the Save Our Bacon Act<\/a>, which is the same language first introduced as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/118th-congress\/house-bill\/8467\/text\">Section 12007<\/a> in last year\u2019s draft farm bill text.\u00a0 The new bill would restrict states from passing laws on animal welfare that affect producers in other states. In a <a href=\"https:\/\/hinson.house.gov\/media\/press-releases\/hinson-introduces-save-our-bacon-act-block-californias-radical-prop-12-protect\">press release<\/a>, Hinson\u2019s office noted that the bill aims to \u201calleviate this overregulation by prohibiting state and local governments from interfering with the production of livestock in other states.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/p><p>Other groups, including animal-welfare advocacy groups and organizations representing small farmers, issued statements in opposition to today\u2019s hearing.<\/p>\n<p><\/p><p>&#8220;There are thousands of farmers across the country who support and depend on commonsense bans against the cruel confinement of farm animals,\u201d said Matt Bershadker, head of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). \u201cWe encourage Congress to listen to these farmers and protect state laws like Proposition 12, which create vital market opportunities for higher-welfare farming that align with the values of the American public.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/p><p>Farmers associated with Farm Action Fund sent a letter to the House Agriculture committee in support of Prop. 12, which they said has \u201ccreated a stable, premium market that allows us to sustain our farms, invest in better infrastructure and livestock care, and continue farming in an increasingly consolidated industry. . . . [We] now rely on this market as a part of our farms\u2019 financial futures.\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#house-ag-committee-continues-efforts-to-block-animal-welfare-rules\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"66175\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hunger\/' title='Hunger' class='pt-cv-tax-hunger'>Hunger<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >USDA Renews Effort to Collect SNAP User Data, Prompting Privacy and Immigration&nbsp;Concerns<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>July 18, 2025<\/b> \u2013 A renewed USDA plan to collect sensitive personal data from individuals who apply for or receive food aid through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has prompted pushback from Congress and a legal motion for a temporary restraining order.<\/p>\n<p>On July 9, the USDA <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fns.usda.gov\/snap\/admin\/database-letter\">sent a letter<\/a> to state agencies, which administer SNAP, informing them that they will be required to submit data <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fns.usda.gov\/snap\/fr-062325\">including<\/a> addresses, birth dates, and Social Security numbers to be collected in a new national Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Information Database beginning on July 24.<\/p>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fns.usda.gov\/snap\/fr-062325\">a notice<\/a> in the Federal Register, the USDA will use the data to \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/07\/01\/food-assistance-debate-are-lawmakers-ending-waste-or-dismantling-a-safety-net\/\">ensure the integrity<\/a> of Government programs, including by verifying SNAP recipient eligibility against federally maintained databases, identifying and eliminating duplicate enrollments, and performing additional eligibility and program integrity checks specified herein.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But Senator Adam Schiff (D-California) and a group of about a dozen Democrats in the Senate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.schiff.senate.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Senate-Letter-regarding-SNAP-Data.pdf\">sent a letter<\/a> to Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins yesterday saying that the plan violates laws meant to protect Americans from federal government overreach.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSimply put, this plan negates the right to privacy for any of the tens of millions of Americans in need of food assistance during economic hardship,\u201d the senators wrote. \u201cWe demand that USDA cease the unlawful compiling of sensitive and personally identifying information regarding American families under the guise of \u2018defend[ing] against\u2019 unsubstantiated allegations of fraud, waste, or abuse.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The senators noted that the USDA identified \u201cverifying eligibility based on immigration status\u201d as one use of the data. Undocumented immigrants <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/27\/usda-moves-to-prevent-undocumented-people-from-using-snap-which-is-already-not-legal\/\">are not eligible<\/a> for SNAP benefits, and the recent passage of the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#house-passes-tax-bill-with-snap-cuts-billions-for-immigration-enforcement-and-climate-rollbacks\">Republican budget bill<\/a> made additional groups of immigrants with legal authorization, such as refugees, ineligible. Yesterday, the Associated Press <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/immigration-medicaid-trump-ice-ab9c2267ce596089410387bfcb40eeb7\">reported<\/a> that the Department of Health and Human Services is now handing over data on Medicaid enrollees to Immigrant and Customs Enforcement.<\/p>\n<p>The USDA first requested the SNAP data from the states in May, but then walked it back after a coalition of groups sued, claiming the law says the data must be maintained by the states and that the agency was violating federal privacy laws. Those groups <a href=\"https:\/\/protectdemocracy.org\/work\/protecting-snap-beneficiaries-from-government-overreach\/\">are concerned<\/a> about the data being used to track Americans based on characteristics like disabilities or gender identity. The <a href=\"https:\/\/protectdemocracy.org\/work\/protecting-snap-beneficiaries-from-government-overreach\/\">lawsuit is ongoing<\/a>, and yesterday, the groups requested a temporary restraining order in response to the USDA\u2019s renewed effort. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#usda-renews-effort-to-collect-snap-user-data-prompting-privacy-and-immigration-concerns\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"66155\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/doge\/' title='DOGE' class='pt-cv-tax-doge'>DOGE<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hunger\/' title='Hunger' class='pt-cv-tax-hunger'>Hunger<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Congress Restores Some Funding for International Food&nbsp;Aid<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>July 18, 2025 \u2013<\/b> Republicans in Congress passed a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/amendment\/119th-congress\/senate-amendment\/2853\/text?s=a&amp;r=1\">controversial rescissions package<\/a> last night that will claw back money previously allocated, primarily to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/07\/17\/us\/politics\/senate-vote-trump-bill-pbs-npr-foreign-aid.html\">public media and foreign aid<\/a>. It is now on its way to be signed into law by President Trump. But while the original package included deep cuts to two food aid programs run by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Republicans in the Senate amended the bill to keep them funded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile this legislation provides the administration flexibility on which funds they can return, I included an amendment that clarifies that funding will not be taken from the administration of commodity-based programs like Food for Peace and McGovern-Dole that provide a critical market for our farmers to sell excess commodities to feed hungry people around the world,\u201d Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.moran.senate.gov\/public\/index.cfm\/news-releases?id=8072B94E-FAE1-46D7-91B8-A8D805DB8EA0\">in a press release<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The rescissions process is being used as a way to give Congressional authority to the Trump administration\u2019s spending cuts. With the help of Elon Musk\u2019s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/04\/usaid-dismantling-raises-questions-about-food-aid-purchased-from-american-farmers\/\">began dismantling<\/a> USAID soon after he took office, and the agency <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/07\/02\/usaid-officially-shuts-down-leaving-an-uncertain-future-for-international-food-aid\/\">was shuttered on June 30<\/a>. In a May <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Fiscal-Year-2026-Discretionary-Budget-Request.pdf\">budget proposal<\/a>, President Trump proposed eliminating Food for Peace and the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education program, which funds school meals in low-income countries.<\/p>\n<p><div class=\"post-image-caption align-left\"><a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/250718-usaid-food-assistance-funding-congress-rescissions-package-doge-2-credit-usaid-central-asia-flickr.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/250718-usaid-food-assistance-funding-congress-rescissions-package-doge-2-credit-usaid-central-asia-flickr.jpg\" alt=\"Staff in Uzbekistan unload a shipment of USAID food assistance in 2020. (Photo CC-licensed by USAID Central Asia on Flickr)\"\/><\/a><div class=\"post-caption\"><p>Staff in Uzbekistan unload a shipment of USAID food assistance in 2020. (Photo CC-licensed by USAID Central Asia on Flickr)<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/p>\n<p>However, unlike with other cuts to foreign aid, some Republicans have pushed back on defunding the food programs because they purchase <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/04\/usaid-dismantling-raises-questions-about-food-aid-purchased-from-american-farmers\/\">billions of dollars<\/a> in commodities from farmers in their states. In early July, <i>The<\/i> <i>New York Times <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/07\/07\/us\/politics\/trump-farmers.html\">reported<\/a> that Kansas farmers who lost Food for Peace contracts were looking into dog food as a new market for their grains.<\/p>\n<p>In the press release, Moran pointed out that the recently passed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.appropriations.senate.gov\/news\/majority\/senate-committee-approves-fy-2026-agriculture-appropriations-bill\">Senate appropriations bill<\/a> allocating agriculture funding for next year also preserved funding for the Food for Peace and McGovern-Dole programs. Senators included a requirement that the administration provide a report on what it would take to transfer Food for Peace to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A team at the State Department is currently running the remaining USAID programs.<\/p>\n<p>The rescissions package\u2019s zeroing out of funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2025\/07\/17\/media\/pbs-npr-trump-rescission-devastating-public-media\">expected to hit<\/a> the small, rural affiliates of National Public Radio (NPR) the hardest, since federal funding generally makes up a larger portion of their budgets. The total cuts <a href=\"https:\/\/www.notus.org\/senate\/rescission-bill-passes-less-than-48-hours-before-deadline\">saved $9 billion<\/a>, which is about .1 percent of the federal government\u2019s $7 trillion in annual spending. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#congress-restores-some-funding-for-international-food-aid\">Link to this post.<\/a>)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"66136\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/epa\/' title='EPA' class='pt-cv-tax-epa'>EPA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >House Bill Would Halt Assessment of PFAS Risk on&nbsp;Farms<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><em><strong>July 17, 2025 Update:<\/strong> Representative Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DMLYYxkTXem\/\">announced<\/a> she\u2019ll offer an amendment to strike the pesticide labeling provision during an upcoming full Appropriations Committee mark-up of the bill.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><b>July 16, 2025<\/b> \u2013 In a draft <a href=\"https:\/\/appropriations.house.gov\/sites\/evo-subsites\/republicans-appropriations.house.gov\/files\/evo-media-document\/fy26-interior%2C-environment%2C-and-related-agencies-bill-text.pdf\">appropriations bill<\/a> that House Republicans moved forward this week, lawmakers included a provision that would halt the progress of an influential Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) <a href=\"https:\/\/public-inspection.federalregister.gov\/2025-00734.pdf\">assessment<\/a> related to the risks of forever chemicals in farm soils.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/14\/epa-sewage-sludge-poses-serious-risks-for-farmers\/\">Released<\/a> by the Biden administration in mid-January, it was the first government <a href=\"https:\/\/public-inspection.federalregister.gov\/2025-00734.pdf\">report<\/a> to find that the common practice of spreading sewage sludge on farms for fertilizer poses serious health risks for farmers and their neighbors due to the presence of the chemicals, which are collectively called <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/10\/02\/pfas-shut-maine-farms-down-now-some-are-rebounding\/\">PFAS<\/a> (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). EPA officials found \u201chuman health risks exceeding the agency\u2019s acceptable thresholds for cancer and non-cancer effects.\u201d It had been published as a draft in order to accept public comments.<\/p>\n<p>But the appropriations bill includes language that says no government funds \u201cmay be used to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the draft risk assessment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPreventing EPA from protecting public health and our food supply from toxic contamination epitomizes special interest politics at their worst,\u201d said Kyla Bennet, the Science Policy Director for Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, in a press release. \u201cIf finalized, this ban will leave ill-equipped state agricultural agencies to deal with a rapidly spreading chemical disaster.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In May, Trump\u2019s EPA also <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/05\/14\/epa-rolls-back-limits-on-forever-chemicals\/\">rolled back limits<\/a> on some PFAS in drinking water and <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/05\/19\/epa-defunds-research-into-pfas-contamination-on-farms\/\">canceled a collection of research projects<\/a> that were part of a $15 million investment into understanding PFAS contamination on farms and in food.<\/p>\n<p>The bill also includes language prohibiting funds from being used to change pesticide labeling in any way that conflicts with the EPA\u2019s human health assessments. The pesticide industry has been <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/05\/29\/pesticide-industry-could-win-big-in-latest-farm-bill-proposal\/\">lobbying lawmakers<\/a> to strengthen the agency\u2019s authority on pesticide labels as a way to prevent states from adopting labels that advise of different potential risks and <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/08\/bayers-effort-to-block-roundup-lawsuits-kicks-into-high-gear\/\">to curb lawsuits<\/a>, but it\u2019s unclear exactly what impact this provision might have.<\/p>\n<p>The bill will now be taken up by the full House Appropriations Committee and then go to Senate appropriators, who could make significant changes; if they do, then the House will need to re-vote on the updated bill.<\/p>\n<p>In June, the House appropriations bill dedicated to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) funding <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/06\/09\/agriculture-appropriations-bill-could-gut-landmark-farmer-protections\/\">took a similar tack<\/a> to stop and reverse progress on a set of rules meant to protect farmers from meatpacker abuse. But when the Senate took up the bill this week, it removed that provision. Senators also restored Supplemental Nutrition Assistance for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) funding for fruits and vegetables, included funding for Food for Peace and the McGovern-Dole Food for Education program, which Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/05\/21\/usda-canceling-grants-that-feed-children-around-the-world\/\">proposed eliminating<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/subscriber.politicopro.com\/article\/2025\/07\/senate-agriculture-appropriations-bill-usda-fda-funding-00447488\">largely maintained<\/a> appropriations funding for USDA and FDA programs.<\/p>\n<p>Congress has until October to finish the appropriations process and pass final bills. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#house-bill-would-halt-assessment-of-pfas-risk-on-farms\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p><em>Correction: This post has been updated to clarify that the bill will go to the full House Appropriations Committee next.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"66106\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/local-food\/' title='Local food' class='pt-cv-tax-local-food'>Local food<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >USDA Cancels More Support for Regional Food&nbsp;Systems<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>July 15, 2025 <\/b>&#8211; Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/news\/press-releases\/2025\/07\/15\/secretary-rollins-terminates-covid-era-program\">announced<\/a> today she\u2019s cancelling a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) program that runs the country&#8217;s Regional Food Business Centers, which support small farms and food businesses around the country.<\/p>\n<p>Organizations operating the 12 business centers <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/16\/usdas-regional-food-business-centers-caught-in-federal-funding-freeze\/\">have had their funding frozen since January<\/a> and have been struggling to function as they sought answers from the USDA.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Biden Administration created multiple, massive programs without any long-term way to finance them. This is not sustainable for farmers who rely on these programs, and it flies in the face of Congressional intent,\u201d Secretary Rollins said in an emailed statement sent to Congressional offices. \u201cUSDA will honor existing commitments for over 450 grants to farmers and food businesses to ensure planning decisions on the farm can continue as normal, however stakeholders should not plan on this program continuing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The small Regional Food Business Centers program was one of a suite of initiatives created by the Biden administration that were focused on rebuilding regional supply chains. The repaired infrastructure was intended to serve small family farms and push back on the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2021\/07\/14\/just-a-few-companies-control-the-meat-industry-can-a-new-approach-to-monopolies-level-the-playing-field\/\">increasing consolidation<\/a> in the food system that has <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/01\/17\/grocery-stores-consolidation-kroger-albertsons-small-farmers-supply-chain-market-demand\/\">hollowed out rural communities<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The centers were designed to be hubs of business development activity, including the issuing of small \u201cBusiness Builder Grants\u201d to farms and food entrepreneurs in their areas. In an October 2024 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ams.usda.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/media\/TM_LRFD_RR_Webinar_101724.pdf\">progress report<\/a>, Biden\u2019s USDA reported that 2,800 individuals had received technical assistance, recipients had formed 1,500 new partnerships, and 287 businesses reported increased revenue as a result of the program.<\/p>\n<p>But because the five-year grants were awarded in 2023, some centers are still in the process of getting up and running and allocating their funding. The USDA said that those centers that have not yet awarded grants\u2014Great Lakes Midwest RFBC, Southeast RFBC, Delta RFBC, and Islands and Remote Areas RFBC\u2014will see their contracts immediately terminated. However, a source within the USDA who asked for anonymity due to the risk of retaliation said that those centers would have already awarded grants but were unable to do so due to the funding freeze. For those that have awarded grants, USDA said they would honor the contracts and allow the centers to manage them through May 2026.<\/p>\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/16\/usdas-regional-food-business-centers-caught-in-federal-funding-freeze\/\">a Civil Eats story<\/a> on the freeze in funding published in April, individuals running the centers said the program was especially impactful because it was designed to link farms, businesses, and others in the local supply chain together to improve economic viability.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf there ever is a program that really deserves bipartisan support across the spectrum, it\u2019s this program,\u201d Paul Freedman, the director of the Appalachia Regional Food Business Center, <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/16\/usdas-regional-food-business-centers-caught-in-federal-funding-freeze\/\">told Civil Eats<\/a>. \u201cOur middle name is business. Our goal here is to help businesses bring food to market so that it\u2019s available at a fair price and so that producers, processors, and farmers can actually make a living doing this.\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#usda-cancels-more-support-for-regional-food-systems\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p><em>This article has been updated with new detail on why some centers had not yet awarded grants in their regions.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"66046\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hunger\/' title='Hunger' class='pt-cv-tax-hunger'>Hunger<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/school-food\/' title='School food' class='pt-cv-tax-school-food'>School food<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >USDA Scraps LGBTQ Discrimination Protections in School Meal&nbsp;Programs<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>July 14, 2025<\/b> \u2013 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fns.usda.gov\/cn\/guidance-discrimination-sex?eType=EmailBlastContent&amp;eId=886b99ef-6765-4873-890d-f7e90b3825a4\">rescinded<\/a> Biden-era guidelines that required schools administering federal meal programs to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation, effective immediately.<\/p>\n<p><\/p><p>\u201cToday\u2019s guidance eliminates the illegal threats issued under the Biden Administration that mandated compliance with ever-evolving concepts of gender ideology as a condition for participation in USDA school programs,\u201d reads new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fns.usda.gov\/cn\/guidance-discrimination-sex?eType=EmailBlastContent&amp;eId=886b99ef-6765-4873-890d-f7e90b3825a4\">guidance posted on July 7<\/a> for state administrators of school breakfast and lunch programs.<\/p>\n<p><\/p><p>On X, the Congressional Equality Caucus chaired by Representative Mark Takano (D-California) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/EqualityCaucus\/status\/1943307831840547217\">posted<\/a> that the change would make it easier to discriminate against LGBTQI+ people. \u201cThis is beyond cruel. No American should go hungry just because of who they are or who they love,\u201d they wrote.<\/p>\n<p><\/p><p>A group of Republican states and others had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.texasattorneygeneral.gov\/news\/releases\/ag-paxton-sues-biden-administration-threatening-withhold-nutrition-assistance-school-programs-do-not\">sued the Biden administration<\/a> over the guidance several years ago, and the USDA mentioned this \u201clitigation risk\u201d the agency faced as a reason to roll back the guidance. The new directive also says rescinding the anti-discrimination rules will prevent \u201cthe waste of resources\u201d involved in overseeing compliance with those rules.<\/p>\n<p><\/p><p>At the same time, the Department of Labor, the Department of Health and Human Services, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.federalregister.gov\/documents\/2025\/07\/10\/2025-12691\/personal-responsibility-and-work-opportunity-reconciliation-act-of-1996-prwora-interpretation-of\">the USDA<\/a> all issued <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/donald-trump-benefits-change-migrants-2097660\">new directives<\/a> around \u201cpublic benefits\u201d that will make it harder for immigrants to access workforce protection resources and meal programs.<\/p>\n<p><\/p><p>In an email to supporters, the Food and Research Action Center (FRAC), a D.C.-based hunger policy organization, said that while neither the rollback of discrimination protections nor the new restrictions for immigrants will immediately change who is eligible for school meals or other food programs, \u201cthey could have a chilling effect on participation.\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#usda-scraps-lgbtq-discrimination-protections-in-school-meal-programs\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"66032\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/food-safety\/' title='Food safety' class='pt-cv-tax-food-safety'>Food safety<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hhs\/' title='HHS' class='pt-cv-tax-hhs'>HHS<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Democrats Reintroduce Bill to Increase Regulation of Food Additives<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>July 14, 2025 <\/b>&#8211; House Representatives Jan Schakowsky (D-Illinois) and Rosa DeLauro (D-Connecticut) <a href=\"https:\/\/schakowsky.house.gov\/media\/press-releases\/schakowsky-delauro-introduce-legislation-help-ensure-food-we-eat-safe\">reintroduced<\/a> a bill last week that would create a new system for evaluating the safety of food additives at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).<\/p>\n<p><\/p><p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/schakowsky.house.gov\/sites\/evo-subsites\/schakowsky.house.gov\/files\/evo-media-document\/schako_025_xml.pdf\">Food Chemical Reassessment Act of 2025<\/a> would require the FDA to review, every three years, the safety of certain chemicals added to food. The initial list includes the most common food dyes and other controversial additives, like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2025\/jun\/06\/titanium-dioxide-food-additive-toxic\">titanium dioxide<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ewg.org\/news-insights\/news\/2025\/04\/despite-health-harm-concerns-bha-and-bht-remain-food-and-cosmetics\">butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT)<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><\/p><p>\u201cToo many chemicals in our food supply haven\u2019t been properly reviewed for safety, or haven\u2019t been looked at in decades,\u201d Jessica Hernandez, the director of the nonprofit Environmental Working Group Policy, said in a statement. \u201cWe\u2019re grateful to Rep. Schakowsky and Rep. DeLauro for taking action to make sure the FDA does its job to protect our health.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/p><p>The bill is an attempt to crack down on the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) process, which allows companies to self-certify ingredients as safe to eat. Watchdog groups have been attempting to change it for decades, and their efforts have generally been supported by Democrats in Congress.<\/p>\n<p><\/p><p>Over the past year, that has shifted. Supported by his Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made food additives a central focus of the FDA.<\/p>\n<p><\/p><p>In March, Kennedy <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/11\/kennedy-directs-fda-to-explore-revising-controversial-gras-food-additive-rules\/\">directed the FDA<\/a> to look into revising the GRAS process. (Biden\u2019s FDA had started a process to do so; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/food\/hfp-constituent-updates\/fda-hold-public-meeting-development-enhanced-systematic-process-fdas-post-market-assessment\">last fall, the agency<\/a> began taking public comments on how to better review chemicals already added to food.) Kennedy also <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/22\/fda-plans-to-eliminate-artificial-food-dyes-by-end-of-2026\/\">rolled out a plan<\/a> to pressure food companies into removing chemical food dyes from their products, with a goal of eliminating the dyes by 2026.<\/p>\n<p><\/p><p>Since then, some food giants like Nestle, Kraft Heinz, and General Mills have committed to ditching the dyes. The FDA has also been fast-tracking the approval of natural alternatives. It announced the approval of gardenia blue, derived from a flowering evergreen, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/news-events\/press-announcements\/fda-approves-gardenia-genipin-blue-color-additive-while-encouraging-faster-phase-out-fdc-red-no-3\">on Monday<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><\/p><p>Amid an emerging patchwork of state laws that ban dyes and other additives, the federal government has mainly stopped short of regulation. Laws passed by Congress could change that.\u00a0Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) created the Senate MAHA Caucus to provide the legislative force needed to execute Kennedy\u2019s goals.<\/p>\n<p><\/p><p>Marshall\u2019s office <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#senator-marshall-plans-to-introduce-maha-food-additive-legislation\">has been working on<\/a> legislation that would also change the GRAS process, but he has not yet introduced the bill. Republicans in the <a href=\"https:\/\/buchanan.house.gov\/2024\/12\/buchanan-joyce-and-smucker-launch-make-america-health-again-caucus\">House MAHA Caucus<\/a> have not yet weighed in on whether they\u2019ll support the Food Chemical Reassessment Act. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#democrats-reintroduce-bill-to-increase-regulation-of-food-additives\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"65970\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/dhs\/' title='DHS' class='pt-cv-tax-dhs'>DHS<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/food-and-farm-workers\/' title='Food and farm workers' class='pt-cv-tax-food-and-farm-workers'>Food and farm workers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/immigration\/' title='Immigration' class='pt-cv-tax-immigration'>Immigration<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/bcalvert\/\" rel=\"author\">Brian Calvert<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Federal Agents Detain Farmworkers in Large-Scale Raids at Two Southern California&nbsp;Farms<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><em><strong>July 14, 2025 Update:<\/strong> DHS <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dhs.gov\/news\/2025\/07\/13\/ice-cbp-arrest-least-361-illegal-aliens-during-marijuana-grow-site-operation-rescue\">updated<\/a> the number of immigrants arrested in the raids to 361. On X, the agency <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/dhsgov\/status\/1943828092839223378?s=46\">provided comment<\/a> on the circumstances surrounding the one worker\u2019s death.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>July 11, 2025 Update 2:<\/strong> The United Farm Workers on Friday announced that one of the workers injured during Thursday&#8217;s ICE raid in Camarillo, Calif., <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/us-news\/cannabis-farm-worker-california-dies-day-chaotic-federal-immigration-r-rcna218305\">died of his injuries<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>July 11, 2025 Update 1:<\/strong> The Department of Homeland Security <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dhs.gov\/news\/2025\/07\/11\/ice-and-cbp-law-enforcement-dodge-literal-bullets-rioters-while-rescuing-least-10\">announced today<\/a> that federal agents arrested 200 immigrants in the farm raids in Carpinteria and Camarillo and that during the operations they also \u201crescued\u201d 10 migrant children \u201cfrom potential exploitation, forced labor, and human trafficking.\u201d Officials also said one protester in Camarillo fired a gun at officers; they are offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the individual\u2019s arrest. An <a href=\"https:\/\/abc7.com\/videoClip\/17058736\/\">ABC video<\/a> appears to show a protester firing a gun; the accompanying summary says no injuries were reported. Our reporter on the scene at the time did not witness gunfire.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><b>July 10, 2025 <\/b>\u2013 Large groups of immigration agents with military vehicles, helicopters, and weapons raided two farms in Southern California today, one in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.edhat.com\/news\/ice-and-national-guard-currently-raiding-glasshouse-farms-in-carpinteria\">Carpinteria<\/a> and another in Camarillo, where they rounded up workers and threw tear gas at protestors.<\/p>\n<p>Both were locations of Glasshouse Farms, a cannabis operation that grows marijuana in large greenhouses.<\/p>\n<p>In Carpinteria, farm staff <a href=\"https:\/\/www.noozhawk.com\/federal-agents-raid-carpinteria-cannabis-farm-deploy-smoke-bombs-on-crowd\/\">told a local news station<\/a> that 10 workers had been detained. There, federal agents threw flash-bang grenades and smoke bombs at a group of protestors, including\u00a0 U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal (D-California) and a local councilwoman.<\/p>\n<p>In Camarillo, Ventura officials <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/us-news\/ice-faces-protesters-southern-california-cannabis-grow-farm-rcna218161\">estimated<\/a> 12 to 15 workers were detained. There, live helicopter footage from ABC News showed about a dozen military vehicles, fire trucks, and ambulances near the farms. At the site, individuals could be seen lined up against two walls outside. Federal agents blocked a road, where protesters gathered with signs and bullhorns and filmed with their cellphone cameras. At around both 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., agents fired non-lethal rounds and tear gas at the crowd before advancing forward, pointing weapons at the protestors. At one point, some protestors tried to block military vehicles from advancing; several protestors threw water bottles at the phalanx of federal agents.<\/p>\n<p><div class=\"post-image-caption align-left\"><a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/250710-ice-raids-farmworkers-southern-california-farm-immigration-2-credit-brian-calvert.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/250710-ice-raids-farmworkers-southern-california-farm-immigration-2-credit-brian-calvert.jpg\" alt=\"Federal immigration agents face off with protestors in Camarillo, Calif. (Photo credit: Brian Calvert)\"\/><\/a><div class=\"post-caption\"><p>(Photo credit: Brian Calvert)<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/p>\n<p>Civil Eats was on the ground in Camarillo, where protestors said they had been assembled since around 10 a.m. They said the agents had advanced at least four times and also shot rubber bullets at them. The protestors said they could see agents lining people up outside the farm facility and loading them into vans. One woman said her cousin, who was in the process of applying for legal status, was hiding inside.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe feed the country, we feed the people. Out here, this is all farmland. This a farm community,\u201d said Javier Martinez, a Ventura County employee who took part in the protests. \u201cThere are a lot of farmworkers, field workers; they\u2019re here to work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Although the administration has wavered several times as to whether farmworkers would be included in mass deportation plans, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#us-announces-plans-to-crack-down-on-foreign-farmland-ownership\">said this week<\/a> that there would be \u201cno amnesty.\u201d Civil Eats has been <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#ice-raids-target-workers-on-farms-and-in-food-production-a-running-list\">tracking raids on farms<\/a> and other food establishments and has recorded at least 23 to date. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#federal-agents-detain-farmworkers-in-large-scale-raids-at-two-southern-california-farms\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p><em>This story has been updated so that all times mentioned reflect Pacific Time.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"65941\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/food-and-farm-workers\/' title='Food and farm workers' class='pt-cv-tax-food-and-farm-workers'>Food and farm workers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >USDA Ends Consideration of Race and Gender for Grants and&nbsp;Loans<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>July 10, 2025 <\/b>\u2013 The U.S. Department of Agriculture <a href=\"https:\/\/www.federalregister.gov\/documents\/2025\/07\/10\/2025-12877\/removal-of-unconstitutional-preferences-based-on-race-and-sex-in-response-to-court-ruling\">posted a final rule<\/a> in the Federal Register today rescinding a provision that has been in place for more than 30 years to give farmers deemed \u201csocially disadvantaged\u201d a leg up in some federal grant and loan programs.<\/p>\n<p>In response to decades of <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/03\/08\/how-the-long-shadow-of-racism-at-usda-impacts-black-farmers-in-arkansas-and-beyond\/\">well-documented discrimination<\/a> against farmers based on race and gender, the 1990 Farm Bill <a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/crs-product\/R46727\">defined \u201csocially disadvantaged\u201d<\/a> as a category that applied to Black or African American, American Indian or Native Alaskan, Hispanic, Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander farmers. Depending on the program, women may also be included.<\/p>\n<p>Some farm bill grant programs are designed specifically for these groups, like the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/general-information\/staff-offices\/office-partnerships-and-public-engagement\/underserved-and-veteran-farmers-ranchers-and-foresters\">2501 Program<\/a>, which also serves veteran farmers. Other programs administered by the agency, as well as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fsa.usda.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/sda_loans-fact_sheet-aug_2019.pdf\">farm loans<\/a>, have included carve-outs for disadvantaged groups. For example, the 2018 Farm Bill mandated that 5 percent of grant funding in the Conservation Stewardship Program, which pays farmers to implement environmentally friendly practices, had to go to socially disadvantaged farmers.<\/p>\n<p>A National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition <a href=\"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/blog\/stewarding-success-enhancing-access-for-underserved-farmers-in-csp\/\">analysis<\/a> found that the policy was successful in helping get funds to farmers who had historically been locked out of USDA support. The new rule would likely end set-asides like that one, although the exact outcome is unclear since Congress has authority over how the USDA spends money.<\/p>\n<p>While many rules are posted as a draft first for public comment, agency officials posted this rule in its finalized form without soliciting input. In the text, they said the USDA\u2019s efforts to address past injustices have succeeded. \u201cThese actions collectively support the conclusion that past discrimination has been sufficiently addressed and that further race- and sex-based remedies are no longer necessary or legally justified under current circumstances,\u201d they <a href=\"https:\/\/www.federalregister.gov\/d\/2025-12877\/p-4\">wrote<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The move is in line with other USDA policy changes made since January to implement President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.federalregister.gov\/documents\/2025\/01\/31\/2025-02097\/ending-illegal-discrimination-and-restoring-merit-based-opportunity\">Trump\u2019s executive order<\/a> on eliminating policies that prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).\u00a0 USDA officials <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/10\/despite-cuts-to-dei-initiatives-food-and-farm-advocates-say-they-will-continue-to-fight-for-racial-justice\/\">scrubbed the Equity Commission Report<\/a> completed during the Biden administration from its website almost immediately after the inauguration, and it has been steadily canceling signed contracts with farmers and organizations that use language referencing race and gender.<\/p>\n<p>In the rule, USDA also referenced lawsuits over its prioritization of racial groups. White farmers, some backed by prominent Republicans, <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2022\/06\/17\/op-ed-why-white-farmers-should-fight-for-black-farmer-debt-relief\/\">have sued the agency,<\/a> claiming discrimination.<\/p>\n<p>In response to the rule, Agriculture Committee member Representative Shontel Brown (D-Ohio) put out a statement <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cleveland.com\/nation\/2025\/07\/rep-shontel-brown-decries-resegregation-as-minority-farmers-lose-socially-disadvantaged-usda-status.html\">referring<\/a> to the move as part of Trump\u2019s \u201cresegregation agenda.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe \u2018socially disadvantaged\u2019 designation was a long-overdue recognition of the barriers to land, credit, and opportunity that farmers of color have faced for generations,\u201d she said. \u201cThis move isn\u2019t about fairness or efficiency. It\u2019s about erasing history and stripping the tools that help level the playing field. USDA must be held accountable, and Congress must act to protect the farmers this country has long ignored.\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#usda-ends-consideration-of-race-and-gender-for-grants-and-loans\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"65909\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/animal-agriculture\/' title='Animal agriculture' class='pt-cv-tax-animal-agriculture'>Animal agriculture<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/doj\/' title='DOJ' class='pt-cv-tax-doj'>DOJ<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/supreme-court\/' title='The Supreme Court' class='pt-cv-tax-supreme-court'>The Supreme Court<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/the-white-house\/' title='The White House' class='pt-cv-tax-the-white-house'>The White House<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Trump Administration Sues California Over Cage-Free Egg&nbsp;Laws<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>July 10, 2025<\/b> \u2013 The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/pr\/justice-department-challenges-unconstitutional-california-laws-driving-national-egg-prices\">is suing<\/a> the state of California to overturn its first-in-the-nation laws that mandate eggs sold in the state come from chickens raised in cage-free systems.<\/p>\n<p>California voters approved Proposition 2 in 2008 and then Proposition 12 in 2018, both of which include requirements around how much space egg-laying hens have on farms. Since then, other states have proposed cage-free laws, while consumer demand drove a larger shift across the country.<\/p>\n<p>According to recent U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ams.usda.gov\/mnreports\/ams_3725.pdf\">data<\/a>, nearly half of the country\u2019s eggs now come from cage-free production.<\/p>\n<p>However, DOJ lawyers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/media\/1407446\/dl?inline=&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery\">argue<\/a> California\u2019s animal welfare laws violate the federal Egg Productions Inspection Act by imposing requirements that are different from or on top of the federal standards.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAmericans across the country have suffered the consequences of liberal policies causing massive inflation for everyday items like eggs,\u201d Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/pr\/justice-department-challenges-unconstitutional-california-laws-driving-national-egg-prices\">press release<\/a>. \u201cUnder President Trump\u2019s leadership, we will use the full extent of federal law to ensure that American families are free from oppressive regulatory burdens and restore American prosperity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While cage-free eggs are slightly more expensive than conventional eggs, <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/09\/17\/can-lawmakers-really-tackle-high-food-prices\/\">economists say<\/a>\u00a0higher national egg prices in recent years are due to a confluence of factors including bird flu, COVID-19 supply chain disruptions, and companies <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/05\/22\/food-prices-are-still-high-what-role-do-corporate-profits-play\/\">taking advantage of consumers through price gouging<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/05\/06\/opponents-of-prop-12-ask-congress-to-overturn-it-again\/\">Analyses<\/a> of the impact of California\u2019s animal welfare laws have found that while they may lead to price increases on the specific foods subject to the state&#8217;s laws (especially in the beginning as supply chains adapt), there\u2019s no evidence they affect prices outside the state.<\/p>\n<p>Proposition 12 has been the target of multiple lawsuits, but the pushback to date has largely come from the pork industry. In a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/DocketPDF\/21\/21-468\/233472\/20220815134327627_21-468%20bsacAssociationOfCalifornia%20EggFarmers.pdf\">2022 Supreme Court case<\/a>, the Association of California Egg Farmers submitted a brief in favor of keeping the law in place. The Court <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2022\/10\/12\/field-report-supreme-court-morality-prop-12-gestation-crates-animal-welfare-pork-producers-prop-12\/\">ruled<\/a> in favor of California against the pork industry; at the end of June, it <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/06\/30\/supreme-court-weighs-in-on-cases-impacting-roundup-and-prop-12\/\">declined to hear<\/a> another challenge brought by pork producers. The pork industry is now <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/05\/06\/opponents-of-prop-12-ask-congress-to-overturn-it-again\/\">working to get Congress<\/a> to overturn the law.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe fully expect this misguided and disappointing DOJ initiative to meet the same fate as every similar legal challenge before it,\u201d said Scott Edwards, general counsel for advocacy group Animal Wellness Action. \u201cStates have the constitutional authority to ensure humane treatment of animals and to protect their citizens from unsafe and unethical agricultural practices. DOJ should be defending these rights\u2014not working to hurt American farmers, consumers, and animals.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Trump administration has been targeting California on many fronts, with multiple <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/pr\/justice-department-sues-california-violating-title-ix-denying-girls-athletic-opportunities\">lawsuits <\/a>and <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#ice-raids-target-workers-on-farms-and-in-food-production-a-running-list\">immigration enforcement actions<\/a> that are much more aggressive compared to actions in other states. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#trump-administration-sues-california-over-cage-free-egg-laws\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"65852\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/animal-agriculture\/' title='Animal agriculture' class='pt-cv-tax-animal-agriculture'>Animal agriculture<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >US Announces Plans to Crack Down on Foreign Farmland Ownership<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>July 9, 2025<\/b> \u2013 Republican governors, members of Congress, and three other cabinet members joined Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins yesterday to announce a Trump administration plan to crack down on <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/25\/alien-land-laws-created-to-protect-us-farmland-may-be-harming-asian-americans\/\">Chinese ownership of farmland<\/a> and confront what they described as other imminent threats to American agriculture.<\/p>\n<p>At the event, Rollins unveiled a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/farm-security-nat-sec.pdf?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery\">National Farm Security Action Plan<\/a> that lays out actions to work with the Border Patrol to prevent plant and animal pathogens from entering the country and review all U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs to ensure they comply with President Trump\u2019s \u201cAmerica First\u201d mandate, among other steps.<\/p>\n<p>But at the top of the list\u2014in the plan and at the event\u2014was a focus on foreign entities owning farmland. More specifically, Rollins pointed to Chinese companies owning farmland near military bases.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you look at the gradations of threat, that&#8217;s the most obvious,\u201d said Peter Navarro, the White House trade advisor who has also been a driving force behind Trump\u2019s tariffs. \u201cWhat Secretary Rollins is doing today, it&#8217;s a historic day. She&#8217;s putting down the marker that the United States is no longer going to tolerate attacks on our agricultural system, not just the land, but the supply chain as well.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fsa.usda.gov\/resources\/economic-policy-analysis\/afida\/annual-reports\/foreign-holdings-us-agricultural-land-december-31-2023\">Foreign farmland ownership<\/a> has become a hot-button issue in Washington, D.C. and states around the country over the last several years, with Republicans zeroing in especially on China. Less than 4 percent of American farmland is owned by foreign entities, but the acreage <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2022\/04\/22\/us-farmland-increasingly-controlled-by-foreign-investment\/\">has been increasing<\/a> in recent years. Entities in Canada, the Netherlands, and Italy own the bulk of the land. Chinese companies own about 265,000 acres, or .02 percent. Pork giant <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2021\/09\/20\/are-biogas-subsidies-benefiting-the-largest-industrial-animal-farms\/\">Smithfield<\/a>, owned by the Chinese firm WH Group, is responsible for most of that, although the company has been selling off some of its land, according to <i><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/national-security\/2025\/07\/08\/us-china-farmland-ban-national-security\/\"><i>The Washington Post<\/i><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Navarro mentioned both Smithfield and the other large agricultural company owned by a Chinese entity: Syngenta, one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/03\/27\/chemical-capture-the-power-and-impact-of-the-pesticide-industry\/\">four largest seed and chemical companies<\/a> in the world.<\/p>\n<p>Last year, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gao.gov\/products\/gao-24-106337\">issued a report<\/a> on foreign farmland ownership in which it found the USDA\u2019s processes \u201cto collect, track, and report key information are flawed\u201d and recommended several actions to correct them. Some of the actions have already been completed, while others are included in the new farm security plan.<\/p>\n<p>But at the event, Rollins hinted at a more definitive path toward banning foreign ownership and \u201cclawing back\u201d land that\u2019s already in the hands of foreign companies. \u201cWe are looking at every available option,\u201d she said. \u201cYou&#8217;ll likely see an executive order on this very soon from the White House, and we&#8217;ll be looking at multiple different authorities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Some states have already passed laws, and members of Congress, including Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), have also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.young.senate.gov\/newsroom\/press-releases\/young-marshall-introduce-legislation-to-protect-american-farmland-from-foreign-adversaries\/\">proposed legislation<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo me the Chinese owning land is just a small, small piece of the puzzle,\u201d Marshall said at the event. \u201cI&#8217;m much more concerned about the food supply down the road here, that right now foreign entities own about <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2021\/07\/14\/just-a-few-companies-control-the-meat-industry-can-a-new-approach-to-monopolies-level-the-playing-field\/\">a fifth of the protein processing<\/a>. Between beef and pork, <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/23\/embattled-meat-giant-jbs-cleared-for-nyse-listing-was-trumps-largest-inauguration-donor\/\">JBS<\/a> and Smithfield own about a fifth, maybe even a fourth of the protein processing in this entire country. That&#8217;s just wrong.\u201d (JBS is Brazilian-owned.)<\/p>\n<p>Rollins was also asked about the Trump administration\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/06\/11\/ice-raids-target-workers-on-farms-and-in-food-production-a-running-list\/\">immigration crackdown<\/a> threatening farmers\u2019 ability to hire workers. She said there would be \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/live-updates\/2025\/07\/08\/congress\/rollins-says-able-bodied-medicaid-recipients-should-replace-immigrant-farm-workforce-00442065\">no amnesty<\/a>\u201d and suggested Americans on Medicaid who are subject to new work requirements as a result of <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#house-passes-tax-bill-with-snap-cuts-billions-for-immigration-enforcement-and-climate-rollbacks\">the recent tax bill passage<\/a> could fill the gap. Those requirements will be phased in starting in 2027. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#us-announces-plans-to-crack-down-on-foreign-farmland-ownership\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"65808\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/local-food\/' title='Local food' class='pt-cv-tax-local-food'>Local food<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >USDA Announces \u2018Great American Farmers\u2019 Market,\u2019 but Its Popular Weekly Market Is&nbsp;Gone<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>July 8, 2025<\/b> &#8211; Last week, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/news\/press-releases\/2025\/07\/03\/secretary-rollins-announces-great-american-farmers-market-celebrate-america-250-national-mall\">announced<\/a> the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will host a week-long <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/gafm\">\u201cGreat American Farmers\u2019 Market\u201d<\/a> on the National Mall, from Aug. 3 to Aug. 8. The event is tied to the Trump administration\u2019s planned celebration of the 250th anniversary of the country\u2019s founding.<\/p>\n<p>But information on the event replaced a page on the USDA website <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20250308232538\/https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/general-information\/initiatives-and-highlighted-programs\/usda-farmers-market\">that previously led to<\/a> details on the agency\u2019s season-long annual Friday farmers\u2019 market, which typically runs outside its Washington, D.C., headquarters from May through October, with around 30 farms and food vendors represented each week.<\/p>\n<p><div class=\"post-image-caption align-left\"><a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/250708-usda-farmers-market-summer-cancel-trump-admin-rollins-2-perdue-credit-usda.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/250708-usda-farmers-market-summer-cancel-trump-admin-rollins-2-perdue-credit-usda.jpg\" alt=\"Former Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue visits the USDA Farmers Market in July of 2019. (Photo credit: Tom Witham, USDA)\"\/><\/a><div class=\"post-caption\"><p>Former Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue visits the USDA Farmers Market in July of 2019. (Photo credit: Tom Witham, USDA)<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/p>\n<p>In March, the USDA\u2019s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), which typically runs the Friday market, posted a call for vendors for the 2025 season <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DHBppxzx2Ey\/\">on Instagram<\/a>. But while a listing in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usdalocalfoodportal.com\/fe\/flisting\/?lid=300192&amp;directory_type=farmersmarket\">its own directory<\/a> says the market is open from May to October, it never opened. A USDA email address provided as a contact within the directory no longer exists.<\/p>\n<p>Nearly 100 AMS employees based in D.C. accepted a Trump administration resignation offer, which was intended to cut staff across the government, and according to two USDA employees who asked to remain anonymous due to the risk of retaliation, most of the staff working on the Friday market were among them.<\/p>\n<p>An agency spokesperson said the suggestion that staffing had anything to do with the discontinuation of the market is \u201cincorrect,\u201d but they did not answer detailed questions about whether the Friday market is officially cancelled, or whether farmers will face a gap in sales due to the closure. Instead, they provided an emailed statement.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs we approach the 250th anniversary of America, USDA is uniquely positioned to celebrate America\u2019s farmers and ranchers,\u201d it said. \u201cThe agency is proudly continuing the long tradition of hosting a farmers\u2019 market at the agency through the Great American Farmers Market.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>After a grand opening celebration on Aug. 3, the event will feature themed days including a MAHA day focused on nutrition and wellness and a day showcasing farmers from around the country, with more specific details to follow. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#usda-announces-great-american-farmers-market-but-its-popular-weekly-market-is-gone\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"65758\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hhs\/' title='HHS' class='pt-cv-tax-hhs'>HHS<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hunger\/' title='Hunger' class='pt-cv-tax-hunger'>Hunger<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >RFK Jr. Supports States on SNAP Soda Bans, Seed-Oil Menu Labels, and&nbsp;More<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>July 7, 2025<\/b> \u2013 While Washington, D.C. was consumed by the push to <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#house-passes-tax-bill-with-snap-cuts-billions-for-immigration-enforcement-and-climate-rollbacks\">pass President Trump\u2019s One Big Beautiful Bill<\/a> over the last two weeks, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.gov\/press-room\/secretary-kennedy-maha-tour-oklahoma-louisiana-legislation.html\">continued to encourage and endorse<\/a> efforts inspired by his Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement in statehouses around the country.<\/p>\n<p>Kennedy traveled to Oklahoma for an event where Republican governor Kevin Stitt signed a waiver <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/10\/bans-on-soda-and-candy-in-snap-are-back-on-the-table-and-theyre-still-controversial\/\">eliminating soda and candy<\/a> from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and an executive order directing state agencies to take artificial food dyes out of meals.<\/p>\n<p>In Louisiana, Governor Jeff Landry signed a similar SNAP waiver and a piece of legislation dubbed the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nola.com\/news\/politics\/rfk-jr-coming-to-louisiana-for-maha-bill\/article_04193516-1fa5-440b-8194-d4891c131c86.html\">MAHA Bill<\/a>\u201d that goes much further. In addition to restricting food dyes in school meals and requiring QR-code labeling for certain additives, the bill mandates restaurants include disclaimers on their menus or in another clearly visible location if they cook with canola, soybean, corn, sunflower, or other seed oils.<\/p>\n<p>That provision is likely to stoke controversy because <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/06\/02\/everything-you-know-about-the-dietary-guidelines-is-wrong\/\">the scientific consensus around seed oils<\/a> is that they are not universally harmful (and in some cases are healthier than animal-based options), but that consensus is now at odds with the actions and rhetoric of the federal government\u2019s top health official.<\/p>\n<p>Kennedy\u2019s travel follows <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.gov\/press-room\/secretary-kennedy-maha-tour-oklahoma-louisiana-legislation.html\">earlier trips<\/a> to West Virginia, Utah, Arizona, and other states to support similar bills. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has partnered with him to get soda and other unhealthy foods out of SNAP, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fns.usda.gov\/snap\/waivers\/foodrestriction\">now maintaining a map<\/a> showing where waivers have been approved.<\/p>\n<p><div class=\"post-image-caption align-left\"><a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/250707-maha-bills-health-nutrition-hhs-hunger-rfk-louisiana-oklahoma-2-inline.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/250707-maha-bills-health-nutrition-hhs-hunger-rfk-louisiana-oklahoma-2-inline.jpg\" alt=\"a screenshot of a map maintained by the USDA showing which states have passed restrictions on what people can purchase with snap funds.\"\/><\/a><\/div><\/p>\n<p>On <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DLsAjHsq5Lb\/\">Instagram<\/a> on July 4, Kennedy said \u201ca new American revolution\u201d is underway to combat chronic disease. \u201cWe\u2019ve just gotten started here at HHS to rebuild a food and medical system that are worthy of your trust,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m inviting you to join the revolution too by making healthy choices for you and your family.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>However, on the same day, many advocacy groups criticized the administration and Republicans in Congress for making it much harder for low-income Americans to do just that, by <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/07\/01\/food-assistance-debate-are-lawmakers-ending-waste-or-dismantling-a-safety-net\/\">reducing access to SNAP benefits<\/a> and eliminating SNAP-Ed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatrightpro.org\/protectnutrition\">overwhelming evidence<\/a> that demonstrates these legislative and budgetary actions will have harmful consequences to public health and none of these actions gets us closer to improving the health and nutrition security of Americans, which the Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture share as common goals,\u201d Wylecia Wiggs Harris, Chief Executive Officer of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatright.org\/\">the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics<\/a>, said in a statement in response to <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#house-passes-tax-bill-with-snap-cuts-billions-for-immigration-enforcement-and-climate-rollbacks\">the signing of the One Big Beautiful Bill<\/a>. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#rfk-jr-supports-states-on-snap-soda-bans-seed-oil-menu-labels-and-more\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"65725\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/climate-and-environment\/' title='Climate and environment' class='pt-cv-tax-climate-and-environment'>Climate and environment<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/food-and-farm-workers\/' title='Food and farm workers' class='pt-cv-tax-food-and-farm-workers'>Food and farm workers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hunger\/' title='Hunger' class='pt-cv-tax-hunger'>Hunger<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/the-white-house\/' title='The White House' class='pt-cv-tax-the-white-house'>The White House<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >House Passes Tax Bill With SNAP Cuts, Billions for Immigration Enforcement, and Climate Rollbacks<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><em><b>July 7, 2025 Update:<\/b> President Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/articles\/2025\/07\/president-trumps-one-big-beautiful-bill-is-now-the-law\/\">signed the bill<\/a> into law on July 4, 2025.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><b>July 3, 2025 <\/b>&#8211; After a long night of convincing ultra-conservative and moderate holdouts to vote with their party, followed by a nearly nine-hour, impassioned speech staged by Representative Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York), Republicans passed their massive tax bill, complete with sweeping changes to food assistance and many other provisions that will have profound impacts on the food system. President Trump is expected to quickly sign the bill.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are going to make this country stronger, safer, and more prosperous than ever before and every American is going to benefit from that,\u201d Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) said right before lawmakers cast their votes, as his Republican colleagues whooped and whistled in celebration.<\/p>\n<p>The bill includes the biggest-ever changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the nation\u2019s largest hunger-relief program. Expanded work requirements are expected to lead to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbpp.org\/research\/food-assistance\/senate-agriculture-committees-revised-work-requirement-would-risk-taking\">5 million Americans <\/a>losing their grocery benefits, while a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbo.gov\/publication\/61533\">$65 billion<\/a> cost-shift to states <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/07\/01\/food-assistance-debate-are-lawmakers-ending-waste-or-dismantling-a-safety-net\/\">could lead to states cutting benefits<\/a> or discontinuing SNAP altogether. Cuts to healthcare could compound the struggle low-income Americans will face in putting food on the table, with 11.8 million people <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/2025\/07\/01\/least-17-million-americans-would-lose-insurance-under-trump-plan\/\">expected to lose<\/a> Medicaid coverage and 4.2 million losing Obamacare (Affordable Care Act) insurance plans. Farmers <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/11\/12\/farmers-and-rural-communities-disproportionately-depend-on-obamacare-whats-next\/\">rely disproportionately<\/a>\u00a0on those plans.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPregnant women, children, seniors, single mothers, the disabled, and the low-income Americans among us receiving Medicaid and SNAP will have the peace of mind of knowing that we&#8217;ve made these safety nets stronger with our reforms,\u201d Johnson said.<\/p>\n<p>During his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/live-updates\/2025\/07\/03\/congress\/hakeem-jeffries-longest-house-speech-00438933\">record-breaking speech<\/a> on the floor, Jeffries read letters from families who rely on food aid and farmers in states around the country, calling the bill \u201can assault\u201d on healthcare, nutritional assistance, children, veterans, farmers, and everyday Americans. \u201cMillions of Americans, our fellow Americans, are at risk of going hungry,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>While the majority of Americans will see slightly lower taxes, the tax breaks in the bill will disproportionately benefit the wealthiest families. Families in the lowest income brackets <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbo.gov\/system\/files\/2025-06\/61387-Distributional-Effects.pdf\">will see their resources<\/a> significantly reduced, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.<\/p>\n<p>The bill includes $67 billion for commodity farm payments, but Democrats on the House Agriculture Committee pointed to the fact that farms and other sectors of the food chain will also be hit by the SNAP cuts as families\u2019 purchasing power dwindles. They estimate the cuts will lead to a $25 billion drop in farm revenue over 10 years. SNAP is also responsible for close to <a href=\"https:\/\/grocers.guerrillaeconomics.net\/reports\/009333f2-7b46-4c36-a31e-831d211328c5?\">250,000 grocery jobs<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cToday marks a grave turning point for our country, one which leaves rural communities and farmers behind and places us on the road toward increased hunger, less prosperity, and fewer opportunities for working families,\u201d said Angie Craig (D-Minnesota), the top Democrat on the committee. Craig said the inclusion of SNAP cuts and some farm bill provisions in the bill will also make it harder to <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/08\/will-congress-pass-a-new-farm-bill-in-2025\/\">pass a farm bill<\/a>, leaving other farm programs stuck in limbo.<\/p>\n<p>The bill could also affect farmers and the broader food system by allocating historic resources toward the Trump administration\u2019s crackdown on immigrants, which is <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/06\/11\/ice-raids-target-workers-on-farms-and-in-food-production-a-running-list\/\">already impacting food and farm workers<\/a>. It includes $121.5 billion in new funding for hiring and training more Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, expanding detention centers, and building the border wall. It will also prevent some immigrants in the country legally, including refugees and asylum seekers, from accessing food aid and healthcare assistance.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, the bill will deal a huge blow to the transition to renewable energy at a time when <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/11\/27\/will-disaster-relief-come-through-for-north-carolinas-small-farms\/\">farmers<\/a> are <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/01\/15\/as-saltwater-encroaches-on-farms-solutions-emerge-from-the-marshes\/\">increasingly confronting<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/22\/an-ancient-irrigation-system-may-help-farmers-face-climate-change\/\">the impacts<\/a> of <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2021\/10\/20\/op-ed-the-flood-of-climate-disasters-has-the-food-system-reeling-its-time-to-act\/\">climate change<\/a>. It will eliminate Biden-era tax credits for solar and wind farms and other renewable infrastructure projects unless they come online before the end of 2027, a provision that will stop many projects because they often take years to get permits, raise funds, and construct. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#house-passes-tax-bill-with-snap-cuts-billions-for-immigration-enforcement-and-climate-rollbacks\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"65674\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/doge\/' title='DOGE' class='pt-cv-tax-doge'>DOGE<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hunger\/' title='Hunger' class='pt-cv-tax-hunger'>Hunger<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >USAID Officially Shuts Down, Leaving an Uncertain Future for International Food&nbsp;Aid<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>July 2, 2025<\/b> \u2013 Five months after a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/06\/22\/us\/politics\/usaid-cuts-doge.html\">swift and chaotic dismantling<\/a> that began soon after President Trump\u2019s inauguration, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is no more. In a statement <a href=\"https:\/\/statedept.substack.com\/p\/making-foreign-aid-great-again\">posted to Substack<\/a>, Secretary of Defense Marco Rubio said that as of July 1, \u201cUSAID will officially cease to implement foreign assistance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rubio said that the work USAID did was not serving American interests. \u201cMoving forward, our assistance will be targeted and time limited,\u201d he wrote. \u201cWe will favor those nations that have demonstrated both the ability and willingness to help themselves and will target our resources to areas where they can have a multiplier effect and catalyze durable private sector, including American companies, and global investment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On USAID\u2019s last day in operation, a study published in <i>The Lancet<\/i> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelancet.com\/journals\/lancet\/article\/PIIS0140-6736(25)01186-9\/fulltext\">estimated<\/a> that between 2000 and 2021, the agency\u2019s work saved close to 92 million lives, about a third of them children under five. Researchers estimated the current funding cuts could lead to an additional 14 million <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/07\/02\/opinion\/usaid-trump-musk-wasted-medicine.html\">deaths<\/a> around the world.<\/p>\n<p>While most of the lives were saved by reducing the incidence of diseases like AIDS and malaria, the study also mentioned nutritional deficiencies. During the 2024 fiscal year, USAID <a href=\"https:\/\/www.agweb.com\/news\/policy\/politics\/usaid-dismantling-what-it-means-farmers-and-ag-research\">spent around $5 billion<\/a> on food assistance, about $2 billion of which was used to purchase commodity foods from American farmers.<\/p>\n<p>Food for Peace was USAID\u2019s marquee program, and has long had bipartisan support in Congress. In February, a coalition of Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.moran.senate.gov\/public\/index.cfm\/2025\/2\/sens-moran-hoeven-rep-mann-introduce-legislation-to-move-food-for-peace-program-to-usda\">introduced legislation<\/a> to move the program to the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In June, a draft of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.agri-pulse.com\/articles\/23014-usda-would-take-over-food-for-peace-under-fy26-spending-bill\">House appropriations bill<\/a> included that change, although Food for Peace\u2019s budget was cut in half. Lawmakers are expected to start working to move the appropriations process along again after the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#senate-passes-tax-bill-with-snap-cuts-intact\">tax bill process<\/a> is over. The State Department, which has absorbed some pieces of USAID&#8217;s programming, was unable to provide comment by press time on the current status of Food for Peace.<\/p>\n<p>But <a href=\"https:\/\/www.devex.com\/news\/as-usaid-is-dismantled-republicans-fight-to-save-a-food-aid-program-109486?skip_optional_steps=true\">questions remain<\/a> about whether the USDA has the right international infrastructure to administer the program, especially when the agency has also lost more than 15,000 staff members since January. In May, the agency also began <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/05\/21\/usda-canceling-grants-that-feed-children-around-the-world\/\">canceling some grant contracts<\/a> within the international food aid program it already runs.<\/p>\n<p>On USAID\u2019s last day, former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama and U2 frontman Bono sent video messages to employees <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/06\/30\/us\/politics\/usaid-staff-obama-bush-bono.html?searchResultPosition=5\">thanking them for work<\/a> they characterized as lifesaving and reflective of American strength. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#usaid-officially-shuts-down-leaving-an-uncertain-future-for-international-food-aid\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"65622\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hunger\/' title='Hunger' class='pt-cv-tax-hunger'>Hunger<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/the-white-house\/' title='The White House' class='pt-cv-tax-the-white-house'>The White House<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Senate Passes Tax Bill With SNAP Cuts&nbsp;Intact<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>July 1, 2025 <\/b>\u2013 After an all-night session in the Senate, Democrats\u2019 efforts to offer amendments ended with no successes, and Republicans passed their massive tax bill, which includes the most significant cuts in history to the country\u2019s largest hunger program.<\/p>\n<p>An <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/f\/?id=00000197-c689-de82-a7d7-d7dd88c30000\">updated version<\/a> released by the Senate earlier today keeps <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#senate-ag-committee-proposes-significant-but-smaller-cuts-to-snap\">most of the changes<\/a> to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) proposed earlier. The bill will limit future increases in SNAP benefits; eliminate the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2020\/10\/20\/nutrition-education-is-helping-low-income-families-eat-healthier\/\">popular SNAP-Ed program<\/a> that teaches healthy eating habits; and make certain groups of non-citizens, like refugees, ineligible for benefits.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/07\/01\/food-assistance-debate-are-lawmakers-ending-waste-or-dismantling-a-safety-net\/\">Most significantly<\/a>, it will subject new groups to the most stringent work requirements, shift administrative costs to states, and shift benefit costs\u2014up to 15 percent starting in 2028\u2014to states, based on metrics that measure errors in payment administration.<\/p>\n<p>Those <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/07\/01\/food-assistance-debate-are-lawmakers-ending-waste-or-dismantling-a-safety-net\/\">changes<\/a> are expected to push millions of Americans out of the program, while other provisions in the bill will likely kick as many as 11.8 million low-income people off of Medicaid and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/2025\/07\/01\/least-17-million-americans-would-lose-insurance-under-trump-plan\/\">4.2 million off of Obamacare insurance plans<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUnder this legislation\u2014which cuts nearly $1 trillion from essential health programs like Medicaid and SNAP\u2014millions of hard-working people will lose healthcare coverage and food assistance under the heavy burden of new punitive governmental red tape,\u201d said Richard E. Besser, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rwjf.org\/en\/about-rwjf\/newsroom\/2025\/06\/rwjf-statement-on-the-senate-reconciliation-bill.html\">in a statement<\/a>. \u201cBy its very design, the bill will make our country sicker, put children at risk of going hungry, and make it harder for families to afford basic necessities\u2014all to further enrich wealthy individuals and corporations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At the final hour, Republicans carved out some exemptions within the changes to SNAP in order to get Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) to vote for the bill. The bill as previously written would have hit Alaskans the hardest because of the way changes were designed; Now, Alaska will be exempt from, or have more time to implement, some of the changes. On social media, Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/amyklobuchar\/posts\/i-will-be-forcing-vote-to-strike-republican-proposal-to-help-alaska-by-delaying-\/1286743689474461\/\">pointed to the deal<\/a> as Republican hypocrisy. She forced a vote to push back on the exemptions on the floor, but it did not succeed.<\/p>\n<p>The bill also includes an estimated $67 billion in new funding for commodity farm subsidy programs. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) was expected to offer an amendment to limit payments within those programs\u2014a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmprogress.com\/farm-policy\/grassley-pushing-another-payment-limitation-bill\">longtime goal<\/a> of his\u2014but was talked out of it by Senator John Boozman (R-Arkansas), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/live-updates\/2025\/06\/30\/congress\/grassley-strikes-deal-to-table-farm-aid-amendment-00434674\">according to Politico<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPassage of this legislation is critical to delivering the promises made to the American people by President Trump,\u201d Boozman said in a statement after the bill passed. \u201cWe make common sense reforms to SNAP to ensure the program operates efficiently, is accountable to the taxpayers, and helps those who truly need it. There is also good news for hardworking farmers, ranchers, and producers who, for too long, were forced to operate under outdated policies.\u201d Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins celebrated the vote, calling it \u201ca desperately needed win for our farmers,\u201d by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DLkpQ1DR-ay\/\">posting an image<\/a> of her face next to President Trump\u2019s on Instagram.<\/p>\n<p>Klobuchar, however, pointed to the fact that reduced SNAP spending will hurt farmers, as it will deprive them of customers. \u201cThese cuts also mean farmers, who are already operating on razor-thin margins, will see billions in lost revenue and rural, independent grocers will be in jeopardy,\u201d she said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>The bill now heads back to the House, where it\u2019s still unclear whether Republicans, who are divided on many issues and have the narrowest of margins, have the votes to pass it. While Trump has pushed to sign the bill by July 4th, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/live-updates\/2025\/07\/01\/congress\/trump-megabill-deadline-00434824\">he wavered<\/a> on that deadline this morning. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#senate-passes-tax-bill-with-snap-cuts-intact\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"65593\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/animal-agriculture\/' title='Animal agriculture' class='pt-cv-tax-animal-agriculture'>Animal agriculture<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/supreme-court\/' title='The Supreme Court' class='pt-cv-tax-supreme-court'>The Supreme Court<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Supreme Court Weighs in on Cases Impacting Roundup and Prop.&nbsp;12<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>June 30, 2025<\/b> \u2013 The Supreme Court announced <a href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/orders\/courtorders\/063025zor_7647.pdf\">two decisions<\/a> today that have major implications for American agriculture.<\/p>\n<p>The first relates to Bayer\u2019s petition for the court to hear a case that the agrichemical giant hopes could end the more than 100,000 filed lawsuits that claim individuals <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/03\/27\/inside-bayers-state-by-state-efforts-to-stop-pesticide-lawsuits\/\">have developed cancer<\/a> due to the use of its marquee weedkiller, Roundup. (Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup.) Instead of deciding yes or no on the petition, the court asked the Solicitor General, the federal government\u2019s Supreme Court lawyer, to weigh in on the case first. That pushes the final decision on whether the court will hear the case to the next session, which starts in the fall.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe see this request as an encouraging step and look forward to hearing the views of the government,\u201d Bayer CEO Bill Anderson said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bayer.com\/media\/en-us\/us-supreme-court-asks-for-views-of-solicitor-general-in-durnell-case\/\">in a statement <\/a>on the decision. In the meantime, according to the statement, the company will <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/08\/bayers-effort-to-block-roundup-lawsuits-kicks-into-high-gear\/\">continue to work<\/a> to get state laws passed that protect them from future Roundup litigation. So far, they\u2019ve <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/08\/bayers-effort-to-block-roundup-lawsuits-kicks-into-high-gear\/\">been successful<\/a> in Georgia and North Dakota.<\/p>\n<p>The other case involved the U.S. pork industry in its second attempt to ask the court to overturn California\u2019s animal welfare law known as Proposition 12. Prop. 12 is controversial because its requirements for housing mother pigs approved by California voters apply to pork producers in other states, if they want to sell their meat in California. The law has been the subject of ongoing attempts by the pork industry to <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2021\/09\/27\/is-the-pork-industry-using-food-justice-to-stall-californias-new-animal-welfare-law-prop-12-prop-2-pork-gestation-crates\/\">stall<\/a> or overturn it, but more than a year after it went into full effect, Civil Eats&#8217; reporting found that <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/05\/06\/opponents-of-prop-12-ask-congress-to-overturn-it-again\/\">many large producers have already complied with the law<\/a>, and Prop. 12 may also be helping smaller producers reach new markets.<\/p>\n<p>Today, the Supreme Court denied the Iowa Pork Producers\u2019 Association\u2019s petition to take up the case once again. In 2022, the court <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2022\/10\/12\/field-report-supreme-court-morality-prop-12-gestation-crates-animal-welfare-pork-producers-prop-12\/\">heard a different case <\/a>brought by the National Pork Producers Council challenging Prop. 12, and <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2022\/10\/05\/supreme-court-docket-farm-animal-welfare-prop-12-california-gestation-crates-pork-industry\/\">their 2023 ruling<\/a> left the law in place. The pork industry is also <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/05\/06\/opponents-of-prop-12-ask-congress-to-overturn-it-again\/\">lobbying Congress<\/a> to pass legislation that would overturn the law. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#supreme-court-weighs-in-on-cases-impacting-roundup-and-prop-12\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"65555\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/epa\/' title='EPA' class='pt-cv-tax-epa'>EPA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hhs\/' title='HHS' class='pt-cv-tax-hhs'>HHS<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >EPA Hires Farm and Pesticide Lobbyist to Oversee Pesticide Regulation<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>June 30, 2025 <\/b>\u2013 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has hired a Washington, D.C. farm policy insider who has lobbied against restrictions on pesticide use to serve as one of the country\u2019s top pesticide regulators.<\/p>\n<p>Kyle Kunkler starts today as the deputy assistant administrator for pesticides in the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. He will be working alongside <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/01\/22\/climate\/epa-chemical-industry-beck-dekleva.html\">Nancy Beck<\/a>, a former chemical industry executive.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMr. Kunkler has a wealth of experience in the agricultural sector, and the president made a great choice in selecting this highly qualified individual to advance EPA\u2019s core mission of protecting human health and the environment,\u201d an EPA spokesperson said in an email responding to Civil Eats\u2019 questions.<\/p>\n<p>Kunkler most recently worked as director of government affairs, <a href=\"https:\/\/soygrowers.com\/news-releases\/kunkler-hired-to-manage-asa-biotech-crop-protection-advocacy-efforts\/\">with a focus on pesticides<\/a>, for the American Soybean Association. He lobbied members of Congress on pesticide policy and other farm topics as recently as <a href=\"https:\/\/lda.senate.gov\/filings\/public\/filing\/34254f83-4ce5-4e41-853f-32ce297e54ab\/print\/\">earlier this year<\/a>. At its 2020 annual meeting, CropLife America, the trade association that represents the country\u2019s largest agrichemical companies, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.croplifeamerica.org\/news-releases\/croplife-america-recognizes-award-winners-at-2020-annual-meeting\">presented Kunkler<\/a> with its \u201cRising Star Award.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not uncommon for pesticide-industry veterans and lobbyists to work at the EPA and other federal agencies, but President Trump has <a href=\"https:\/\/pac.org\/impact\/will-trump-really-drain-swamp\">repeatedly vowed<\/a> to \u201cdrain the swamp.\u201d And Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., \u00a0a longtime <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/10\/09\/can-trump-and-robert-f-kennedy-jr-make-america-healthy-again\/\">critic of pesticide use<\/a>, has railed against industry influence within the federal government and promised specifically to reduce chemical exposures as part of his <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/05\/22\/maha-report-focuses-on-ultra-processed-foods-goes-light-on-pesticide-risks\/\">Make America Healthy Again<\/a> movement.<\/p>\n<p>In a press release, Environmental Working Group President Ken Cook said Kunkler\u2019s appointment represents a clear contradiction. \u201cThe appointment of Kyle Kunkler sends a loud, clear message: industry influence is back in charge at the EPA,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a stunning reversal of the campaign promises Trump and RFK Jr. made to their MAHA followers\u2014that they\u2019d stand up to chemical giants and protect children from dangerous pesticides.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In response to those accusations, the EPA spokerson accused previous administrations of having a revolving door with industry and being rife with ethics violations. \u201cEvery Trump political appointee works with the career employees in the EPA ethics office to ensure all applicable ethics obligations are addressed,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, CropLife America President and CEO Alexandra Dunn also <a href=\"https:\/\/subscriber.politicopro.com\/article\/2025\/06\/croplife-america-kennedy-pesticides-maha-letter-00430286\">sent Kennedy a letter<\/a> asking him to retract what she called \u201cmisleading and alarmist\u201d statements about pesticides made in the MAHA Report and offering 17 policy recommendations to support the pesticide industry. Dunn was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.croplifeamerica.org\/news-releases\/croplife-america-appoints-alexandra-dunn-as-next-president-and-ceo\">an administrator<\/a> in the same EPA office in charge of chemical oversight during Trump\u2019s first term. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#epa-hires-farm-and-pesticide-lobbyist-to-oversee-pesticide-regulation\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"65532\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/epa\/' title='EPA' class='pt-cv-tax-epa'>EPA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/water\/' title='Water' class='pt-cv-tax-water'>Water<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/rramirez\/\" rel=\"author\">Riley Ramirez<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >EPA Funds Projects to Help Farmers Reduce Runoff Into the Great&nbsp;Lakes<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>June 25, 2025 <\/strong>\u2013 The EPA yesterday announced that it has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/newsreleases\/epa-selects-four-organizations-receive-37-million-grants-assist-farmers-nutrient\">awarded more than $3.7 million in grants<\/a> to assist farmers in managing nutrient runoff from agricultural land in the Western Lake Erie Basin.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2013\/09\/25\/another-reason-to-change-the-way-we-farm-toxic-algae-is-choking-our-lakes-and-rivers\/\">Toxic algal blooms<\/a> are a regular occurrence in Lake Erie as a result of excess nutrients used on farms, <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2019\/04\/09\/lake-erie-was-granted-legal-rights-could-it-change-the-farm-pollution-debate\/\">particularly concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs)<\/a>, escaping into waterways. These blooms <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2017\/04\/27\/the-2017-algae-almanac\/\">pose a risk<\/a> to human and animal health, as the toxins generated contaminate drinking water and deplete the lake of oxygen, killing off fish.<\/p>\n<p>The EPA selected four Michigan and Ohio grant recipients, including the Ohio Department of Agriculture, the Nature Conservancy, Lenawee County Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Regents of the University of Michigan.<\/p>\n<p>Each of the projects selected has set forth initiatives to mitigate nutrient runoff by creating professional development and employment opportunities, as well as providing technical assistance and resources to farmers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBy implementing edge of field practices, like adding vegetated buffers or two-stage ditches, farmers can help make the Western Lake Erie Basin more resilient while further protecting their fields from short-term threats, including flooding and drought,\u201d Jessica D\u2019Ambrosio, The Nature Conservancy Ohio\u2019s agriculture director, said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>The funding was provided through the <a href=\"https:\/\/glri.us\/about\">Great Lakes Restoration Initiative<\/a> (GLRI), a program that began in 2010 to accelerate efforts to protect and restore the Great Lakes. Since its inception, more than <a href=\"https:\/\/glri.us\/funding\">$5 billion<\/a> has been appropriated for the GLRI.<\/p>\n<p>While the EPA has been slashing funding for many other programs since March\u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/sustainability\/society-equity\/us-epa-cancelling-all-environmental-justice-grants-washington-post-reports-2025-04-29\/#:~:text=April%2029%20(Reuters)%20%2D%20The,official%20in%20a%20court%20filing.\">cancelling almost 800 grants<\/a>\u2014the GLRI appears to be untouched, continuing business as usual. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#epa-funds-projects-to-help-farmers-reduce-runoff-into-the-great-lakes\">Link to this post)<\/a><\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"65480\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/dol\/' title='DOL' class='pt-cv-tax-dol'>DOL<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/food-and-farm-workers\/' title='Food and farm workers' class='pt-cv-tax-food-and-farm-workers'>Food and farm workers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/immigration\/' title='Immigration' class='pt-cv-tax-immigration'>Immigration<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Department of Labor Suspends Protections for H-2A Guest Workers and Announces Plan to Bring in&nbsp;More<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>June 25, 2025<\/b> \u2013 The Department of Labor (DOL) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dol.gov\/newsroom\/releases\/whd\/whd20250620\">will no longer<\/a> enforce <a href=\"https:\/\/www.federalregister.gov\/documents\/2024\/04\/29\/2024-08333\/improving-protections-for-workers-in-temporary-agricultural-employment-in-the-united-states\">a 2024 rule<\/a> that expanded protections for guest workers who come to the U.S. to work on farms through the H-2A program. At the same time, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.deseret.com\/politics\/2025\/06\/23\/trump-secretary-of-agriculture-to-announce-change-to-immigrant-work-visa-for-farmers\/\">announced<\/a> she\u2019ll create a new office to more quickly handle farmers\u2019 guest worker applications.<\/p>\n<p>The moves are happening in the midst of <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#ice-raids-target-workers-on-farms-and-in-food-production-a-running-list\">a widespread immigration crackdown<\/a> that is affecting food and farm labor. As raids sweep up undocumented farmworkers and cause others to skip work in fear, the DOL is working alongside the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to make it easier for farmers to use the H-2A program, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drovers.com\/news\/industry\/rollins-says-h-2a-reforms-likely-soon\">according to<\/a> Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins.<\/p>\n<p>Advocacy groups said the possibility of more guest workers being recruited quickly means protections are needed now more than ever. \u201cNow is the time to strengthen worker protections in the deeply flawed H-2A agricultural visa program, not leave workers vulnerable to abuse and exploitation,\u201d the Centro de los Derechos del Migrante (CDM) wrote in a statement on the decision.<\/p>\n<p>As the program has <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2019\/07\/16\/the-h-2a-guest-worker-program-has-ballooned-in-size-but-both-farmers-and-workers-want-it-fixed\/\">ballooned in size<\/a> over the last decade, multiple reports, including from CDM, <a href=\"https:\/\/cdmigrante.org\/ripe-for-reform\/\">have found<\/a> that H-2A workers are particularly vulnerable to wage theft, health and safety violations, and other abuses because their housing, transportation, and ability to legally work and live in the country are all tied to their employers.<\/p>\n<p>The rule finalized a year ago\u2014Improving Protections for Workers in Temporary Agricultural Employment in the United States\u2014made small changes intended to address those risks. It prohibited retaliation against workers who engaged in workforce organizing activities and protected their right to have guests visit employer-provided housing. It required more transparency in the recruitment process, mandated employers share more details of job requirements up-front, and prohibited them from confiscating worker passports or other immigration documents.<\/p>\n<p>But the Biden-era rule was already on hold in 17 Republican states <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/legal\/government\/us-judge-blocks-biden-rule-h-2a-farmworker-union-organizing-2024-08-27\/\">after those states sued<\/a> and a judge blocked the DOL from enforcing it. In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dol.gov\/newsroom\/releases\/whd\/whd20250620\">its announcement<\/a> suspending the rule, the DOL cited legal uncertainty and inconsistency as a reason for its decision. \u201cA temporary, nationwide suspension of enforcement ensures clarity and consistency while existing litigation over the legality of the 2024 Final Rule continues, and the Department considers further regulatory action,\u201d wrote Donald M. Harrison, acting administrator of the Wage and Hour Division, in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dol.gov\/sites\/dolgov\/files\/WHD\/fab\/fab2025-2.pdf\">a bulletin<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But CDM sees the action as an affront to workers. \u201cFarmworkers who participate in the H-2A visa program have fought for years\u2014even decades\u2014for strengthened protections against retaliation, fraud, and trafficking,\u201d they wrote. \u201cAnd now the Trump administration is dismissing them and their hard-won protections.\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#department-of-labor-suspends-protections-for-h-2a-guest-workers-and-announces-plan-to-bring-in-more\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"65443\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/doge\/' title='DOGE' class='pt-cv-tax-doge'>DOGE<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >USDA Cancels Additional Grants Funding Land Access and Training for Young&nbsp;Farmers<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>June 24, 2025 <\/b>\u2013 Last week, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/news\/press-releases\/2025\/06\/17\/secretary-rollins-takes-bold-action-put-american-farmers-first-cuts-millions-woke-dei-funding\">announced<\/a> that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) was terminating another batch of grant contracts already in place, because the agency had determined they were \u201cdiversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) focused awards.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPutting American Farmers First means cutting the millions of dollars that are being wasted on woke DEI propaganda,\u201d Rollins said in the press release.<\/p>\n<p>The announcement did not provide details on the 145 grants terminated, such as who the recipients were or what kind of work they were funding, aside from citing three examples identified by single-line descriptors. Those examples added up to just over $3 million, although the USDA said the whole list totals \u201ca maximum savings of $148.6 million.\u201d On X, Rollins <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SecRollins\/status\/1935165147473174975\">thanked<\/a> the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for its help, and the office <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/doge\/status\/1935445249960341755?s=51&amp;t=yweRlkXF3jFDZkdf8Ij8Bg\">responded<\/a> by citing two more examples, without details, that added up to less than $700,000.<\/p>\n<p>The USDA did not respond to a request for full details on the terminated grants. However, Civil Eats\u2019 reporting has found that one grant cited in the announcement was most likely a $2.5 million award to the nonprofit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.agroecologycommons.org\/\">Agroecology Commons<\/a> through the Land, Capital, and Market Access Program.<\/p>\n<p>In March, the agency <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/13\/usda-publicizes-canceling-a-grant-to-an-organization-that-trains-young-farmers\/\">publicized its cancellation<\/a> of a different small grant to the same group, based on the nonprofit\u2019s support of BIPOC and queer farmers. This larger grant termination is a much bigger hit, since the organization was using the funds to purchase land and create a commons for up to 10 \u201cBIPOC, LGBTQIA, and landless farmers,\u201d and the money was supposed to fund more than half of the the group\u2019s staffing capacity over the next three years.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a seismic blow, but at least we know and can start the next steps,&#8221; said Leah Atwood, Agroecology Commons\u2019 director of partnerships.<\/p>\n<p>In early June, the organization <a href=\"https:\/\/farmstand.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/2025.06.05-ECF-1-Complaint.pdf\">sued the USDA<\/a> alongside other groups that lost funding. Now, their legal team is amending the complaint to reference the likely recent cancellation. (Agroecology Commons has not yet received an official termination letter, so as of right now, the legal team told Civil Eats that &#8220;the amended complaint will make reference to the Secretary\u2019s stated intention to terminate a grant that resembles a grant Agroecology Commons has, and that officially terminating such a grant would be unlawful in the way that other terminations at issue in the suit are.&#8221;)<\/p>\n<p>Agroecology Common\u2019s leadership said that while Rollins framed the cancellation as a victory for American farmers, their project was contributing to a more diverse, resilient farm landscape through land access and farmer training at a time when young and new farmers are desperately needed.<\/p>\n<p>The Land, Capital, and Market Access Program, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fsa.usda.gov\/programs-and-services\/increasing-land-access\">created initially<\/a> out of the Biden-era American Rescue Plan, was championed by the <a href=\"https:\/\/youngfarmers.org\/\">National Young Farmers Coalition<\/a>. Its members are now pushing to get a permanent version authorized in the next farm bill, and <a href=\"https:\/\/budzinski.house.gov\/posts\/budzinski-nunn-courtney-and-smith-introduce-bill-to-improve-young-farmers-access-to-land\">the measure has bipartisan support<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, when Rollins announced the terminations of contracts based on DEI criteria, the coalition <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DLFVFgdNnIk\/?hl=en\">posted an image<\/a> on Instagram in response that read, \u201cHey USDA, Young, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ producers ARE American farmers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At this point, it is unclear whether other grants in the same program will also be canceled, given that all of them specify serving underserved groups, including Black, Indigenous, and immigrant farmers. As a result, the other awardees are left in limbo, said Amanda Koehler, the Young Farmers\u2019 land policy associate director, leaving them fearful that their awards are next.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe consequences of the funding freeze and uncertainty have already been devastating for LCM awardees and projects,\u201d she said. The termination of this funding will further harm the livelihoods of young, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and other underserved producers\u2014and poses a serious threat to the future of our farm and food system.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Koehler added that her last day at Young Farmers is this Friday, as the organization is <a href=\"https:\/\/nationalyoungfarmerscoalition.cmail20.com\/t\/j-e-wdjditk-ykikdjkktj-x\/\">cutting 15 staff positions<\/a> \u201cdue to executive branch funding instability and dips in philanthropic giving.\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#usda-cancels-additional-grants-funding-land-access-and-training-for-young-farmers\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p><em>This post has been updated to reflect the exact status of Agroecology Commons&#8217; grant award.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"65368\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hunger\/' title='Hunger' class='pt-cv-tax-hunger'>Hunger<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/the-white-house\/' title='The White House' class='pt-cv-tax-the-white-house'>The White House<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Republicans Can\u2019t Shift SNAP Costs to States, According to Senate&nbsp;Official<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><em><b>June 24, 2025 Update:<\/b> Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman (R-Arkansas)\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.agriculture.senate.gov\/newsroom\/rep\/press\/release\/chairman-boozman-releases-updated-agriculture-nutrition-and-forestry-budget-reconciliation-text\">announced today<\/a> that the parliamentarian approved Republicans\u2019 plans to shift SNAP benefit costs to states after lawmakers made small changes to how the proportion that states will be required to pay is calculated.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><b>June 23, 2025<\/b> \u2013 One of the most <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#senate-ag-committee-proposes-significant-but-smaller-cuts-to-snap\">controversial provisions<\/a> related to food and agriculture in the Republicans\u2019 \u201cOne Big Beautiful Bill\u201d is now off the table.<\/p>\n<p>Late Friday, Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough <a href=\"https:\/\/www.budget.senate.gov\/ranking-member\/newsroom\/press\/several-additional-provisions-in-republicans-one-big-beautiful-bill-are-subject-to-60-vote-threshold-according-to-senate-parliamentarian\">ruled<\/a> that <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#house-budget-plan-would-cut-snap-spending-increase-funding-for-commodity-agriculture\">plans<\/a> to shift a significant portion of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit costs onto states violated a Congressional rule. MacDonough also axed a provision that would have made certain groups of non-citizens, such as refugees, ineligible for benefits. (Undocumented immigrants <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#usda-moves-to-prevent-undocumented-people-from-using-snap-which-is-already-not-legal\">are already ineligible<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p>Republican lawmakers had hoped federal dollars saved in the SNAP shift would offset some of the billions that would go to tax cuts. Analysts warned, however, that it would also mean millions of Americans would <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbo.gov\/system\/files\/2025-05\/Klobuchar-Craig-Letter-SNAP_5-22-25.pdf\">lose access<\/a> to food aid, and would be a major <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbpp.org\/research\/food-assistance\/senate-republican-leaders-proposal-risks-deep-cuts-to-food-assistance-some\">budgetary challenge<\/a> for states.<\/p>\n<p>The so-called Byrd Rule determines what lawmakers can and can\u2019t include in the process of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbpp.org\/research\/introduction-to-budget-reconciliation\">budget reconciliation<\/a>, which they are currently using to move their tax bill without the threat of a Democratic filibuster. The nonpartisan parliamentarian is responsible for evaluating each provision to make sure it complies with the rule.<\/p>\n<p>It is unclear how the Senate Agriculture Committee will proceed, as Republicans across Congress are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/live-updates\/2025\/06\/18\/congress\/july-4-or-bust-for-megabill-top-trump-aide-susie-wiles-tells-senators-00413015\">under immense pressure<\/a> from President Donald Trump to cut spending in order to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/articles\/2025\/06\/50-wins-in-the-one-big-beautiful-bill\/\">pay for<\/a> the extension of tax cuts for wealthier households and increased spending for military, immigration enforcement, and commodity farms. Congress was aiming to get the bill to the president by the July 4 holiday.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are continuing to examine options that comply with Senate rules to achieve savings through budget reconciliation to ensure SNAP serves those who truly need it while being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars,\u201d Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman (R-Arkansas) said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>The committee\u2019s plan to tighten work requirements, which would ultimately push many people out of the program, was not found to violate the rule.<\/p>\n<p>As the process continues, Democrats in Congress will be paying close attention. Since the suite of cuts was first proposed, they have been fighting back on several fronts. They\u2019ve held <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#house-democrats-say-snap-cuts-will-hurt-families-farmers-and-broader-food-system\">press conferences<\/a>,<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#democrats-decry-proposed-snap-cuts-in-capitol-hill-hearing\"> shadow hearings<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bennet.senate.gov\/2025\/06\/16\/icymi-bennet-sounds-the-alarm-on-the-dangers-of-republican-cuts-to-snap\/\">roundtables<\/a> to draw attention to the potential impacts of cuts on American families, farmers, and rural economies.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.klobuchar.senate.gov\/public\/_cache\/files\/1\/7\/178c3783-8ef5-4a48-b602-f9d962b963ae\/097B9F33AE02B5E541EF9EEE6EB8DAEB5A157E4A751CD7347C869AF98F882928.2025.6.20-quill---letter-l27753---letter-to-thune-on-health-care-and-food-assistance-final.pdf\">sent a letter<\/a> to Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) urging him to change course on the food assistance provisions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile Republicans\u2019 proposed cuts to SNAP will still be devastating to families, farmers, and independent grocers across the country, we will keep fighting to protect families in need,\u201d Klobuchar said in a statement following the parliamentarian\u2019s decision. \u201cInstead of a rushed partisan process, Republicans should work with us to lower costs for Americans and pass a bipartisan Farm Bill that works for all farmers and rural America.\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#republicans-cant-shift-snap-costs-to-states-according-to-senate-official\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"65333\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/fda\/' title='FDA' class='pt-cv-tax-fda'>FDA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/food-safety\/' title='Food safety' class='pt-cv-tax-food-safety'>Food safety<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hhs\/' title='HHS' class='pt-cv-tax-hhs'>HHS<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >House Republicans Want the FDA\u2014Not States\u2014to Regulate Food&nbsp;Dyes<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>June 20, 2025<\/b> &#8211; Since his confirmation as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/news\/press-releases\/2025\/04\/04\/hhs-and-usda-hold-first-public-maha-event-outline-vision-healthier-america\">enthusiastically supported<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenewlede.org\/2025\/03\/amid-lack-of-faith-in-fda-us-states-rush-to-ban-food-dyes\/\">state laws<\/a> banning artificial food dyes. In March, for example, he <a href=\"https:\/\/wvmetronews.com\/2025\/03\/28\/rfk-jr-applauds-west-virginia-for-leading-the-way-in-food-dye-battle\/\">traveled to West Virginia <\/a>to celebrate the <a href=\"https:\/\/governor.wv.gov\/article\/governor-patrick-morrisey-signs-food-dye-legislation-law\">first state bill<\/a> eliminating the dyes from all foods (starting in 2028).<\/p>\n<p>Now, some Republicans in Congress are quietly pushing back on those efforts.<\/p>\n<p>The House Appropriations Committee\u2019s subcommittee responsible for funding the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) submitted <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.house.gov\/meetings\/AP\/AP00\/20250611\/118388\/HMKP-119-AP00-20250611-SD002.pdf\">a report<\/a> to explain decisions made in their <a href=\"https:\/\/appropriations.house.gov\/subcommittees\/agriculture-rural-development-food-and-drug-administration-and-related-agencies\/legislative-activity\">draft funding bill<\/a> earlier this month.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Committee is concerned that state legislative activity to ban FDA-approved food and color additives threatens both the FDA\u2019s unified, science-based federal food safety system and the interstate commerce of agricultural, food, and beverage goods,\u201d they wrote on page 83 of the report.<\/p>\n<p>The committee members said they were reaffirming \u201cthe essential role FDA plays in determining the safety of food and color additives in the nation\u2019s food and beverage supply.\u201d They also requested that the agency provide a report to the committee detailing the additives FDA is reviewing, including safety concerns.<\/p>\n<p>The language suggests that there may be tension within the party around how exactly the regulation of food dyes should happen, which could impact whether Kennedy is able to eventually get the additives out of the food supply.<\/p>\n<p>While Kennedy has made the issue one of the FDA\u2019s top priorities, his recent announcement on the phaseout of food dyes depends entirely on companies voluntarily removing the dyes from their products. Since then, a handful of companies have committed to doing so. Kraft Heinz<a href=\"https:\/\/news.kraftheinzcompany.com\/press-releases-details\/2025\/Kraft-Heinz-Commits-to-Remove-FDC-Colors-From-Its-U-S--Portfolio-Before-the-End-of-2027-and-Will-Not-Launch-New-Products-in-the-U-S--With-FDC-Colors-Effective-Immediately\/default.aspx\"> announced this week <\/a>it will remove artificial dyes from its products, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/shots-health-news\/2025\/06\/17\/nx-s1-5436815\/kraft-heinz-artificial-food-dyes\">including Jell-O and Kool-Aid<\/a>, and General Mills <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2025\/06\/17\/general-mills-to-remove-artificial-colors-from-all-its-us-cereals-and-foods.html\">agreed to remove dyes<\/a> from its products by 2027. However, many companies who made similar commitments about a decade ago, when attention to food dyes\u2019 health impacts was similarly high, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cspinet.org\/cspi-news\/fda-asked-companies-cut-food-dyes-it-enough\">reneged on those promises<\/a> once attention waned.<\/p>\n<p>Because the FDA has declined to outright ban the dyes\u2014with the exception of Red Dye No. 3, which the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#goodbye-to-red-dye\">Biden administration banned<\/a>\u2014states have moved to fill the gap with their own laws.<\/p>\n<p>In April, in response to the agency\u2019s announcement asking industry to voluntarily remove the dyes, Consumer Brands, the trade organization that represents the country\u2019s biggest food companies, issued<a href=\"https:\/\/consumerbrandsassociation.org\/press-releases\/consumer-brands-issues-statement-on-hhs-fda-phasing-out-food-dyes-from-food-supply\/\"> a statement<\/a> defending the additives\u2019 safety. The statement also included many of the same points included in the\u00a0Appropriations Committee report, including concerns about a \u201cstate patchwork\u201d of different laws. \u201cConsumer Brands has long asked HHS and FDA to reestablish themselves as the country\u2019s leading regulatory authority, and we appreciate that the administration has reasserted their leadership in response to the myriad of state activity in the food regulation space,\u201d it read. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#house-republicans-want-the-fda-not-states-to-regulate-food-dyes\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"65300\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/nutrition\/' title='Nutrition' class='pt-cv-tax-nutrition'>Nutrition<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/the-white-house\/' title='The White House' class='pt-cv-tax-the-white-house'>The White House<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Lawmakers Push Legislation to Make It Easier for Families to Access WIC&nbsp;Benefits<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>June 17, 2025 <\/b>&#8211; During a Congressional briefing on Capitol Hill today, lawmakers and advocates pushed for the passage of the <a href=\"https:\/\/fitzpatrick.house.gov\/_cache\/files\/9\/2\/922d5044-7e23-42d4-bed0-d5550a4f13a5\/8C5BB6A734F35ABBE8BCE498F4A18B9D21DED058D77E2023056FBDFB6CDC73B0.signed-modern-wic-119th.pdf\">MODERN WIC Act,<\/a> a bill that would allow state agencies that administer the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to continue certifying participants and issuing benefits virtually.<\/p>\n<p>During the pandemic, legislators<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fns.usda.gov\/research\/wic\/remote-certification-during-pandemic\"> allowed<\/a> the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to waive requirements that mandated all WIC-eligible members of a family\u2014including infants and children\u2014be enrolled in person. Virtual appointments have continued since, but the provision is set to expire in September of 2026. An average of 6.2 million people, including millions of children, rely on WIC to fill nutrition gaps during critical stages of development each year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn 2025, or any year for that matter, no mother should have to take three buses, miss work, or find childcare just to keep her benefits, and no child should wait weeks for the nutritional support that they need right now,\u201d said Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pennsylvania), who co-sponsored the bipartisan bill with Representative Suzanne Bonamici (D-Oregon). \u201cThe MODERN WIC Act brings this critical program into the 21st century by making it work better for the real lives of today&#8217;s families.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>WIC, which provides healthy foods and formula to low-income mothers and their children and is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nwica.org\/overview-and-history\">linked to improved health outcomes<\/a>, has historically enjoyed support on both sides of the aisle.<\/p>\n<p>But the push to maintain virtual certification for easier enrollment comes at a time when the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress have also proposed cutting WIC benefits for fruits and vegetables. Experts who participated in today\u2019s briefing said this move would undermine recent progress in helping low-income families eat healthier.<\/p>\n<p>During the Biden administration, as part of a plan to <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/06\/wics-recent-gains-likely-to-face-challenges-in-next-administration\/\">help more eligible families<\/a> take advantage of WIC, the USDA revised the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2022\/07\/12\/do-regulations-designed-to-promote-nutrition-make-wic-food-lists-too-restrictive\/\">WIC food package<\/a> to cover more options at the grocery store. In the process, the agency <a href=\"https:\/\/frac.org\/blog\/wic-cut-in-trump-budget-proposal-would-increase-hunger?eType=EmailBlastContent&amp;eId=8b355954-d56b-4ad2-88d1-2c78e0200cf2\">raised the amount <\/a>of the cash value given to participants for fruits and vegetables to about $26 per month for children and $50 for mothers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe extra support made a huge difference in my home,\u201d said Jehimy Benitez, a young mother who used WIC benefits to help feed her daughter, Allison, who attended the briefing with her. \u201cIt meant I didn&#8217;t have to choose between nutritious foods and other necessities, and then I could bring fresh produce home for my daughter and teach her what it means to be healthy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Trump administration\u2019s discretionary budget request for 2026 proposed rolling back this benefit to a level set in 2014, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/2026-usda-budget-summary.pdf\">adjusted for inflation<\/a>. That would mean a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbpp.org\/blog\/trump-budget-would-slash-wic-fruit-and-vegetable-benefits-for-millions\">decrease<\/a> to $10 per month for children and $13 per month for mothers.<\/p>\n<p>During the appropriations process in early June, Republicans in Congress <a href=\"https:\/\/appropriations.house.gov\/sites\/evo-subsites\/republicans-appropriations.house.gov\/files\/evo-media-document\/fy26-ag-bill-summary-final.pdf\">included a smaller cut<\/a>, but advocates said that would still hurt families.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cParticipation [in WIC] has grown pretty significantly in the past couple of years, including about a 15 percent increase in child participation, which is a really exciting step forward for the program, and we want to make sure that no one is turned away,\u201d said Nell Menefee-Libey, senior public policy manager at the National WIC Association. \u201cWe are concerned that the recently proposed House Agriculture Appropriations bill does not provide sufficient funding to meet that standard, such that every person who seeks WIC services and is eligible will receive them.\u201d Congress has until October 1 to finalize appropriations. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#lawmakers-push-legislation-to-make-it-easier-for-families-to-access-wic-benefits\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"65265\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hhs\/' title='HHS' class='pt-cv-tax-hhs'>HHS<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/nutrition\/' title='Nutrition' class='pt-cv-tax-nutrition'>Nutrition<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Health Department Invites Proposals for Campaign Against Processed&nbsp;Foods<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>June 17, 2025<\/b> &#8211; The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will launch a national campaign to serve as \u201ca wake-up call to Americans\u201d about the dangers of eating processed foods. The campaign, which will educate the public on how those foods contribute to diabetes and other chronic diseases, fits squarely into Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.\u2019s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda.<\/p>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/sam.gov\/opp\/f82469f7bc7845f092a6fa5e70d5347f\/view#general\">a request for proposals posted last week<\/a>, the campaign will be the first in a series launched by the agency, with others touching on physical fitness and \u201cspiritual growth.\u201d Research<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmj.com\/content\/384\/bmj-2023-077310\"> shows <\/a>diets higher in ultra-processed foods are linked to higher risk of diabetes and other chronic diseases, and that connection will be the focus of the first campaign. More than 36 million Americans\u2014about 11 percent of the population\u2014have <a href=\"https:\/\/diabetes.org\/about-diabetes\/statistics\/about-diabetes\">type 2 diabetes<\/a>, and rates among children and teens <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/diabetes\/php\/data-research\/index.html\">have been rising<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe campaign\u2019s creative content will turn heads, create viral moments on social media, and\u2014above all else\u2014inspire Americans to take back their health through eating real food,\u201d the request reads. Contractors have until June 26 to submit their proposals for consideration. The request does not include what the winning contract would earn, but <i>NBC News<\/i> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/health\/health-care\/kennedy-planning-20-million-hhs-take-back-health-ad-campaign-rcna202381\">reported<\/a> the campaign is expected to cost upwards of $20 million.<\/p>\n<p>In 2010, First Lady Michelle Obama launched a national campaign called <a href=\"https:\/\/letsmove.obamawhitehouse.archives.gov\/\">Let\u2019s Move<\/a>, which emphasized healthy eating and physical activity as a solution to combat rising rates of childhood obesity and chronic disease.<\/p>\n<p>In May, <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/05\/15\/kennedy-says-food-additives-and-processed-foods-are-now-central-focus-of-nih-and-fda\/\">Kennedy said<\/a> the health harms caused by processed foods would become a \u201ccentral focus\u201d of the agencies under his purview, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/05\/22\/maha-report-focuses-on-ultra-processed-foods-goes-light-on-pesticide-risks\/\">MAHA Commission Report<\/a>, which was found to cite nonexistent research studies and misrepresent the results of others, also put ultra-processed foods front and center.<\/p>\n<p>The request is likely to draw criticism for its emphasis on \u201chow Americans can take personal responsibility for their health\u201d at a time when the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress are attempting to cut funds for <a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/Politics\/wireStory\/gops-big-bill-bring-medicaid-millions-122863554\">healthcare<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#senate-ag-committee-proposes-significant-but-smaller-cuts-to-snap\">food assistance<\/a> for low-income Americans. The administration has also slashed funds for research and <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/04\/kennedy-and-rollins-highlight-healthy-school-food-after-usda-slashes-funds-for-those-efforts\/\">bringing whole, healthy foods<\/a> from local farms into schools and food banks. In April, the country\u2019s leading ultra-processed foods researcher <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/17\/top-ultra-processed-foods-researcher-at-nih-resigns-citing-censorship\/\">left NIH <\/a>after he said HHS wanted him to tweak messaging to fit Kennedy\u2019s preconceived narrative on processed foods.<\/p>\n<p>The request for proposals also tells contractors the campaign should \u201cpopularize technology like wearables as cool, modern tools for measuring diet impact and taking control of your own health.\u201d That directive is likely to draw scrutiny, given <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/05\/08\/trump-nominates-food-focused-health-entrepreneur-casey-means-for-surgeon-general\/\">MAHA star Casey Means<\/a>, Trump\u2019s nominee for surgeon general, is the co-founder of Levels Health, a company that sells wearable glucose monitors (along with an associated subscription). (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#health-department-invites-proposals-for-campaign-against-processed-foods\">Link to this post.<\/a>)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"65203\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hunger\/' title='Hunger' class='pt-cv-tax-hunger'>Hunger<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Senate Ag Committee Proposes Significant, but Smaller, Cuts to&nbsp;SNAP<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>June 12, 2025<\/b> &#8211; The Senate Agriculture Committee released its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.agriculture.senate.gov\/imo\/media\/doc\/senate_ag_committee_budget_reconciliation.pdf\">proposed text<\/a> for Republicans\u2019 \u201cOne Big Beautiful Bill\u201d last night, which included slightly pared-back cuts to the country\u2019s largest food assistance program\u2014the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)\u2014compared to <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#house-budget-plan-would-cut-snap-spending-increase-funding-for-commodity-agriculture\">the House version<\/a> passed at the end of May. While the House plan proposed cuts of nearly $300 billion in SNAP spending, the Senate\u2019s plan would cut $209 billion from the program.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis bill takes a commonsense approach to reforming SNAP\u2014cutting waste, increasing state accountability, and helping recipients transition to self-sufficiency through work and training. It\u2019s about being good stewards of taxpayer dollars while giving folks the tools to succeed,\u201d Chairman John Boozman (R-Arkansas) said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>The Senate\u2019s plan keeps many of the House\u2019s changes to SNAP, including eliminating the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2020\/10\/20\/nutrition-education-is-helping-low-income-families-eat-healthier\/\">popular SNAP-Ed program<\/a> that provides nutrition education to low-income families, barring refugees and asylum seekers from accessing benefits, and requiring that future changes to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fns.usda.gov\/snap\/thriftyfoodplan\">Thrifty Food Plan<\/a> be cost-neutral.<\/p>\n<p>However, there are other slight differences in the Senate bill. Compared to the House version, the age limit for the strictest work requirements is 64 rather than 65; parents will be required to work if their children are 10 or older, rather than 7 or older; and states would need to pay for 15 percent of the program\u2019s costs, rather than the 25 percent proposed by the House.<\/p>\n<p>Policy analysts at the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbpp.org\/blog\/tracking-senate-action-on-tax-and-budget-reconciliation-plan\">predicted<\/a> those costs are still too high for many states to take on and would likely result in states having to cut food assistance.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDespite differences around the edges, the Senate proposal mirrors the misguided priorities and harmful impacts of its House counterpart: millions of people would lose some or all of the food assistance they need to afford groceries, all to help to pay for trillions in tax cuts skewed to the wealthy,\u201d CBPP Vice President of Food Assistance Ty Jones Cox said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbpp.org\/blog\/tracking-senate-action-on-tax-and-budget-reconciliation-plan\">in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.agriculture.senate.gov\/imo\/media\/doc\/anf_charge_and_response.pdf\">a document<\/a> released with the text of the bill, Senate Republicans called the claim that millions would lose food assistance \u201cfalse,\u201d but did not provide clear evidence to the contrary.<\/p>\n<p>The Senate\u2019s bill also increases spending on farm bill programs including commodity payments, crop insurance, and conservation programs. Like the House bill, it would incorporate additional money from the Inflation Reduction Act into conservation funding, but strip the funding of its original designation for climate-smart practices.<\/p>\n<p>The future of the bill remains uncertain. The Senate is aiming to get all of the components together and vote before the July 4 holiday. The changes are significant enough that it will then have to be passed again by the House before President Trump can sign it into law. The House passed their version by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/interactive\/2025\/05\/22\/tax-bill-house-vote-count-big-beautiful-bill\/\">the narrowest of margins<\/a>, and there are several other provisions that many Republicans still disagree on. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#senate-ag-committee-proposes-significant-but-smaller-cuts-to-snap\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"65177\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/dhs\/' title='DHS' class='pt-cv-tax-dhs'>DHS<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/food-and-farm-workers\/' title='Food and farm workers' class='pt-cv-tax-food-and-farm-workers'>Food and farm workers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/immigration\/' title='Immigration' class='pt-cv-tax-immigration'>Immigration<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/the-white-house\/' title='The White House' class='pt-cv-tax-the-white-house'>The White House<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >ICE Raids Target Workers on Farms and in Food Production: A Running&nbsp;List<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b><i>June 17, 2025 Update: <\/i><\/b><i>\u00a0According to <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/immigration\/2025\/06\/16\/trump-farms-hotels-immigration-raids\/\"><i>The Washington Post<\/i><\/a><i>, the Department of Homeland Security reversed its guidance yesterday and told ICE agents they must continue to conduct immigration raids at farms, restaurants, and other food businesses.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>June 16, 2025 Update:<\/strong>\u00a0 On Thursday, June 12, an ICE official <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/06\/14\/us\/politics\/trump-immigration-raids-workers.html\" data-stringify-link=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/06\/14\/us\/politics\/trump-immigration-raids-workers.html\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">directed agents to<\/a>\u00a0\u201chold on all work site enforcement investigations\/operations on agriculture (including aquaculture and meat packing plants), restaurants and operating hotels.\u201d Soon after, United Farm Workers put out a statement\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ufw.org\/ufw-calls-bullshit-farm-workers-in-danger-despite-reported-pause-on-farm-raids\/\" data-stringify-link=\"https:\/\/ufw.org\/ufw-calls-bullshit-farm-workers-in-danger-despite-reported-pause-on-farm-raids\/\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">questioning<\/a>\u00a0whether the guidance would be followed.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>June 11, 2025<\/strong> \u2013 As protests against the Trump administration\u2019s arrests of immigrants continue in Los Angeles and spread to other cities, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol officers are pressing into produce fields in California, meatpacking plants in the Midwest, and restaurants in the South.<\/p>\n<p>Yesterday, the <i>Los Angeles Times<\/i> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2025-06-10\/ice-expands-immigration-raids-into-californias-agricultural-heartland\">reported<\/a> that agents were sweeping across Tulare, Ventura, and Fresno counties in California, among other sites, targeting workers picking blueberries and packing produce. The state <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdfa.ca.gov\/Statistics\/\">provides<\/a> a third of the vegetables and more than half of the nuts and fruits sold in the U.S; at least half of the 255,000 workers who make that possible <a href=\"https:\/\/clc.ucmerced.edu\/sites\/g\/files\/ufvvjh626\/f\/page\/documents\/fwhs_report_2.2.2383.pdf\">are undocumented<\/a>. In Nebraska, ICE agents <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/06\/11\/immigration-raid-at-omaha-meat-production-plant-leaves-company-officials-bewildered-00398950\">raided<\/a> a meatpacking facility called <a href=\"https:\/\/garysquicksteak.com\/about-us\/\">Glenn Valley Foods<\/a> and took away 70 workers. In Texas, agents <a href=\"https:\/\/www.valleycentral.com\/news\/local-news\/we-are-hardworking-people-ice-raids-arrests-at-local-businesses\/\">took workers<\/a> from two restaurants.<\/p>\n<p>The actions and other recent reports suggest immigration enforcement at workplaces is likely to increase as the agencies attempt to meet new White House goals <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us\/ices-tactics-draw-criticism-it-triples-daily-arrest-targets-2025-06-10\/\">of 3,000 arrests per day<\/a>. While the Trump administration\u2019s deportation numbers are <a href=\"https:\/\/tracreports.org\/reports\/759\/\">still lower<\/a> than numbers under President Biden, many of the Biden-era deportations were happening at the border as high numbers of individuals attempted to enter the country.<\/p>\n<p>Trump\u2019s crackdown has resulted in historically low border crossings, so hitting those numbers means pursuing immigrants already living and working in the U.S. And while the administration has promoted its arrests of immigrants with criminal records, an ICE agent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/06\/11\/podcasts\/the-daily\/inside-a-trump-ice-raid.html\">told <i>The New York Times<\/i><\/a> today that all undocumented immigrants are being treated \u201cas criminals based on their manner of entry.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The food system\u2019s many sectors\u2014especially farms, food processing plants, restaurants, and food delivery companies\u2014rely on the labor of immigrants, a significant number of whom don\u2019t have legal authorization to work in the U.S.<\/p>\n<p>During a House Agriculture Committee hearing today, both Republicans and Democrats brought up the issue with Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. \u201cRecent enforcement actions have begun to impact and even target agricultural operations, and yet there&#8217;s still a lack of clarity for producers,\u201d said Chairman G.T. Thompson (R-Pennsylvania).<\/p>\n<p>Rollins told lawmakers that she discussed the issue with President Trump yesterday and that she is working with the Secretaries of Labor and Homeland Security to address immigration enforcement\u2019s impact on farms.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis was one of the issues that we spoke about,\u201d she said. \u201cThis president&#8217;s commitment to ensuring that all laws are followed remains paramount, but also combining that with understanding the significant challenges to our ag producers in finding the labor that is necessary.\u201d Lawmakers did not bring up the impacts of enforcement on immigrant families working in the food system.<\/p>\n<p>As enforcement ramps up, we\u2019ll be updating this list with federal immigration actions that impact farms, other sectors of the food system, and the workers themselves:<\/p>\n<p>January 7, 2025\u00a0 &#8211; Bakersfield, California &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/calmatters.org\/economy\/2025\/01\/kern-county-immigration-sweep\/\">Citrus fieldworkers detained<\/a><\/p>\n<p>March 25, 2025 &#8211; Sedro-Wooley, Washington &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.peoplesworld.org\/article\/now-theyre-targeting-labor-union-farmworker-alredo-lelo-juarez-zeferino-seized-by-ice\/\">Farmworker organizer Alfredo \u201cLelo\u201d Juarez Zeferino arrested<\/a><\/p>\n<p>April 21, 2025 &#8211; Berkshire, Vermont &#8211;\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/24\/federal-agents-detain-workers-at-a-vermont-dairy-farm\/\">Eight workers detained at a dairy farm<\/a><\/p>\n<p>May 2, 2025 &#8211; Albion, New York &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/theintercept.com\/2025\/05\/05\/ice-raid-farm-labor-union-new-york-ufw\/\">14 farmworkers affiliated with the United Farm Workers arrested<\/a><\/p>\n<p>May 7, 2025 &#8211; Washington, D.C. &#8211;\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcwashington.com\/news\/local\/at-least-9-dc-restaurants-visited-by-ice\/3908162\/\">ICE agents visit nine restaurants<\/a><\/p>\n<p>May 31, 2025 &#8211; San Diego, California &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=_fF1BIU1q3M\">Federal agents detain several workers at an Italian restaurant<\/a><\/p>\n<p>June 4, 2025 &#8211; Lovington, New Mexico &#8211; <a class=\"c-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abqjournal.com\/news\/article_e9ddbc64-58be-4e12-ac60-4db72110dab7.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"https:\/\/www.abqjournal.com\/news\/article_e9ddbc64-58be-4e12-ac60-4db72110dab7.html\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">11 workers detained after raid of Outlook Dairy Farms<\/a><\/p>\n<p>June 10, 2025 &#8211; Omaha, Nebraska &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/immigration-raids-omaha-ice-food-plant-bebe9e642964aa06fbaef0b7e8ada093\">Seventy workers detained after raid of Glenn Valley Foods<\/a><\/p>\n<p>June 10, 2025 &#8211; Southern California &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2025-06-10\/ice-expands-immigration-raids-into-californias-agricultural-heartland\">Immigration agents sweep farms in three California counties<\/a><\/p>\n<p>June 10, 2025- Harlingen, Texas &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.valleycentral.com\/news\/local-news\/we-are-hardworking-people-ice-raids-arrests-at-local-businesses\/\">Workers arrested at two restaurants<\/a><\/p>\n<p>June 10, 2025 &#8211; Rio Grande Valley, Texas &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcdfw.com\/news\/local\/texas-news\/texas-restaurant-gives-away-food-after-ice-detains-owner-employees\/3863284\/\">Mexican restaurant owner and several employees detained<\/a><\/p>\n<p>June 12, 2025 &#8211; Newberg, Oregon &#8211;\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.opb.org\/article\/2025\/06\/12\/newberg-business-owner-arrested-ice\/\">Owner of vineyard service company arrested<\/a><\/p>\n<p>June 12, 2025 &#8211; East Los Angeles &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/lataco.com\/taquero-ice-abducted\">Two taqueros and four customers detained at Jason&#8217;s Tacos<\/a><\/p>\n<p>June 15, 2025 &#8211; Boston, Massachusetts &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/boston.eater.com\/restaurant-news\/121851\/acclaimed-west-african-restaurant-considers-closing-after-manager-detained-by-ice\">Manager of award-winning West African restaurant detained<\/a><\/p>\n<p>June 16, 2025 &#8211; Long Island, New York &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/newyork\/news\/ice-detains-long-island-bagel-shop-manager\/\">Bagel shop manager detained<\/a><\/p>\n<p>June 17, 2025 &#8211; Pico Rivera, California &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/abc7.com\/post\/ice-agents-conduct-immigration-raids-several-sites-pico-rivera\/16777537\/\">ICE agents conduct raids at several sites, including a grocery store<\/a><\/p>\n<p>June 23, 2025 &#8211; Ladera Heights, California &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/ktla.com\/news\/local-news\/street-food-vendor-clings-to-tree-as-immigration-agents-detain-her-in-ladera-heights\/\">Street food vendor taken into custody<\/a><\/p>\n<p>June 25, 2025 &#8211; Marshall Township, Pennsylvania &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/pittsburgh\/news\/ice-immigration-raid-tepache-mexican-kitchen-and-bar\/\">14 people arrested in raid of Mexican restaurant<\/a><\/p>\n<p>June 26, 2025 &#8211; Bangor, Maine &#8211; <a class=\"c-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bangordailynews.com\/2025\/06\/26\/bangor\/bangor-police-courts\/3-arrested-immigration-raid-bangor-restaurant\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"https:\/\/www.bangordailynews.com\/2025\/06\/26\/bangor\/bangor-police-courts\/3-arrested-immigration-raid-bangor-restaurant\/\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">Three people arrested in raid of Japanese restaurant<\/a><\/p>\n<p>July 2, 2025 &#8211; San Antonio, Texas &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.expressnews.com\/news\/article\/sapd-hsi-immigration-raid-20421165.php\">Seven people arrested in raid at seafood retailer<\/a><\/p>\n<p>July 6, 2025 &#8211; Los Angeles, California &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/boyleheightsbeat.com\/whittier-boulevard-immigration-raids\/\">At least two people detained in street vendor raids<\/a><\/p>\n<p>July 8, 2025 &#8211; Edison, New Jersey &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/newyork\/news\/ice-raid-edison-new-jersey-alba-wine-and-spirits\/\">20 workers arrested in raid on a wine and spirits warehouse<\/a><\/p>\n<p>July 10, 2025 &#8211; Carpinteria and Camarillo, California &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#federal-agents-detain-farmworkers-in-large-scale-raids-at-two-southern-california-farms\">More than 360 workers detained in raids of two cannabis farm locations<\/a><\/p>\n<p>July 10, 2025 &#8211; Mission, Texas &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/foxrgv.tv\/ice-raid-shocks-mission-18-arrested-at-beloved-taco-ole-restaurant\/\">18 workers arrested at popular taco restaurant<\/a><\/p>\n<p>July 16, 2025 &#8211; West Norriton, Pennsylvania &#8211;\u00a0<a class=\"c-link\" href=\"https:\/\/6abc.com\/post\/14-arrested-during-ice-raid-west-norriton-montgomery-county\/17153388\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"https:\/\/6abc.com\/post\/14-arrested-during-ice-raid-west-norriton-montgomery-county\/17153388\/\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">ICE arrests 14 workers at West Norriton grocery store<\/a><\/p>\n<p>June 21, 2025 &#8211; Ontario, California &#8211;\u00a0<a class=\"c-link\" href=\"https:\/\/abc7.com\/post\/us-citizen-detained-federal-agents-show-ontario-stater-bros-store\/17238509\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"https:\/\/abc7.com\/post\/us-citizen-detained-federal-agents-show-ontario-stater-bros-store\/17238509\/\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">U.S. citizen detained by ICE at a Stater Bros. Markets store<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Want to send us a tip about immigration enforcement in your community? Email <a href=\"mailto:tracker@civileats.com\">tracker@civileats.com<\/a> or securely contact Lisa Held on Signal at @lisaelaineh.47. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#ice-raids-target-workers-on-farms-and-in-food-production-a-running-list\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"65155\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >USDA and Democrats Spar Over Disaster Aid Distribution to&nbsp;Farmers<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>June 10, 2025<\/b> \u2013 Since January, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fsa.usda.gov\/resources\/programs\/20232024-supplemental-disaster-assistance\">has been rolling out<\/a> funding Congress <a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/118th-congress\/house-bill\/10545\/text\">allocated last December<\/a> to assist farmers and ranchers who\u2019ve lost crops and animals during recent droughts, wildfires, hurricanes, and other natural disasters.<\/p>\n<p>In March, the agency <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/18\/usda-prioritizes-economic-relief-for-commodity-farmers\/\">introduced<\/a> the first $10 billion program for commodity growers of corn, soybeans, and other crops and has already distributed close to $8 billion to those farmers. A $1 billion bucket of funding for livestock producers followed in May.<\/p>\n<p>A group of Congressional Democrats is now focused on the USDA&#8217;s handling of a $220 million fund intended for small and mid-sized diversified farms in states with smaller agricultural footprints. These lawmakers say the way the USDA is structuring the Farm Recovery and Support Block Grant program violates Congressional intent.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis block grant was created specifically to bridge the gap between traditional disaster relief programs and uncovered losses experienced by small farmers who cannot access traditional crop insurance,\u201d the 28 members of Congress wrote <a href=\"https:\/\/hayes.house.gov\/2025\/6\/hayes-joins-bipartisan-effort-opposing-illegal-restriction-of-farm-recovery-black-grant-by-usda\">in a statement<\/a> released this week. \u201cUSDA is demanding states either accept traditional disaster relief, which has failed most of our small farmers for years, or gamble on an unknown amount of repayment with little to no guidance from USDA. Once again, this choice would leave so many small farms to fend for themselves after a disaster.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The lawmakers argue that the way the agency set up the program will hurt farmers in their states because the agency told the states that if they choose to cover farmers\u2019 crop losses with the Block Grant money, farmers in those states will then not be eligible to apply for the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP), a different program with significantly more funding. Billy Hackett, a policy specialist at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, said the text of the legislation clearly presents the Block Grant program as separate funding that is in addition to the SDRP, so making states choose one or the other does not seem to be in line with the law.<\/p>\n<p>Lawmakers and state representatives also said some states were presented with the options and given only about a week to decide. \u201cInstead of following the law, [Agriculture] Secretary [Brooke] Rollins is forcing states to make a rushed decision, without all the necessary information or parameters, that pits one essential relief program against another with no regard for how it impacts our farmers,\u201d Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-Connecticut), who spearheaded getting the Block Grant funding into the legislation, <a href=\"https:\/\/delauro.house.gov\/media-center\/press-releases\/delauro-statement-usda-secretary-rollins-illegal-restriction-farm\">said in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Having to decide quickly is particularly challenging, because the details of how the SDRP will be implemented are not yet available, Hackett said. \u201cUSDA has given no guidance about what that option will look like.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the past, however, Hackett said the USDA has given out money through SDRP primarily by automatically enrolling farmers who already receive commodity or crop insurance payments. By design, that means larger, commodity farms have gotten the bulk of the money. Under President Joe Biden, the USDA added an option that calculated losses based solely on farm revenue records, which helped give small, diversified farms access to the money, he said, but the approach has gotten a lot of pushback, primarily from Republicans. So, it\u2019s unclear which path the current USDA will take.<\/p>\n<p>In response to questions from Civil Eats, a USDA spokesperson noted that they had extended the Block Grant deadline for one state, Connecticut, that objected to the tight turnaround. The spokesperson then referred Civil Eats to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/news\/press-releases\/2025\/06\/04\/usda-statement-releasing-much-needed-disaster-aid-farmers\">an agency statement<\/a> stating that Rollins has been working to deliver disaster aid to farmers \u201cquickly and responsibly\u201d and that the agency is offering flexible options and \u201cclear guidance to avoid duplicating existing federal programs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCongressional Democrats are playing politics with disaster aid, withholding critical funding from farmers to manufacture controversy and blame the Trump Administration\u2014when in reality, they\u2019re pushing to misuse taxpayer dollars,\u201d USDA director of communications Seth W. Christensen said in the statement. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#usda-and-democrats-spar-over-disaster-aid-distribution-to-farmers\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"65116\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/animal-agriculture\/' title='Animal agriculture' class='pt-cv-tax-animal-agriculture'>Animal agriculture<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Agriculture Appropriations Bill Could Gut Landmark Farmer Protections<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>June 9, 2025 <\/b>\u2013 Last week, House Republicans tucked a provision into a <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.house.gov\/meetings\/AP\/AP01\/20250605\/118353\/BILLS-119-SC-AP-FY2026-Agriculture-FY26AgricultureSubcommittee.pdf\">draft agriculture funding bill<\/a> that would take away the ability of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to implement and enforce <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/05\/19\/livestock-producers-seek-to-defend-packers-and-stockyards-rules-from-industry-attack\/\">a package of rules<\/a> the last administration completed to protect farmers from meatpacker abuse.<\/p>\n<p>Under <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/15\/how-four-years-of-biden-reshaped-food-and-farming\/\">President Joe Biden<\/a>, the USDA finalized three rules and proposed a fourth related to the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/news\/press-releases\/2021\/06\/11\/usda-begin-work-strengthen-enforcement-packers-and-stockyards-act\"> Packers and Stockyards Act<\/a>, a law that has been on the books for more than a century but has lacked teeth. Farmers and ranchers have fought for decades to strengthen the protections, especially as meatpacking companies <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2021\/07\/14\/just-a-few-companies-control-the-meat-industry-can-a-new-approach-to-monopolies-level-the-playing-field\/\">have become bigger<\/a> and more powerful, wielding more influence over the producers who raise the animals and who take on significant costs to do so.<\/p>\n<p>The new rules were a landmark step forward in ensuring fairness in contracts and protecting farmers and ranchers from exploitation by meat companies; their trade groups <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/05\/19\/livestock-producers-seek-to-defend-packers-and-stockyards-rules-from-industry-attack\/\">are already suing<\/a> to overturn one of the rules. This new bill represents another threat.<\/p>\n<p>Appropriations is solely about allocating funding, so the lawmakers inserted language that prohibits any funds from being used to write, publish, finalize, implement, or enforce the four rules, essentially killing them. The only thing the bill would allow funds to be used for is to \u201cwithdraw or rescind\u201d the rules.<\/p>\n<p>Members of the full Appropriations Committee are expected to vote on the bill this week. If it passes, it would then have to be approved by the full House of Representatives and move to the Senate. The bill also includes a variety of significant spending cuts to align with the Trump administration\u2019s budget requests, and its chances for success within a closely divided Congress are far from certain. (This appropriations process is completely separate from the ongoing negotiations over the Republicans\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/119th-congress\/house-bill\/1\/text\">One Big Beautiful Bill Act<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p>In the meantime, farm groups are mobilizing to oppose the provisions. This afternoon, the influential National Farmers Union (NFU) sent out <a href=\"https:\/\/actionnetwork.org\/letters\/tell-congress-vote-no-on-harmful-house-agriculture-appropriations-bill\">an action alert<\/a> urging members to \u201cact now to defeat a bill that threatens family farmers and ranchers everywhere,\u201d by contacting their representatives in Congress. \u201cThese rules protect family farmers and ranchers from anticompetitive and abusive practices in the highly consolidated meat and poultry industries,\u201d the NFU wrote.<\/p>\n<p>In a <a href=\"https:\/\/appropriations.house.gov\/sites\/evo-subsites\/republicans-appropriations.house.gov\/files\/evo-media-document\/fy26-ag-bill-summary-final.pdf\">bill summary<\/a> released by committee, Republicans characterized the changes as \u201creining in harmful regulations proposed during the Biden administration that dictate how poultry and livestock producers raise and market their animals.\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#agriculture-appropriations-bill-could-gut-landmark-farmer-protections\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"64991\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/nutrition\/' title='Nutrition' class='pt-cv-tax-nutrition'>Nutrition<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Democrats Decry Proposed SNAP Cuts In Capitol Hill&nbsp;Hearing<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>June 4, 2025<\/b> \u2013 At a Capitol Hill forum today hosted by Senator Ben Ray Luj\u00e1n (D-New Mexico) and Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota), Senate Democrats and their invited witnesses painted a picture of the devastating impacts on American families should Republicans succeed at including <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#house-budget-plan-would-cut-snap-spending-increase-funding-for-commodity-agriculture\">$300 billion in cuts<\/a> to food aid currently proposed in the budget reconciliation bill, which Republicans have titled \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/congressional-budget-office-cbo-estimate-trump-big-beautiful-bill-deficit-health-insurance\/\">One Big Beautiful Bill<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While the forum was not an official hearing because of its partisan nature, more than a dozen lawmakers showed up to participate, including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York), who said the caucus would use \u201cevery tool in our toolbox\u201d to fight the cuts.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt doesn&#8217;t matter what party someone may be affiliated with. All of our constituents are going to be hurt,\u201d Luj\u00e1n said at the start. \u201cWe&#8217;re going to hear why every community across the country is going to feel this, and especially rural parts of America. What I hope this forum will illustrate is that this significant cut . . . is not just an abstract number printed on a piece of paper in Washington, D.C.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Republican lawmakers have said the changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) proposed in the bill are not cuts because they don\u2019t directly reduce benefit amounts. Instead, they claim they\u2019re saving money by shifting costs to states and tightening various requirements within the program. Klobuchar called that messaging a \u201csleight of hand,\u201d calling attention to the fact that shifting costs to states would likely force many of those states to cut benefits due to budget constraints.<\/p>\n<p>Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, a Northwestern University economist who studies federal nutrition programs, testified that shifting costs to states could also make future recessions much worse for SNAP participants, farmers, grocers, and the broader American public.<\/p>\n<p>She said SNAP \u201cserves as an automatic stabilizer in difficult economic times,\u201d explaining that as more people need benefits, that money circulates back into the economy almost immediately. \u201cBy design, SNAP can very quickly adapt when we have an economic downturn.\u201d States, however, generally face budget crises during recessions, she said, and wouldn\u2019t be able to deal with ups and downs in the same way.<\/p>\n<p>Senators also attacked Republicans&#8217; plans to expand work requirements, which they argued would cause hard-working people to lose benefits due to red tape. For example, witness Jade Johnson, a SNAP participant, said that she works two jobs while studying to become a dialysis technician and taking care of her daughter as a single mom. One of her jobs, as a home health aid, can involve unpredictable hours. So if she lost hours one month, that might cause her to lose benefits even though she may get more hours the next, she said.<\/p>\n<p><div class=\"post-image-caption align-left\"><a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/250406-snap-cuts-senate-democrat-hearing-budget-nutrition-big-beautiful-bill-act-2-katy-anderson.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/250406-snap-cuts-senate-democrat-hearing-budget-nutrition-big-beautiful-bill-act-2-katy-anderson.jpg\" alt=\"Katy Anderson, a vice president at Roadrunner Food Bank in New Mexico, testifies in front of the Senate about proposed cuts to SNAP.\"\/><\/a><div class=\"post-caption\"><p>Katy Anderson, a vice president at Roadrunner Food Bank of New Mexico, testifies in front of the Senate about proposed cuts to SNAP. (Photo courtesy of the office of Senator Luj\u00e1n)<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/p>\n<p>Witness Barbara Guinn, the New York Commissioner of the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, said certain groups, including refugees, will lose access to benefits because of new immigration restrictions. Katy Anderson, a vice president at the Roadrunner Food Bank of New Mexico, said lines are getting longer at her food bank and others across the country and that the charitable food aid system cannot meet current needs\u2014and that such large cuts to SNAP would leave many more people without food.<\/p>\n<p>Several lawmakers said that the bill represents Republicans paying for tax breaks for billionaires by eliminating food assistance that would go to children, elderly people, and veterans. \u201cThat is the height of cruelty,\u201d said Senator Cory Booker (D-New Jersey). \u201cIt is a violation of our values. It is a moral obscenity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The bill is currently being negotiated in the Senate, where it\u2019s likely significant changes will be made.It will then have to go back to the House for another vote before President Trump can sign it into law. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#democrats-decry-proposed-snap-cuts-in-capitol-hill-hearing\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"64960\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/epa\/' title='EPA' class='pt-cv-tax-epa'>EPA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >USDA Drops Rules Requiring Farmers to Record Their Use of the Most Toxic Pesticides<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>June 3, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> Many farmers will no longer have to keep any records of when, where, or how they\u2019re using pesticides known to pose the highest risks to human health and the environment after a recent change made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).<\/p>\n<p>On May 12, the agency <a href=\"https:\/\/www.federalregister.gov\/documents\/2025\/05\/12\/2025-08220\/rescission-of-recordkeeping-on-restricted-use-pesticides-by-certified-applications\">rescinded regulations<\/a> on the books since the 1990s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ecfr.gov\/current\/title-7\/subtitle-B\/chapter-I\/subchapter-E\/part-110\">that required farmers<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ams.usda.gov\/rules-regulations\/pesticide-records\/understanding\">record basic details<\/a> about their use of pesticides classified as \u201crestricted use.\u201d Farmers were required to record the chemical\u2019s name, date of use, volume, location, and type of crop treated, and to keep the records for two years.<\/p>\n<p>The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies pesticides as \u201crestricted use\u201d (RUPs) when they are known to cause serious health and environmental harms when used without following specific precautions outlined on the label. The EPA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/system\/files\/documents\/2025-03\/rups-rpt.pdf\">current list<\/a> of RUPs is 45 pages long and includes products containing chemicals such as <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/03\/22\/paraquat-the-deadliest-chemical-in-us-agriculture-goes-on-trial\/\">paraquat,<\/a> atrazine, and <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2021\/09\/02\/op-ed-the-ban-on-chlorpyrifos-and-the-power-of-community-organizing\/\">chlorpyrifos<\/a>, which are linked to health harms like <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/12\/is-there-enough-evidence-of-health-risks-for-the-epa-to-ban-paraquat\/\">Parkinson\u2019s disease<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2019\/11\/20\/epa-weakens-safeguards-for-weed-killer-atrazine-linked-to-birth-defects\/\">birth defects<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Although the USDA required farmers to record the data, neither the USDA nor the EPA collected it from farmers, and anti-pesticide groups and researchers have long pressed for better records that could be used to assess health and environmental impacts from the chemicals. The records were low-hanging fruit; although the agency wasn\u2019t collecting the data, it was theoretically available. Now, that may no longer be true.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt matters in that this was one of the legs to better understanding potential adverse impacts of pesticides,\u201d said Jay Feldman, the executive director of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondpesticides.org\/\">Beyond Pesticides<\/a>, a nonprofit that advocates against the use of harmful pesticides. In his mind, while the regulations were incredibly weak to begin with, eliminating them entirely is a step in the wrong direction. Instead, he said, \u201cI would like to see it improved and better implemented.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the notice that it was eliminating the regulations, USDA officials wrote that \u201cupon reviewing these regulations, USDA has determined that they should be rescinded due to their obsolescence.\u201d The agency hadn\u2019t been collecting the records since 2012 due to funding constraints, they wrote. They added that 23 states have their own recordkeeping regulations, and some pesticide applicators keep records to comply with a different rule, the EPA\u2019s Worker Protection Standard (WPS). However, that leaves 27 states without state-level regulations, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.federalregister.gov\/documents\/2025\/05\/12\/2025-08220\/rescission-of-recordkeeping-on-restricted-use-pesticides-by-certified-applications\">WPS requirements are different<\/a> and don\u2019t apply to all farms.<\/p>\n<p>In rescinding the regulations, the USDA did not follow the typical rulemaking process of proposing a change, taking public comment, and then finalizing it.<\/p>\n<p>In the notice, the agency officials said the regulations are \u201cnot a priority\u201d and that \u201cto the extent there is any uncertainty about the costs and benefits [of the regulations], it is the policy of USDA to err on the side of deregulation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat says it all,\u201d Feldman said. \u201cFederal agencies should be erring on the side of protecting public health and the environment, not erring to protect a political motive to deregulate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Coming on the heels of the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/05\/22\/maha-report-focuses-on-ultra-processed-foods-goes-light-on-pesticide-risks\/\">Make America Healthy Again report<\/a>, which calls some attention to how exposure to chemicals may be harming children, he said it\u2019s yet another example of how the Trump administration\u2019s actions fly in the face of its messaging. \u201cMAHA comes along and is pointing to all of those problems,\u201d he said. <b>\u201c<\/b>One could argue quite easily that deregulation will make all of that worse.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>After initially granting an interview request to Civil Eats, the USDA\u2019s press office rescinded the offer and was unable to send emailed answers to the questions provided by press time. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#usda-drops-rules-requiring-farmers-to-record-their-use-of-the-most-toxic-pesticides\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"64922\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/epa\/' title='EPA' class='pt-cv-tax-epa'>EPA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hhs\/' title='HHS' class='pt-cv-tax-hhs'>HHS<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/nutrition\/' title='Nutrition' class='pt-cv-tax-nutrition'>Nutrition<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/the-white-house\/' title='The White House' class='pt-cv-tax-the-white-house'>The White House<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Food and Ag Agencies Plan to Cut Billions from Research, Conservation, and&nbsp;More<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>June 2, 2025<\/b> \u2013 Over the weekend, the three agencies that have the most impact on the American food system released more details on how they would cut spending to align with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Fiscal-Year-2026-Discretionary-Budget-Request.pdf\">the broader budget\u00a0President Trump<\/a> outlined for fiscal year 2026.<\/p>\n<p>The details were outlined in budget proposals released by each agency. They are not final: Congress still has to appropriate the funds. Also, these budgets are separate from the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/05\/13\/house-budget-plan-would-cut-snap-spending-increase-funding-for-commodity-agriculture\/\">budget reconciliation bill<\/a> currently being considered by the Senate; however, the documents further reveal the scale of the Trump administration\u2019s plans to cut back on farm-conservation work, food and farm research, and enforcement of environmental laws.<\/p>\n<p>The Environmental Protection Agency\u2019s (EPA) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/system\/files\/documents\/2025-05\/fy-2026-epa-bib.pdf\">budget<\/a> would cut spending by more than half, from $9.1 billion to $4.2 billion. (Over the past decade, the lowest it ever reached was $8.1 billion.) Spending cuts that could impact the food system include nearly $2 billion from a pair of programs that send <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2019\/10\/16\/how-states-are-helping-farmers-adopt-sustainable-practices\/\">money to states<\/a> to help communities clean up contaminated drinking water and prevent runoff into local waterways; some of that pollution comes from agriculture and food processing. In the document, the EPA says it is \u201cencouraging states to take responsibility of funding their own water infrastructure projects.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The agency also proposes completely eliminating $1.4 billion in grant programs that fund projects on topics including pesticides and pollution prevention, and it cuts $61 million from money used to enforce environmental laws. In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.environmentalprotectionnetwork.org\/20250602_fy26-epa-budget_advisory\/\">a press release<\/a>, the Environmental Protection Network, an advocacy organization, said that the 49 percent cut to enforcement would undermine \u201cthe agency\u2019s ability to uphold the nation\u2019s environmental laws and protect public health.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At the Department of Health and Human Services, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/fy-2026-budget-in-brief.pdf\">proposed<\/a>\u00a0cutting $17 billion in research funding at the National Institutes of Health, $400 million from the Food and Drug Administration, and $550 million from the Centers for Disease Control. In addition to eliminating thousands of jobs, the budget proposal says the agency is \u201cterminating, de-scoping or non-renewing over 5,000 contracts, resulting in significant savings.\u201d It proposes allocating $500 million to a new \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/05\/22\/maha-report-focuses-on-ultra-processed-foods-goes-light-on-pesticide-risks\/\">MAHA<\/a> Initiative,\u201d which will now also house programs dedicated to Alzheimer&#8217;s disease and childhood lead poisoning prevention that were formerly run by the CDC.<\/p>\n<p>Given the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s (USDA) broad reach, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/2026-usda-budget-summary.pdf\">its proposed cuts<\/a> would likely have the biggest immediate impact on farmers and eaters. The agency is proposing a $6.7 billion cut in discretionary spending across the board, including a whopping $784 million from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), where funds would drop from $896 million to $112 million. The savings mainly come from eliminating discretionary funds for conservation technical assistance, a term for USDA employees who help farmers do things like plant cover crops and install fencing. In the document, the agency says the NRCS will fund technical assistance through other sources and operate \u201cwith efficiencies that reflect greater reliance on state and local conservation districts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The USDA\u2019s budget also zeros out future funding for the popular <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/05\/21\/usda-canceling-grants-that-feed-children-around-the-world\/\">McGovern-Dole<\/a> international food aid program which buys food from American farms for school meals in low-income countries. It cuts $600 million in research funding for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and proposes rolling back <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/06\/wics-recent-gains-likely-to-face-challenges-in-next-administration\/\">a pandemic-era change<\/a> to the Supplemental Assistance Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) that allowed families to buy more fruits and vegetables.<\/p>\n<p>In an emailed statement, National WIC Association president Georgia Machell said the change would lead to a drop in average monthly benefits from $54 to $13 for breastfeeding mothers and $27 to $10 for young children. \u201cReducing the [benefit] significantly hinders access to fruits and vegetables for low-income mothers and young children at nutritional risk, the very populations this program was designed to protect,\u201d she said. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#food-and-ag-agencies-plan-to-cut-billions-from-research-conservation-and-more\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"64832\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/animal-agriculture\/' title='Animal agriculture' class='pt-cv-tax-animal-agriculture'>Animal agriculture<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hhs\/' title='HHS' class='pt-cv-tax-hhs'>HHS<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >HHS Cancels Funding for Trial of Bird Flu&nbsp;Vaccine<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>May 29, 2025<\/b> \u2013\u00a0The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/health\/2025\/05\/28\/hhs-moderna-bird-flu-vaccine-funding\/\">has terminated funding<\/a> for a major trial testing the safety and efficacy of a vaccine to protect Americans from bird flu, should the virus begin circulating in humans.<\/p>\n<p>Moderna <a href=\"https:\/\/investors.modernatx.com\/news\/news-details\/2025\/Moderna-Announces-Update-on-Investigational-Pandemic-Influenza-Program-\/default.aspx\">announced yesterday<\/a> that it had achieved promising results in the first stage of its trials and was expecting to advance to \u201clate-stage development\u201d of the vaccines, when the HHS notified the drug company that the funding had been canceled.<\/p>\n<p>The current outbreak of avian influenza began in <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2022\/02\/16\/the-field-report-a-deadly-bird-flu-resurfaces\/\">early 2022<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aphis.usda.gov\/livestock-poultry-disease\/avian\/avian-influenza\/hpai-detections\/commercial-backyard-flocks\">has since affected<\/a> more than 1,700 flocks\u2014or a total of 173 million chickens and turkeys\u2014in all 50 states. It began circulating in dairy cattle <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/bird-flu\/situation-summary\/mammals.html\">in 2024<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aphis.usda.gov\/livestock-poultry-disease\/avian\/avian-influenza\/hpai-detections\/hpai-confirmed-cases-livestock\">has infected<\/a> more than 1,000 herds in 17 states. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/bird-flu\/situation-summary\/index.html#human-cases\">Seventy human cases<\/a> have occurred so far, most of them in farmworkers in contact with livestock. Most of those have involved mild symptoms, with one death in an individual who had underlying health issues.<\/p>\n<p>\nRecently, there have been some signs that the outbreak is abating. In California, where the largest number of human cases were reported, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfchronicle.com\/health\/article\/avian-bird-flu-california-20325942.php\">health officials announced<\/a> they believe the worst is over. Most important, to date there is no evidence of the virus passing between humans, which would need to happen to spark a pandemic. However, experts say the virus is constantly mutating and it could happen at any time, <a href=\"https:\/\/hms.harvard.edu\/news\/are-we-cusp-major-bird-flu-outbreak\">with opinions varying<\/a> on how likely that is.<\/p>\n<p>The government already has three licensed, stockpiled vaccines for bird flu, but they don\u2019t match current strains of the virus. That\u2019s why the HHS, under President Biden, <a href=\"https:\/\/us.pagefreezer.com\/en-US\/wa\/browse\/0a7f82bb-be6e-448a-ae11-373d22c37842?find-by-timestamp=2025-01-21T07:38:59Z&amp;url=https:%2F%2Fwww.hhs.gov%2Fabout%2Fnews%2F2025%2F01%2F17%2Fhhs-provides-590-million-accelerate-pandemic-influenza-mrna-based-vaccine-development-enhance-platform-capability-other-emerging-infectious-disease.html&amp;timestamp=2025-01-21T07:02:34Z\">awarded Moderna<\/a> more than $600 million to specifically \u201caccelerate development of an H5N1 mRNA influenza vaccine that is well matched to strains currently circulating in cows and birds.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But current Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is skeptical of mRNA technology, used to develop most COVID-19 vaccines. In an email to Civil Eats, HHS Communications Director Andrew Nixon said the agency\u2019s decision reflects broader concerns about the use of mRNA platforms and referred to \u201cmounting evidence\u201d of side effects associated with COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/fda-covid-vaccine-mrna-heart-side-effects-warning-label\/\">heart issues in young men<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfter a rigorous review, we concluded that continued investment in Moderna\u2019s H5N1 mRNA vaccine was not scientifically or ethically justifiable,\u201d he said in an emailed statement. \u201cThis is not simply about efficacy\u2014it\u2019s about safety, integrity, and trust. The reality is that mRNA technology remains under-tested, and we are not going to spend taxpayer dollars repeating the mistakes of the last administration, which concealed legitimate safety concerns from the public.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While the COVID-19 vaccines were rolled out quickly, researchers <a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/Health\/safety-efficacy-mrna-vaccines-amid-recent-scrutiny\/story?id=122068940\">had been developing<\/a> mRNA technology for vaccines for about 20 years prior. The vaccines are associated with a significant increase in risk of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle), especially in young men, but it\u2019s such a rare condition that the actual occurrence is still <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmj.com\/content\/384\/bmj.q488\">extremely rare<\/a>. Research also shows COVID-19 itself is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bhf.org.uk\/informationsupport\/heart-matters-magazine\/news\/coronavirus-and-your-health\/myocarditis-and-covid-19-vaccines-should-you-be-worried\">more likely to cause<\/a> the same condition.<\/p>\n<p>In the meantime, Moderna said it \u201cwill explore alternatives for late-stage development and manufacturing\u201d of the vaccines.<\/p>\n<p>At the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in February, Secretary Brooke Rollins released <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/26\/usda-announces-a-plan-to-combat-bird-flu\/\">a five-point strategy<\/a> to address bird flu on farms, much of which was focused on bringing down egg prices and compensating farmers for dead birds. In March, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/news\/press-releases\/2025\/03\/20\/usda-update-progress-five-pronged-strategy-combat-avian-flu-and-lower-egg-prices\">she said<\/a> more than 130 facilities had completed \u201cbiosecurity assessments\u201d through the USDA and that funding was being made available to develop a chicken vaccine. However, in other statements, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/politics\/2025\/03\/06\/exclusive-usda-secretary-gives-update-on-egg-prices-all-in-on-chicken-repopulation-and-biosecurity-but-vaccines-for-chickens-off-the-table\/\">she walked back language<\/a> on vaccinating livestock, which is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/healthcare-pharmaceuticals\/animal-health-body-says-vaccines-needed-protect-humans-trade-2025-05-23\/\">controversial trade practice<\/a>. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#hhs-cancels-funding-for-trial-of-bird-flu-vaccine\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"64818\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/epa\/' title='EPA' class='pt-cv-tax-epa'>EPA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/seafood\/' title='Seafood' class='pt-cv-tax-seafood'>Seafood<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >EPA Approves First Fish Farm in Federal&nbsp;Waters<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>May 28, 2025<\/b> \u2013 Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/npdes-permits\/ocean-era-inc-velella-epsilon-aquatic-animal-production-facility-national-pollutant\">issued a permit<\/a> that will allow the first industrial-scale fish farm to begin operating in federal waters.<\/p>\n<p>The pilot project, called Velella Epsilon, has been stalled for about six years; its approval follows <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/18\/trump-orders-deregulation-of-the-us-fishing-industry\/\">an executive order<\/a> signed by President Trump in April ordering the deregulation of aquaculture and the opening of some protected waters to commercial fishing.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s particularly significant because Velella Epsilon, which is expected to produce 20,000 red drum annually about 40 miles off the coast of Sarasota, Florida, has been at the center of a <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2020\/11\/09\/the-continued-fight-over-farming-the-oceans\/\">larger debate over farming the oceans<\/a> for years.<\/p>\n<p>On one side, <a href=\"https:\/\/dontcageouroceans.org\/who-we-are\/#coalition\">environmental groups and coastal fishermen<\/a>\u00a0see any large-scale ocean farming of finfish as too risky, given <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/thesalt\/2017\/08\/24\/545619525\/environmental-nightmare-after-thousands-of-atlantic-salmon-escape-fish-farm\">past ecological disasters<\/a> and the potential impacts on wild fisheries. On the other side, experts and advocates say we should find ways to farm more fish for climate benefits, to combat overfishing of wild species, and to reduce dependence on seafood imports.<\/p>\n<p>Supporters of Velella Epsilon say it represents a new kind of open-ocean system that is designed specifically to eliminate the negative impacts of the offshore aquaculture operations of the past. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.strongerthroughseafood.org\/\">This group<\/a> has the support of powerful seafood corporations, grocers, restaurant chains, and their lobbyists.<\/p>\n<p>Now, the approval is happening in the context of larger changes to how the federal government regulates the oceans as a source of food. In addition to Trump\u2019s executive order, <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/05\/15\/what-the-downsizing-of-noaa-means-for-u-s-fisheries\/\">deep cuts<\/a> at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are likely to impact the agency\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/08\/15\/noaa-is-rolling-out-a-plan-to-radically-expand-offshore-aquaculture-not-everyone-is-onboard\/\">ongoing efforts to expand and regulate<\/a> offshore aquaculture.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this year, the EPA also announced it would take <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/05\/epa-says-it-will-protect-gulf-fishery-with-nonregulatory-actions\/\">a \u201cnonregulatory\u201d approach<\/a> to managing water and habitat quality and the wild snapper, shrimp, and other fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico, which Trump recently renamed the Gulf of America. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#epa-approves-first-fish-farm-in-federal-waters\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"64784\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/doge\/' title='DOGE' class='pt-cv-tax-doge'>DOGE<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/fda\/' title='FDA' class='pt-cv-tax-fda'>FDA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/food-safety\/' title='Food safety' class='pt-cv-tax-food-safety'>Food safety<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >FDA Expanding Use of AI in Food Safety Inspection<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b><i>June 2, 2025 Update: <\/i><\/b><i>Today, the FDA <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/news-events\/press-announcements\/fda-launches-agency-wide-ai-tool-optimize-performance-american-people?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery\"><i>announced the rollout<\/i><\/a><i> of Elsa, its own generative AI tool. According to the news release, the agency \u201cis already using Elsa to accelerate clinical protocol reviews, shorten the time needed for scientific evaluations, and identify high-priority inspection targets.\u201d <\/i><\/p>\n<p><b>May 27, 2025 <\/b>\u2013 During <a href=\"https:\/\/www.appropriations.senate.gov\/hearings\/a-review-of-the-presidents-fiscal-year-2026-budget-request-for-the-food-and-drug-administration\">an appearance<\/a> in front of a Senate committee last week, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Marty Makary said the agency is now using artificial intelligence (AI) to help oversee the safety of the nation\u2019s food supply.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re using AI to identify where we should be concentrating our food inspections,\u201d he said, \u201cand it turns out the AI can sometimes figure out pattern recognition faster than we can as human beings.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The agency has been working <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/food\/hfp-constituent-updates\/fda-moves-third-phase-artificial-intelligence-imported-seafood-pilot-program\">on a pilot program<\/a> focused on imported seafood for several years, but a bigger shift is now taking place, with an \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/news-events\/press-announcements\/fda-announces-completion-first-ai-assisted-scientific-review-pilot-and-aggressive-agency-wide-ai\">aggressive agency-wide AI-rollout<\/a>&#8221; announced earlier this month that will impact various departments, including scientific reviews of new drugs.<\/p>\n<p>According to an FDA spokesperson, \u201call FDA centers will be operating on a secure, unified generative AI platform integrated with the agency\u2019s internal data systems\u201d by June 30.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s just one example of the Trump administration\u2019s larger embrace of AI that has implications for the country\u2019s food system. Trump signed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/01\/removing-barriers-to-american-leadership-in-artificial-intelligence\/\">an executive order<\/a> to boost AI in January, and Elon Musk\u2019s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/sustainability\/boards-policy-regulation\/musks-doge-expanding-his-grok-ai-us-government-raising-conflict-concerns-2025-05-23\/\">has been using his AI program<\/a>, Grok, to analyze federal data. Last week\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/05\/22\/maha-report-focuses-on-ultra-processed-foods-goes-light-on-pesticide-risks\/\">Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission report<\/a> included a recommendation to use AI to analyze nutrition data \u201cfor early detection of harmful exposures and childhood chronic disease trends.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But the news that the FDA will expand its use of AI within its food-safety procedures comes at a moment of heightened concerns about the agency\u2019s oversight of the food supply. In February, the FDA <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/health\/2025\/05\/26\/food-safety-fda-ecoli-contamination\/\">failed to share the findings<\/a> of its investigation into an E.coli outbreak that sickened nearly 90 people last fall with the public, according to <i>the Washington Post. <\/i><\/p>\n<p>Makary has maintained that no \u201cscientists\u201d have been cut <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/27\/rfk-jr-cuts-3400-additional-fda-jobs-in-sweeping-restructuring-of-hhs\/\">amid the agency\u2019s downsizing<\/a>, and criticized the <i>Post<\/i> for using a \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/DrMakaryFDA\/status\/1927014604825153735\">misleading headline<\/a>,\u201d but other reporting has found individuals working on food safety <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/04\/25\/health\/fda-food-safety-trump-layoffs.html\">have been fired (and sometimes reinstated)<\/a>. Makary also told the Senate last week that the FDA reduced its communications staff from 380 to 160 positions. \u201cThat covers a lot of the communication work,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>At the USDA, which oversees meat and poultry processing, the agency <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/25\/usda-scraps-rules-that-would-have-stopped-sale-of-salmonella-tainted-chicken\/\">threw out a new rule<\/a>\u00a0experts said would have changed the game for reducing salmonella in chicken and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meatpoultry.com\/articles\/31581-trump-administration-eliminating-two-food-safety-committees\">eliminated two food-safety advisory committees<\/a>. However, just today, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/news\/press-releases\/2025\/05\/27\/secretary-rollins-increases-funding-reimburse-states-food-safety-inspections\">announced a $14.5 million increase<\/a> in funding for states\u2019 oversight of meat and poultry inspections.<\/p>\n<p>Jaydee Hanson, policy director at the food safety watchdog organization <a href=\"https:\/\/www.centerforfoodsafety.org\/\">the Center for Food Safety<\/a>, told Civil Eats he\u2019s not surprised the FDA wants to use AI and that he could see the technology being especially useful for tasks like sequencing pathogens. For example, \u201cfaster sequencing of salmonella to learn which mutations promote more lethal strains would be helpful,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>But while Makary emphasized in his testimony that \u201cwe also have a human being revising the information\u201d and the FDA spokesperson said \u201cCommissioner Makary has emphasized AI is a tool to support\u2014not replace\u2014human expertise,\u201d Hanson and others still expressed concerns about staffing and how AI would fit into an agency undergoing steep cuts.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs long as AI is used as a tool, it has uses,\u201d Hanson said. \u201cIt would be unwise for FDA to try to use it as an excuse to lay off more food inspectors. FDA is woefully understaffed. AI won&#8217;t fix that problem.\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#fda-expanding-use-of-ai-in-food-safety-inspection\">Link to this story<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"64748\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hhs\/' title='HHS' class='pt-cv-tax-hhs'>HHS<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/the-white-house\/' title='The White House' class='pt-cv-tax-the-white-house'>The White House<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >MAHA Report Focuses on Ultra-processed Foods, Goes Light on Pesticide&nbsp;Risks<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>May 30, 2025, update: <\/b><em>A report from the Trump administration\u2019s \u201cMake America Healthy Again\u201d commission is facing additional scrutiny this week, with media outlets reporting major flaws and concerns. The independent newsroom NOTUS reported late Thursday that several citations are\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.notus.org\/health-science\/make-america-healthy-again-report-citation-errors\">inaccurate or fabricated<\/a> and others are \u201crife with errors, from broken links to misstated conclusions.\u201d \u00a0<\/em>The Washington Post<em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/health\/2025\/05\/30\/maha-report-ai-white-house\/\"> reported<\/a> that the commission appears to have used AI that \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/health\/2025\/05\/29\/maha-rfk-jr-ai-garble\/?pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJyZWFzb24iOiJnaWZ0IiwibmJmIjoxNzQ4NDkxMjAwLCJpc3MiOiJzdWJzY3JpcHRpb25zIiwiZXhwIjoxNzQ5ODczNTk5LCJpYXQiOjE3NDg0OTEyMDAsImp0aSI6ImRkYjA5MGM2LTMwOWYtNGM1Yy05ZjFhLTg5NGE5YTExYjI4YSIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9oZWFsdGgvMjAyNS8wNS8yOS9tYWhhLXJmay1qci1haS1nYXJibGUvIn0.lM9qXGU1VCNEkRwoHXwttIMXn_8C1nzS0y01wlsLEeA\">garbled the science<\/a>\u201d and created non-existent citations through computer \u201challucinations.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><b>May 22, 2025<\/b> &#8211; In its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/2025\/05\/22\/us\/maha-master-docdocx.html\">first report<\/a>, released today, the Trump Administration\u2019s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission concludes that \u201cthe greatest step the United States can take to reverse childhood chronic disease is to put whole foods produced by American farmers and ranchers at the center of healthcare.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The report was the first released by the MAHA Commission, which President Trump created through <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/02\/establishing-the-presidents-make-america-healthy-again-commission\/\">an executive order<\/a> in February. The order directed members to study rising rates of childhood chronic disease and advise the president on how to turn the tide. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is at the helm, and the Commission also includes Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin, and several other cabinet members.<\/p>\n<p>While a subsequent report due in August will lay out a plan to address childhood chronic disease, this initial edition focuses on establishing a \u201cshared understanding of the magnitude of the crisis and what\u2019s likely driving it.\u201d It identifies four likely causes that contribute to a wide range of issues including obesity, diabetes, allergies, asthma, and depression: poor diets, cumulative chemical exposures, a lack of physical activity, and \u201covermedicalization.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Poor diet, with a specific focus on <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2020\/09\/17\/op-ed-the-rise-of-ultra-processed-foods-is-bad-news-for-our-health\/\">ultra-processed foods (UPFs)<\/a>, is front and center. \u201cThe excessive consumption of UPFs has led to a depletion of essential micronutrients and dietary fiber, while increasing the consumption of sugars and carbohydrates, which negatively affects overall health,\u201d it reads. It also cites the consolidation of the food system and the influence of food corporations contributing to the rise of ultra-processed foods.<\/p>\n<p>The report cites the cumulative load of chemicals children are exposed to in the environment as the second likely contributor to chronic diseases and cites the pesticides chlorpyrifos, atrazine, and glyphosate in one chart among several classes of chemicals. But on the overall risks of pesticides, it says only that \u201chuman studies are limited\u201d and most food residues are within safety standards. On the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/08\/bayers-effort-to-block-roundup-lawsuits-kicks-into-high-gear\/\">controversial herbicide glyphosate<\/a>, it says some studies \u201chave noted a range of possible health effects,&#8221; but that a review &#8220;did not establish a direct link between use according to label directions and adverse health outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAmerican farmers rely on these products, and actions that further regulate or restrict crop protection tools beyond risk-based and scientific processes set forth by Congress must involve thoughtful consideration of what is necessary for adequate protection, alternatives, and cost of production,\u201d the report reads. Some farm groups still say it <a href=\"https:\/\/ncga.com\/stay-informed\/media\/in-the-news\/article\/2025\/05\/corn-growers-deeply-troubled-by-maha-report-release\">went too far<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The pesticides section of the report is likely to draw continued controversy. Many of Kennedy\u2019s most vocal MAHA supporters have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.momsacrossamerica.com\/ban_the_84_banned_pesticides\">long pushed for<\/a> greater attention to health risks posed by pesticides, especially glyphosate. And as the report release drew near, <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/17\/republicans-voice-concerns-about-mahas-potential-focus-on-pesticide-risks\/\">farm groups and Republicans in Congress<\/a> pushed hard to keep language focused on pesticide risks out of the report.<\/p>\n<p>Plans to address the issues identified in the report will follow. But so far, many of the administration\u2019s actions appear to fly in the face of the Commission\u2019s prescription.<\/p>\n<p>Far from cracking down on chemicals in the environment, the EPA is pursuing <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/13\/deregulatory-blitz-at-epa-includes-climate-and-water-rules-that-impact-agriculture\/\">a deregulatory agenda<\/a>. At the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), programs that supported farmers growing healthy, whole foods\u2014especially for schoolchildren\u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/19\/the-end-of-federal-support-for-local-food\/\">have been defunded<\/a>. And while the report cites researcher Kevin Hall\u2019s studies to support its claims around ultra-processed foods causing excess calorie intake, Hall <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/17\/top-ultra-processed-foods-researcher-at-nih-resigns-citing-censorship\/\">left the National Institutes of Health<\/a> in April because he said it no longer seemed possible to pursue \u201cunbiased science.\u201d\u00a0 The FDA has taken several actions <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/05\/15\/kennedy-says-food-additives-and-processed-foods-are-now-central-focus-of-nih-and-fda\/\">on food additives<\/a>, such as working with companies to voluntarily remove artificial dyes. The report says the administration will pursue \u201cpro-growth policies and innovations\u201d to address the crisis. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#maha-report-focuses-on-ultra-processed-foods-light-on-pesticide-risks\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"64726\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hunger\/' title='Hunger' class='pt-cv-tax-hunger'>Hunger<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/school-food\/' title='School food' class='pt-cv-tax-school-food'>School food<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/bcalvert\/\" rel=\"author\">Brian Calvert<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >USDA Canceling Grants that Feed Children Around the&nbsp;World<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>May 21, 2025 \u2013 <\/b>The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is canceling grants under the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program, including to Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the international aid group <a href=\"https:\/\/www.crs.org\/media-center\/news-release\/terminations-crs-mcgovern-dole-school-feeding-programs-leave-more-780000\">said Wednesday<\/a>. The cessation of aid under the program will end school feeding programs for 780,000 children across 11 countries at CRS, just one group impacted by the cuts. Politico first <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/newsletters\/west-wing-playbook-remaking-government\/2025\/05\/20\/usda-spiking-global-food-aid-grants-00360773\">reported<\/a> on the agency&#8217;s plan to make the cuts yesterday.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis decision isn\u2019t just a policy shift\u2014it\u2019s a life-altering blow to hundreds of thousands of children who rely on these meals to stay healthy, stay in school and stay hopeful about their future,\u201d CRS CEO Sean Callahan said in a statement. \u201cIt is un-American to stand by and not provide assistance while hunger robs children of their chance to learn and thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The program provides U.S. agricultural commodities and technical expertise to help education, childhood development, and food security in lesser developed countries. Along with Catholic Relief Services, McGovern-Dole projects are undertaken by nonprofit organizations, cooperatives, the United Nations World Food Programme, and others, according to the USDA.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBy providing school meals, teacher training and related support, McGovern-Dole projects help boost school enrollment and academic performance,\u201d the agency says. \u201cAt the same time, the program also focuses on improving children\u2019s health and learning capacity before they enter school by offering nutrition programs for pregnant and nursing women, infants and preschoolers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The canceled grants will mean less demand for U.S. farmer commodities, even as other <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/02\/trump-announces-higher-tariffs-on-major-food-and-agricultural-trade-partners\/\">trade policies<\/a> are pinching growers. And it will contribute to shrinking the United States\u2019 soft-power influence around the world. The Trump administration <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/04\/usaid-dismantling-raises-questions-about-food-aid-purchased-from-american-farmers\/\">dismantled USAID<\/a>, a key agency in this endeavor, in March.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#house-budget-plan-would-cut-snap-spending-increase-funding-for-commodity-agriculture\">White House Budget for 2026<\/a> proposes ending the McGovern-Dole program, not just canceling its contracts, though in the past Congress has supported the program.<\/p>\n<p>At a Senate Appropriations <a href=\"https:\/\/www.appropriations.senate.gov\/hearings\/a-review-of-the-presidents-fiscal-year-2026-budget-request-for-the-department-of-agriculture\">hearing<\/a> in May, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins was questioned about the proposed elimination of the program\u2014which purchased about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fas.usda.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/2024-11\/FINAL%20McGovern-Dole%20report.pdf\">$37 million<\/a> of U.S-grown commodities including rice, beans, and corn to feed children overseas in 2023.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCan you talk about what you\u2019re saying to farmers to address this and how we\u2019re replacing that food that is so desperately needed by people around the world?\u201d Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shaheen.senate.gov\">Jeanne Shaheen<\/a> (D-New Hampshire) asked.<\/p>\n<p>Rollins said that the $37 million paid to farmers is too small of a portion of the total $240 million in funding and that while the government works to \u201creorganize\u201d around efficiency, programs like McGovern-Dole may be cut. \u201cAt the end of the day,\u201d she said, \u201care they serving the American taxpayer, who is funding them?\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#usda-canceling-grants-that-feed-children-around-the-world\">Link to this story.<\/a>)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"64695\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/climate-and-environment\/' title='Climate and environment' class='pt-cv-tax-climate-and-environment'>Climate and environment<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/local-food\/' title='Local food' class='pt-cv-tax-local-food'>Local food<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >USDA Introduces Policy Agenda Focused on Small&nbsp;Farms<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>May 20, 2025<\/b> \u2013\u00a0During a visit to Nebraska yesterday, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/news\/press-releases\/2025\/05\/19\/secretary-rollins-announces-farmers-first-small-family-farms-policy-agenda\">introduced<\/a> a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/farmers-first-small-family-farms-policy-agenda.pdf\">Small Family Farms Policy Agenda<\/a> she said \u201cis tailored specifically to support small-scale farms to thrive for generations to come.\u201d Since Trump took office, small farms that sell into local markets<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/19\/the-end-of-federal-support-for-local-food\/\"> have been hard hit <\/a>by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)\u2019s funding freeze and grant cancellations.<\/p>\n<p>The 10-point agenda is light on details but includes several proposed actions on deregulation, labor, and market access.<\/p>\n<p>It says the USDA will \u201cstreamline delivery and increase program efficiencies\u201d related to application processes, credit, and farmland access. \u201cSmall family farmers often have little to no support staff to fill out USDA required paperwork to participate in programs,\u201d it reads, before proposing simplified, digitized forms. In addition <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/14\/secretary-of-agriculture-signals-more-cuts-to-come-at-usda\/\">to recent layoffs<\/a>, about 16,000 employees <a href=\"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/blog\/when-usda-cuts-staff-farmers-pay-the-price-lessons-from-the-ers-and-nifa-relocations\/\">have accepted resignation offers<\/a> and more staff cuts are expected.<\/p>\n<p>The proposals also include disincentivizing federal funding for <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/02\/14\/micro-solar-leases-a-new-income-stream-for-black-farmers-in-the-south\/\">solar energy on farms<\/a>, increasing production of fossil fuels, <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/13\/deregulatory-blitz-at-epa-includes-climate-and-water-rules-that-impact-agriculture\/\">revising the controversial Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule<\/a> that regulates farm runoff, and pursuing \u201cadditional flexibility\u201d for farmers to comply with other environmental regulations.<\/p>\n<p>The plan also says the agency is reviewing farm size definitions to \u201censure they adequately reflect modern-day realities,\u201d suggesting the USDA is considering including larger operations in the small-farm category. And it calls on Congress to ensure farms and ranches \u201care protected from an increase in the death tax.\u201d Republicans in Congress are currently trying to extend exemptions on estate taxes\u2014which are often referred to as a \u201cdeath tax\u201d\u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbpp.org\/blog\/yet-another-estate-tax-cut-on-massive-inheritances-is-a-poor-choice\">that already exempt up to $28 million<\/a> in inherited property.<\/p>\n<p>On labor, a controversial and important issue <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/05\/09\/protests-mount-against-ice-detentions-of-immigrant-farmworkers\/\">amid an immigration crackdown<\/a> that has direct implications for the farm workforce, the plan says, \u201cwe must take action to relieve this persistent issue, including H-2A and H-2B non-immigrant visa classification reform.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Most significantly, in a section on increasing markets and infrastructure for small farms, the plan cites the agency\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/14\/usda-cancels-climate-smart-commodities-program-but-some-projects-may-continue\/\">reworking<\/a> of the Biden-era Climate Smart Commodities program as an action it took to support small farms. &#8220;Under President Trump, USDA will ensure that all funded programs dedicated to farmers are actually received by farmers,&#8221; it reads. However, under Rollins, the USDA <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/14\/usda-cancels-climate-smart-commodities-program-but-some-projects-may-continue\/\">terminated many of the projects<\/a> that were paying small farms directly for conservation work, including produce, livestock, and dairy farms in the Northeast, small commodity crop farmers in the South, and <a href=\"https:\/\/mailchi.mp\/regenagalliance\/even-when-the-landscape-shifts-we-keep-planting?e=e2a71ed6aa\">small grain farmers in the Midwest<\/a>. Within other programs, many individual grant contracts canceled because the administration classified them as promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion were also <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/26\/usda-has-begun-canceling-contracts-based-on-trumps-dei-order\/\">grants that supported small farms<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, the section says the USDA will \u201cprioritize local farmers in institutional and public food procurement policies,\u201d specifically mentioning The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program, among others. Rollins <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/21\/how-one-milwaukee-food-bank-is-handling-the-drop-in-usda-funding\/\">withdrew $500 million<\/a> in TEFAP funding and <a href=\"https:\/\/schoolnutrition.org\/sna-news\/usda-halts-fy25-patrick-leahy-farm-to-school-grants\/\">canceled $10 million<\/a> allocated to the Patrick Leahy program earlier this year. That was after she <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/19\/the-end-of-federal-support-for-local-food\/\">canceled<\/a> more than $1 billion in funding to programs that paid small farms to get fresh food into schools and food banks. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#usda-introduces-policy-agenda-focused-on-small-farms\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"64629\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/doge\/' title='DOGE' class='pt-cv-tax-doge'>DOGE<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/epa\/' title='EPA' class='pt-cv-tax-epa'>EPA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >EPA Defunds Research Into PFAS Contamination on&nbsp;Farms<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\"><b>May 20, 2025 Update:<\/b><\/i><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\">\u00a0On May 13, EPA canceled several other research projects focused on PFAS on farms and in food, including<\/i><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\"><a class=\"c-link\" href=\"https:\/\/mainemorningstar.com\/2025\/05\/19\/despite-saying-pfas-contamination-is-a-priority-epa-cut-millions-in-funding-for-research-in-maine\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"https:\/\/mainemorningstar.com\/2025\/05\/19\/despite-saying-pfas-contamination-is-a-priority-epa-cut-millions-in-funding-for-research-in-maine\/\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">\u00a0in Maine<\/a><\/i><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\">, Virginia, and other states, ending a<\/i><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\"><a class=\"c-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/newsreleases\/epa-awards-15-million-research-pfas-exposure-and-reduction-agriculture\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/newsreleases\/epa-awards-15-million-research-pfas-exposure-and-reduction-agriculture\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">\u00a0$15 million investment<\/a><\/i><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\">\u00a0into tackling the issue. While some of those have not yet been listed by DOGE, Bryan Berger, the principal investigator for\u00a0<\/i><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\"><a class=\"c-link\" href=\"https:\/\/engineering.virginia.edu\/news-events\/news\/uva-engineering-professor-awarded-16m-epa-grant-reduce-pfas-accumulation-crops\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"https:\/\/engineering.virginia.edu\/news-events\/news\/uva-engineering-professor-awarded-16m-epa-grant-reduce-pfas-accumulation-crops\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">a University of Virginia project<\/a><\/i><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\">\u00a0looking at how PFAS accumulates in and impacts food crops, said the recipients received formal termination letters.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><b>May 19, 2025<\/b> \u2014 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has canceled grant funding to university research teams studying how \u201cforever chemicals\u201d contaminate soil and groundwater, including at least $3 million for two projects specifically looking at contamination on farms.<\/p>\n<p>The chemicals, collectively called PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), are linked to a variety of serious health risks. Over the past several years, they have increasingly been found in <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2022\/02\/02\/field-report-pfas-pollution-farmworker-overtime-unions-urban-ag\/\">farm soils<\/a> due to the use of sewage sludge as fertilizer, <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/10\/02\/pfas-shut-maine-farms-down-now-some-are-rebounding\/\">causing devastation<\/a> for farmers. They are also now widely found in drinking water, <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2022\/06\/23\/subsistence-fishers-risk-pfas-exposure-forever-chemicals-pollution\/\">in the foods<\/a> Americans eat, and in <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/12\/18\/why-are-pesticide-companies-fighting-state-laws-to-address-pfas\/\">pesticides<\/a>, and experts say more research is needed to understand their impacts and find effective ways to eliminate contamination.<\/p>\n<p>According to the so-called Department of Government Efficiency\u2019s (DOGE) <a href=\"https:\/\/doge.gov\/savings\">website<\/a>, the EPA canceled a $1.6 million <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usaspending.gov\/award\/ASST_NON_84095701_6800\">grant<\/a> to Texas A&amp;M University for researchers to analyze how plants take up and store the chemicals, and to develop monitoring tools for PFAS in fertilizer, soils, and irrigation water. It canceled another <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usaspending.gov\/award\/ASST_NON_84095601_6800\">$1.6 million grant<\/a> to Michigan State University to study how the chemicals accumulate in both crops and livestock. \u201cThe expected outcome is to improve the knowledge of the PFAS life cycle in a farm setting,\u201d the researchers wrote in the MSU grant description. \u201cDirect beneficiaries include farmers, agricultural advisors, human health and the environment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Additional canceled grants include a University of Florida <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usaspending.gov\/award\/ASST_NON_84004501_6800\">study<\/a> looking at how flooding might exacerbate PFAS contamination in water and soil and an Oregon State <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usaspending.gov\/award\/ASST_NON_83948101_6800\">project<\/a> to increase understanding of PFAS toxicity. EPA also cut funding to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usaspending.gov\/award\/ASST_NON_84059901_6800https:\/\/www.usaspending.gov\/award\/ASST_NON_84059901_6800\">study<\/a> on common pesticides called neonicotinoids, which are linked to <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2021\/02\/02\/beyond-bees-neonics-damage-ecosystems-and-a-push-for-policy-change-is-coming\/\">pollinator declines<\/a>, in rural drinking water.<\/p>\n<p>The grant cancellations, posted to DOGE\u2019s website between May 6 and May 8, were in line with reporting <em>T<\/em><i>he New York Times<\/i> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/04\/21\/climate\/epa-cuts-forever-chemicals-grants.html\">published last month<\/a> that found the EPA was planning on cutting grants in the Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program. Some cancellations were also linked to the EPA\u2019s Office of Research and Development, where the agency is <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/epa-science-layoffs-trump-doge-8a5743b9281e3f82afdf2cdd5f972d5f\">planning to cut<\/a> staff by up to 75 percent.<\/p>\n<p>President Trump\u2019s recent budget proposed a 45 percent budget cut for that office, in addition to cutting overall EPA funding by more than half. \u201cSuch deep funding cuts would make executing the duties EPA is required to perform impossible,\u201d said Michelle Roos, the Executive Director of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.environmentalprotectionnetwork.org\/\">Environmental Protection Network<\/a>, a nonprofit consisting of former EPA employees, in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, the EPA also <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#epa-rolls-back-limits-on-forever-chemicals\">rolled back limits on PFAS in drinking water<\/a>, eliminating the regulations for some of the chemicals and delaying the implementation of limits that will remain in place. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#epa-defunds-research-into-pfas-contamination-on-farms\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"64512\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/the-white-house\/' title='The White House' class='pt-cv-tax-the-white-house'>The White House<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >USDA Hangs Massive Banners of Trump and&nbsp;Lincoln<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>May 15, 2025<\/strong> \u2013 In the midst of cuts to <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#rollins-defends-usdas-local-food-cuts-and-funding-freeze-says-she-will-move-staff-out-of-dc\">staff, programs, and grant funding<\/a>, as well as news that it may move more staff out of Washington, D.C., the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has adorned its D.C. headquarters with giant banners of Presidents Donald Trump and Abraham Lincoln, side by side.<\/p>\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DJrVbGVxyUA\/\">an Instagram video<\/a> unveiling the new banners, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins wrote that &#8220;the People&#8217;s Department is being restored\u2014leaner, stronger, and laser focused on its mission of putting farmers first.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Lincoln signed legislation <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/general-information\/our-agency\">establishing the USDA,<\/a> which he called the &#8220;people&#8217;s department,&#8221; in 1862. Over the years, Trump has <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/lincoln-trump-compares-better-e7c1cbdb9cf263060771c941e99f0e0b\">repeatedly compared himself to Lincoln<\/a>, more than once referencing how his first administration impacted Black Americans. During the 2024 campaign, at the National Association of Black Journalists conference, he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=YcZPKlEGdN0\">said<\/a>, \u201cI have been the best president for the Black population since Abraham Lincoln.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><div class=\"post-image-caption align-center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/250515-usda-trump-lincoln-banners-2-credit-lisa-held.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/250515-usda-trump-lincoln-banners-2-credit-lisa-held.jpg\" alt=\"Banners of President Donald Trump and President Abraham Lincoln are hung on the facade of USDA headquarters in Washington, D.C., on May 15, 2025. (Photo credit: Lisa Held)\"\/><\/a><\/div><div class=\"post-simple\"><\/div><\/p>\n<p>After he took office in January, one of the agency&#8217;s first actions was to <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/10\/despite-cuts-to-dei-initiatives-food-and-farm-advocates-say-they-will-continue-to-fight-for-racial-justice\/\">throw out the USDA&#8217;s Equity Commission report<\/a> that outlined detailed recommendations to help the agency tackle <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/03\/08\/how-the-long-shadow-of-racism-at-usda-impacts-black-farmers-in-arkansas-and-beyond\/\">historic racism<\/a> and better serve Black farmers. Since then, the agency has <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/13\/usda-publicizes-canceling-a-grant-to-an-organization-that-trains-young-farmers\/\">rooted out<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/26\/usda-has-begun-canceling-contracts-based-on-trumps-dei-order\/\">canceled<\/a> grants to organizations that prioritize serving Black farmers and other groups that have long faced discrimination. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#usda-hangs-massive-banners-of-trump-and-lincoln\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"64487\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hhs\/' title='HHS' class='pt-cv-tax-hhs'>HHS<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Kennedy Says Food Additives and Processed Foods Are Now \u2018Central Focus\u2019 of NIH and&nbsp;FDA<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>May 15, 2025<\/b> \u2013 During a marathon day of testimony in front of committees in both the <a href=\"https:\/\/appropriations.house.gov\/schedule\/hearings\/budget-hearing-us-department-health-and-human-services\">House<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.help.senate.gov\/hearings\/hearing-on-fiscal-year-2026-department-of-health-and-human-services-budget\">Senate<\/a>, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said that dealing with the health impacts of processed foods is now the first priority of the federal government&#8217;s most important food and health regulators and researchers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne of the big areas of neglect has been linking specific food additives and food processes to the chronic disease epidemic. NIH has neglected that area of study. It is now the central focus of NIH . . . and FDA,\u201d he said, listing ultra-processed foods, sugars, and \u201c10,000 additives\u201d that are in our food as areas of concern. The agencies, he said, are \u201clooking at the impact so that we can put accurate labeling on, and when they&#8217;re really dangerous, we can revoke their authorizations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kennedy made the comments in front of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions during the second of two contentious hearings on Wednesday to consider changes to HHS funding requested in President Trump\u2019s<a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Fiscal-Year-2026-Discretionary-Budget-Request.pdf\"> latest budget proposal<\/a>. But lawmakers didn\u2019t address changes like the budget\u2019s proposed $18 billion in research cuts at NIH and $500 million in new funding to \u201cMAHA initiatives,\u201d focusing instead on topics including measles, vaccines, and drug prices.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats primarily railed against Kennedy\u2019s downsizing of the agency by 20,000 employees. They also highlighted recent cuts to NIH research as well as health programs for coal miners and 9\/11 first responders, which Kennedy has since reversed. But they rarely let him fully answer a question.<\/p>\n<p>When he did respond, he repeatedly said HHS was simply going back to pre-COVID staffing levels. (The Biden administration significantly increased staff at HHS, but the current cuts <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cato.org\/blog\/downsizing-hhs-congress-should-go-even-further\">take staffing back to a much lower level<\/a>, one not seen since the George W. Bush administration.) He also said he couldn\u2019t answer specific questions about layoffs or the department\u2019s reorganization <a href=\"https:\/\/www.govexec.com\/workforce\/2025\/05\/19-states-sue-trump-administration-over-mass-layoffs-hhs\/405075\/\">due to the lawsuit<\/a> brought by 19 states challenging the legality of those actions, but said \u201cthere were no working scientists fired,\u201d which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/nih-director-removes-four-main-scientists-amid-massive-staff-purge\/\">contradicts previous reporting<\/a>. (A top processed foods researcher <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/17\/top-ultra-processed-foods-researcher-at-nih-resigns-citing-censorship\/\">also resigned<\/a>, citing the fact that \u201cunbiased science\u201d became impossible at the agency.)<\/p>\n<p>Kennedy\u2019s comments on the refocusing of NIH and FDA priorities were significant, though, given those agencies\u2019 typical mandates, but he exaggerated HHS\u2019 moves so far. \u201cTwenty years the Democrats have said, \u2018We need to revise the GRAS standards.\u2019 I&#8217;ve done it in 100 days,\u201d he said. \u201cWe&#8217;re getting rid of nine petroleum-based, synthetic dyes in our food. Twenty years the Democrats have been saying we want to do this, and I&#8217;ve done that in 100 days.\u201d Kennedy <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/11\/kennedy-directs-fda-to-explore-revising-controversial-gras-food-additive-rules\/\">directed the FDA<\/a> to look into changing the GRAS process, but no definitive action has been taken; Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) is <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/05\/02\/senator-marshall-plans-to-introduce-maha-food-additive-legislation\/\">working on a bill<\/a> that could help the process along. On food dyes, <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/22\/fda-plans-to-eliminate-artificial-food-dyes-by-end-of-2026\/\">Kennedy\u2019s current plan depends on<\/a> getting food companies to voluntarily remove them. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#kennedy-says-food-additives-and-processed-foods-are-now-central-focus-of-nih-and-fda\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"64446\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/epa\/' title='EPA' class='pt-cv-tax-epa'>EPA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/bcalvert\/\" rel=\"author\">Brian Calvert<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >EPA Rolls Back Limits on \u2018Forever Chemicals\u2019<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>May 14, 2025 \u2013 <\/b>The Trump administration is rescinding several key protections meant to keep dangerous \u201cforever chemicals\u201d out of drinking water. <\/p>\n<p>The decision could have health implications in many farming and rural communities, where the hazardous chemicals have <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2022\/02\/02\/field-report-pfas-pollution-farmworker-overtime-unions-urban-ag\/\">contaminated farm soils<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/02\/28\/rural-oklahoma-treated-sewage-sludge-biosolids-farmland-wastewater-health-pollution-livestock-farms\/\">water systems<\/a> due to the use of sewage-sludge <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/14\/epa-sewage-sludge-poses-serious-risks-for-farmers\/\">fertilizers<\/a>. Chemicals in the same family are also increasingly used in <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/07\/24\/study-finds-forever-chemicals-are-increasingly-common-in-pesticides\/\">pesticides<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In an announcement Wednesday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says it is stepping away from protections announced in April 2024 that established hazard limits on the amount of these chemicals, known collectively as PFAS, which accumulate in the human body.<\/p>\n<p>PFAS, officially called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, have wide-ranging <a href=\"https:\/\/www.atsdr.cdc.gov\/pfas\/about\/health-effects.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https:\/\/www.atsdr.cdc.gov\/pfas\/health-effects\/index.html\">health impacts<\/a> on humans, according to the Centers For Disease Control. Exposure at certain levels can increase cholesterol, reduce birth weights, and cause preeclampsia and kidney and testicular cancer, among many other risks.<\/p>\n<p>Drinking water<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ewg.org\/interactive-maps\/pfas_contamination\/map\/\"> contamination<\/a> from these \u201cforever chemicals,\u201d so called because they do not break down easily, is widespread across the United States, according to research from the Environmental Working Group. EWG President Ken Cook called Wednesday\u2019s announcement \u201ca betrayal of public health at the highest level.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The EPA says it will keep just two limits in place, on perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), though it is extending a deadline for compliance. That means that water utilities now have until 2031 to reduce these chemicals in drinking water.<\/p>\n<p>The EPA says it will not keep limits in place for four other chemicals: PFNA, PFHxS, GenX, and PFBS.<\/p>\n<p>The dangers of PFAS have received increasing public attention in recent years, and Biden\u2019s EPA took several steps to begin to address them, including setting the first-ever limits in drinking water. During recent hearings, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has talked about how her mother, a Texas state legislator, is focused on the issue. \u201cShe was so stunned by what had happened to these farmers, specifically through PFAS contamination. It destroyed their lives,\u201d Rollins told Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) last week. The USDA, she said, is committed to supporting research on addressing PFAS contamination. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#epa-rolls-back-limits-on-forever-chemicals\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"64390\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hunger\/' title='Hunger' class='pt-cv-tax-hunger'>Hunger<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >House Budget Plan Would Cut SNAP Spending, Increase Funding for Commodity Agriculture<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong><i><b>May 22, 2025 Update:<\/b><\/i><\/strong><i>House Republicans <\/i><i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/05\/22\/house-republicans-pass-big-beautiful-bill-after-weeks-of-division-00364691\">passed the tax bill<\/a> this morning. It will now move to the Senate, where provisions on SNAP spending and farm programs could change significantly.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><strong><i>May 15, 2025 Update &#8211; <\/i><\/strong><i>On Wednesday, House Ag Committee Republicans <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/live-updates\/2025\/05\/14\/congress\/house-agriculture-committee-approves-300-billion-in-nutrition-spending-cuts-00350900?nname=inside-congress&amp;nid=0000014f-1646-d88f-a1cf-5f46b4be0000&amp;nrid=c558fe25-ea7d-447c-8cb2-98af0156aea5\"><i>voted along party lines to advance<\/i><\/a><i> their portion of the bill, with the $290 billion cut in SNAP spending intact. The entire House is now working on advancing the total bill package. <\/i><\/p>\n<p><b>May 13, 2025 <\/b>&#8211; Last night, House Agriculture Committee Chair G.T. Thompson (R-Pennsylvania) <a href=\"https:\/\/agriculture.house.gov\/news\/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=7911\">revealed a plan<\/a> to dramatically cut federal spending on food aid while increasing aid to commodity farmers. The provisions\u2014which lawmakers are currently working on as part of the budget reconciliation process\u2014would cut $290 billion in spending on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and increase subsidies for commodity farms by about $60 billion.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis portion of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/energy-commerce-ways-means-agriculture-committee-markups-reconciliation-trump\/\">the One Big, Beautiful Bill<\/a> restores the [SNAP] program\u2019s original intent, offering a temporary helping hand while encouraging work, cracking down on loopholes exploited by states, and protecting taxpayer dollars while supporting the hardworking men and women of American agriculture,\u201d Thompson said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>On <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/05\/07\/house-democrats-say-snap-cuts-will-hurt-families-farmers-and-broader-food-system\/\">the SNAP side<\/a>, the bill text would require any future changes to the Thrifty Food Plan, which determines how much money participants receive each month, to be cost-neutral. (For example, benefit amounts would not be allowed to increase if the <a href=\"https:\/\/frac.org\/blog\/thrifty-food-plan-101-part-1\">mix of foods in the plan<\/a> was updated based on changing dietary guidelines.) The bill would also increase the number of people who are subject to certain work requirements in several ways. It would make it harder for states to qualify for waivers, and change requirements that currently apply to all SNAP recipients 15 to 60 years old to apply to participants between 17 and 65. And the bill would increase the number of people who qualify as \u201cAble Bodied Adults Without Dependents,\u201d who are subject to stricter requirements, extending their qualifying age from 54 to 64\u2014and by including adults with dependents who are over seven.<\/p>\n<p>However, the most significant change would be increasing states\u2019 share of the program\u2019s administrative costs from 50 to 75 percent and requiring states to pay for a portion of SNAP benefits, which they have never done before. All states would have to contribute 5 percent of the cost of benefits beginning in 2028. States with higher rates of payment errors, which can be overpayments or underpayments based on administrative mistakes, would contribute more, with the top tier contributing as much as 25 percent.<\/p>\n<p>Experts say those changes would likely <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbpp.org\/blog\/house-republicans-reportedly-planning-to-shift-billions-in-snap-costs-to-states\">force states to cut benefits.<\/a> \u201cThe language is unclear, but it could end SNAP entirely in some parts of the country if states decide the new state funding requirements are impossible for them to meet,\u201d said Ty Jones Cox, the vice president for food assistance at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Anti-hunger groups said the plan would <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nokidhungry.org\/who-we-are\/pressroom\/statement-share-our-strengths-jason-gromley-responds-proposed-massive-cuts\">increase hunger<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>On the farm side, the bill text inserts some of the Republican leadership\u2019s farm bill priorities. It would increase the prices paid to commodity growers between 10 and 20 percent, make additional acres eligible for commodity subsidy payments, eliminate payment limits so wealthier farms can access payments, and expand crop insurance. It also appears to combine Inflation Reduction Act funds allocated for conservation with general conservation program funding, meaning that more money would flow to conservation program funding, but it would remove any climate-related focus for the programs.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats on the committee have said cutting SNAP and adding farm bill programs to the tax bill would likely <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/08\/will-congress-pass-a-new-farm-bill-in-2025\/\">kill the possibility<\/a> of passing a farm bill later this year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe budget reconciliation bill offers a simple deal\u2014pass up a full, five-year farm bill in exchange for dramatically increased farm subsidies funded by hundreds of billions in cuts that will deepen hunger and threaten farmer livelihoods,\u201d said Mike Lavender, the policy director at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>However, it is still very early in the budget reconciliation process. The House Ag Committee will meet tonight to offer amendments and work on the text. Then it will need to be combined with text from other committees, where many big questions are still being worked out on cuts to other programs like Medicaid. If the House gets a final bill together within the next couple of weeks, it will then go to the Senate, where further changes will be made. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#house-budget-plan-would-cut-snap-spending-increase-funding-for-commodity-agriculture\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"64324\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/food-and-farm-workers\/' title='Food and farm workers' class='pt-cv-tax-food-and-farm-workers'>Food and farm workers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/immigration\/' title='Immigration' class='pt-cv-tax-immigration'>Immigration<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/bcalvert\/\" rel=\"author\">Brian Calvert<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Amid Immigration Crackdowns, Lawmakers Reintroduce Farm Workforce&nbsp;Reforms<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>May 12, 2025 \u2013 <\/b>House lawmakers have resurrected a bill to help bolster immigrant farm labor amid Trump administration <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/05\/09\/protests-mount-against-ice-detentions-of-immigrant-farmworkers\/\">crackdowns<\/a> on immigrants that have swept up farmworkers and labor organizers.<\/p>\n<p>In a bipartisan effort, Representatives Dan Newhouse (R-Washington) and Zoe Lofgren (D-California) last week reintroduced the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, a bill that would provide pathways for non-citizens to legally work on farms while reforming the H-2A visa program.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDue to the diminishing supply of U.S. workers willing to perform migrant farm labor, our nation\u2019s farmers are increasingly dependent on foreign workers to meet labor demands,\u201d Lofgren\u2019s office stated in a <a href=\"https:\/\/newhouse.house.gov\/sites\/evo-subsites\/newhouse.house.gov\/files\/evo-media-document\/2025-farm-workforce-modernization-two-pager.pdf\">summary<\/a> of the bill. \u201cWithout foreign workers, many U.S. farms will go out of business, causing a ripple effect in our economy and increasing our reliance on imported food.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Among other initiatives, the bill provides a pathway for agriculture workers to attain legal status through continued agricultural work for four to eight years. It also mandates the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/02\/07\/a-florida-immigration-law-is-turning-farm-towns-into-ghost-towns\/\">use of E-verify on farms<\/a> and seeks to streamline the H-2A temporary visa program for agricultural workers, providing three-year visas. And the law would temporarily freeze and then cap wage increases. H-2A wages are contentious: They are too high for some farms to afford, and at the same time, the program is <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2019\/07\/16\/the-h-2a-guest-worker-program-has-ballooned-in-size-but-both-farmers-and-workers-want-it-fixed\/\">rife with abuse<\/a> because employees are tied to their employers for legal status and basic needs.<\/p>\n<p>Due mostly to Republican opposition, previous attempts at similar legislation\u2014which represents compromises between farmworker advocates and industry\u2014came incredibly close to passing but ultimately <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/02\/22\/congress-killed-a-bill-to-give-farmworkers-a-path-to-citizenship-what-comes-next\/\">failed<\/a>. Farmworker groups are also split on the legislation, with some supporting and others opposing. Now, though, farms are facing the prospect of fewer workers amid an immigration crackdown that has <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#federal-agents-detain-workers-at-a-vermont-dairy-farm\">snared farmworkers<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/migrant-crossings-u-s-mexico-border-historically-low-levels\/\">decreased border crossings<\/a>, giving them more impetus to strengthen legal pathways and other reforms.<\/p>\n<p>President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us\/trump-suggests-farmers-could-petition-keep-workers-without-legal-status-2025-04-10\/\">Donald Trump<\/a> and Agriculture Secretary <a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmprogress.com\/farm-policy\/trump-administration-plans-to-ease-immigration-rules-for-farm-workers-by-harvest-season\">Brooke Rollins<\/a> have both signaled they are in favor of finding ways to keep immigrant labor in farms, despite broader attempts to expel undocumented workers. <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#amid-immigration-crackdowns-lawmakers-reintroduce-farm-workforce-reforms\">(Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"64309\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hhs\/' title='HHS' class='pt-cv-tax-hhs'>HHS<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/nutrition\/' title='Nutrition' class='pt-cv-tax-nutrition'>Nutrition<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >FDA and NIH Announce New Food and Nutrition Research&nbsp;Agenda<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>May 12, 2025 \u2013<\/b> On Friday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/news-events\/press-announcements\/fda-and-nih-announce-innovative-joint-nutrition-regulatory-science-program?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery\">announced they&#8217;ll collaborate on a new agenda for nutrition research<\/a> that will prioritize understanding how ultra-processed foods and food additives harm Americans\u2019 health.<\/p>\n<p>FDA and NIH are sub-agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Their joint Nutrition Regulatory Science Program will play a key role in Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.\u2019s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) plan to focus on preventing chronic disease, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nih.gov\/news-events\/news-releases\/fda-nih-announce-innovative-joint-nutrition-regulatory-science-program\">a news release<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNutrition has always been a priority at NIH. By teaming up with the FDA, we\u2019re taking a major step toward answering big questions about how food affects health\u2014and turning that science into smarter, more effective policy,\u201d NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya said in the release.<\/p>\n<p>The news comes less than a month after leading ultra-processed foods researcher Kevin Hall <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/17\/top-ultra-processed-foods-researcher-at-nih-resigns-citing-censorship\/\">left his position at NIH<\/a>, citing an inability to pursue \u201cunbiased science\u201d under the new leadership. Hall was actively working on studies that experts across the field considered to be the most groundbreaking, comprehensive research to date on why highly engineered foods contribute to a range of health issues. He said freezes on purchasing and hiring also stymied his work.<\/p>\n<p>In March, Kennedy <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/27\/rfk-jr-cuts-3400-additional-fda-jobs-in-sweeping-restructuring-of-hhs\/\">announced<\/a> a sweeping restructuring of HHS that included cutting 3,500 additional jobs at FDA and 1,200 at NIH. And just two weeks ago, 250 employees at NIH <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fiercebiotech.com\/biotech\/250-more-nih-workers-laid-including-cuts-national-cancer-institute\">were let go<\/a>. NIH has also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ajmc.com\/view\/nih-grants-terminated-amid-trump-administration-raising-concerns-for-us-research-minority-health-disparities\">terminated<\/a> close to $2 billion in research funding since January. President Trump\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Fiscal-Year-2026-Discretionary-Budget-Request.pdf\">latest budget proposal<\/a> includes another $18 billion in research cuts at NIH; it allocates $500 million in new funding to \u201cMAHA initiatives.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The press office at HHS did not respond to questions from Civil Eats on whether NIH might hire a new researcher focused on ultra-processed foods to replace Hall, how many employees would be working on the new program, and whether they\u2019d be sourced from other departments.<\/p>\n<p>When Kennedy has been asked about staff cuts in the past, he has said HHS is scaling back excess employees hired during the Biden administration. Communications staff at both FDA and NIH have been swept up in the layoffs, and the agencies have been slow to respond to the media. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#fda-and-nih-announce-new-food-and-nutrition-research-agenda\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"64246\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hhs\/' title='HHS' class='pt-cv-tax-hhs'>HHS<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/the-white-house\/' title='The White House' class='pt-cv-tax-the-white-house'>The White House<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Trump Nominates Food-Focused Health Entrepreneur Casey Means for Surgeon&nbsp;General<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>May 8, 2025<\/b> \u2013 Yesterday, President Trump nominated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.caseymeans.com\/\">Casey Means<\/a> as the country\u2019s top doctor.<\/p>\n<p>Means, a health entrepreneur who advocates for changing food choices and farm practices,\u00a0 and her brother Calley Means <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/10\/09\/can-trump-and-robert-f-kennedy-jr-make-america-healthy-again\/\">have been fixtures<\/a> of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.\u2019s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement since last fall. As surgeon general, she\u2019d join her brother at HHS, where he is a special advisor to Kennedy.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike past surgeons general, Means has limited experience practicing medicine. She got her medical degree from Stanford University in 2014 and then dropped out of a residency program before finishing. She co-founded Levels, a health start-up that sells bracelets that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.levels.com\/blog\/7-reasons-dr-casey-means-believes-in-cgm\">continuously monitor blood sugar<\/a> in service of healthier choices, in 2019. For comparison, the last surgeon general, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivekmurthy.com\/\">Vivek Murthy<\/a>, had cared for thousands of patients and trained medical students for nearly a decade at Brigham and Women\u2019s Medical Center and Harvard Medical School prior to taking the surgeon general position.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, Means says she was struck by the lack of attention to root causes of disease in modern medicine and set out on her own path to address those. \u201cFor most of us (literally 93 percent of adults!), our metabolism is not doing well because of our toxic, ultraprocessed food system and modern industrial environment,\u201d she wrote in a recent newsletter. \u201cThis is the root cause of nearly every chronic health issue we\u2019re facing today, and we need to get it back on track.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Means <a href=\"https:\/\/www.caseymeans.com\/learn\/newsletter-24\">has called<\/a> transitioning to organic and regenerative agriculture practices \u201cthe number one thing we can do to improve health.\u201d On <a href=\"https:\/\/www.caseymeans.com\/learn\/newsletter-35\">a wishlist<\/a> for the presidential administration she made last fall, more than half of the 15 items involve food or farming. First on the list is getting more \u201creal food in schools.\u201d She also lists restricting pesticide use, reforming farm bill subsidies away from corn, soy, and wheat, and breaking up meatpacking monopolies.<\/p>\n<p>As surgeon general, those items would be outside her jurisdiction, but HHS and the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u00a0 have already <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/16\/trump-administration-charges-forward-on-state-maha-initiatives\/\">been collaborating on MAHA priorities<\/a> like <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/10\/bans-on-soda-and-candy-in-snap-are-back-on-the-table-and-theyre-still-controversial\/\">getting soda out<\/a> of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.<\/p>\n<p>Many of Means\u2019 ideas about nutrition are also outside of the mainstream scientific consensus: For example, she advises a diet <a href=\"https:\/\/www.caseymeans.com\/learn\/newsletter-10-healthier-cookies-the-4-best-grain-free-cracker-brands-and-stimulating-glp-1-naturally\">free of grains and seed oils<\/a>. On the medicine side, she is an outspoken critic of the pharmaceutical industry and in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=mUH4Co2wE-I\">an extensive interview<\/a> last year with right-wing media personality Tucker Carlson expressed a number of critiques of vaccine schedules, the birth control pill, and weight-loss drugs like Ozempic.<\/p>\n<p>Trump&#8217;s first choice for the surgeon general position, former Fox News contributor Jeanette Nesheiwat, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2025\/05\/07\/nx-s1-5389962\/trump-casey-means-surgeon-general\">withdrew from the nomination<\/a> amid concerns about her medical credentials. More details about Means&#8217; confirmation hearings are expected in the coming weeks. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#trump-nominates-food-focused-health-entrepreneur-casey-means-for-surgeon-general\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"64226\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hunger\/' title='Hunger' class='pt-cv-tax-hunger'>Hunger<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >House Democrats Say SNAP Cuts Will Hurt Families, Farmers, and Broader Food&nbsp;System<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>May 7, 2025<\/b> \u2013 At a press conference on Capitol Hill today, Democrats on the House Agriculture Committee railed against Republican <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/08\/house-lawmakers-spar-over-snap-cuts-and-work-requirements\/\">plans to cut spending on food aid<\/a>, emphasizing that funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) supports hungry families as well as farmers, grocery workers, truckers, and food manufacturers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSNAP doesn\u2019t just give away money, it <a href=\"https:\/\/democrats-agriculture.house.gov\/uploadedfiles\/250409_-_ag_dems_-_snap_facts.pdf\">powers our economy<\/a>,\u201d said Representative Nikki Budzinski (D-Illinois), who spoke along with Ranking Member Angie Craig (D-Minnesota) and Representatives Shontel Brown (D-Ohio) and Jahana Hayes (D-Connecticut).<\/p>\n<p>After the lawmakers spoke, they invited others who rely on SNAP to share their stories. Yolanda Gordon, a U.S. Army veteran, and Meghan Hullinger, a single mother, both spoke about how SNAP benefits had helped them get through difficult times. Two farmers, Kat Becker from Wisconsin, and Carah Ronan from Montana, spoke about how SNAP dollars support their farms. \u201cFarms and nutrition go hand-in-hand,\u201d said Ronan, after detailing how the funds help her provide fresh local produce, eggs, and meat to her community. \u201cLet\u2019s keep it that way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The event was one of many that Democrats and anti-hunger advocates organized this week in advance of the Agriculture Committee\u2019s meeting to lay out the details of what they plan to cut, scheduled for next week. While the Republicans who lead the committee are more moderate than others in the party and <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#republican-ag-leaders-push-back-on-cutting-snap\">have resisted deeper cuts to SNAP<\/a>, the far-right wing of the party appears to be winning the fight. Politico <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/live-updates\/2025\/05\/06\/congress\/house-republicans-snap-food-aid-00330620\">reported yesterday<\/a> that the House is still expected to make $230 billion in cuts as a part of the party\u2019s plan to fund tax cuts for higher-income Americans.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is nothing fiscally responsible about making more people hungry and more people suffer just to hand out billionaire tax cuts,\u201d Brown said at the conference.<\/p>\n<p><em>The Wall Street Journal<\/em> editorial board <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/opinion\/food-stamps-snap-work-requirements-congress-republicans-cf62eacb?mod=hp_opin_pos_1\">characterized some of the Republicans\u2019 plans<\/a> to slash spending\u2014like shifting costs to states and tightening rules around work requirements\u2014as common-sense ways to \u201cfix the dysfunctional federal food assistance program.\u201d However, earlier in the week, at the Food Research and Action Center\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.antihungerpolicyconference.org\/\">Anti-Hunger Food Policy Conference<\/a>, a recurring message was that all of those changes would effectively mean fewer people have access to SNAP.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo one is staying home for $6 a day,\u201d said Itzul Gutierrez, the senior policy advocate for the California Association of Food Banks, responding to a common Republican talking point that more work requirements are necessary to prevent people from taking advantage of SNAP benefits, on one panel. Average benefits <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbpp.org\/research\/food-assistance\/a-quick-guide-to-snap-eligibility-and-benefits\">are about $6 per day<\/a>. \u201cThat is all part of the effort to kick people off SNAP.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On Tuesday, the food bank operators and anti-hunger advocates who came to D.C. from across the country rallied at the Capitol and then spent the day meeting with members of Congress to share that argument with legislators. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#house-democrats-say-snap-cuts-will-hurt-families-farmers-and-broader-food-system\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"64191\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/school-food\/' title='School food' class='pt-cv-tax-school-food'>School food<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Rollins Defends USDA&#8217;s Local Food Cuts and Funding Freeze, Says She Will Move Staff Out of&nbsp;DC<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>May 6, 2025<\/b> &#8211; During her first appearance in front of Congress as Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins defended both USDA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/11\/usda-continues-to-roll-out-deeper-cuts-to-farm-grants-a-list\/\">funding freeze<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/19\/the-end-of-federal-support-for-local-food\/\">cuts to local food programs<\/a>, research, and staff. She also said she\u2019ll unveil a plan to move more USDA staff out of Washington, D.C. within the next few weeks.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.appropriations.senate.gov\/hearings\/a-review-of-the-presidents-fiscal-year-2026-budget-request-for-the-department-of-agriculture\">hearing today<\/a> in front of the Senate Appropriations Committee\u2019s agriculture subcommittee was scheduled to question Rollins about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Fiscal-Year-2026-Discretionary-Budget-Request.pdf?emci=0ce8015e-7927-f011-8b3d-6045bded8cca&amp;emdi=0ae36948-7a27-f011-8b3d-6045bded8cca&amp;ceid=26719450\">the President\u2019s budget<\/a>, released Friday. (She will appear in front of the House\u2019s version of the same committee tomorrow.) The budget includes deep cuts to USDA spending, but it will not be enacted as is, since it will need a simple majority vote to pass in Congress, and there is some level of bipartisan opposition to cuts of that magnitude. Still, the budget reflects the president\u2019s desire to slash spending across most agencies, and Rollins has been prioritizing that task during her first 82 days on the job.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats grilled her on how cuts and freezes are <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/16\/usdas-regional-food-business-centers-caught-in-federal-funding-freeze\/\">impacting farmers<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/21\/how-one-milwaukee-food-bank-is-handling-the-drop-in-usda-funding\/\">hungry families<\/a>, while Republicans repeatedly praised her commitment to eliminating bureaucracy.\u00a0 However, many Senators shared concerns that crossed party lines, particularly about potential cuts to Farm Service Agency (FSA) staff who work directly with farmers in rural areas, freezing or cutting agriculture research, and the elimination of popular USAID programs that purchased American farm products to provide international food aid.<\/p>\n<p>Here are the topics Rollins was asked about the most.<\/p>\n<p><b>On the restructuring of the USDA and staff cuts: <\/b>Republicans said they supported downsizing the agency, but many joined Democrats in asking Rollins to resist cutting staff at local FSA offices. \u201cWe do not have sufficient personnel in those county offices today,\u201d said Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kansas). Rollins said FSA offices \u201cremain a priority\u201d and that the agency is not currently cutting staff or closing offices, but that the FSA is \u201calso working to be again more efficient with online technical assistance so that in the future we may not rely so much on an on-the-ground presence.\u201d Some FSA offices <a href=\"https:\/\/www.turnto23.com\/news\/in-your-neighborhood\/bakersfield\/doge-to-close-kern-countys-farm-service-agency-office\">have already been targeted<\/a> by DOGE for closure and the president\u2019s budget would cut $358 million in FSA salaries and expenses.<\/p>\n<p>Rollins confirmed that 15,000 USDA staff had accepted the administration\u2019s deferred resignation offer, on top of earlier layoffs. Through those processes, she said the agency had lost people in key positions and is now \u201cactively recruiting\u201d to fill those positions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou let people go\u2014or however you want to characterize it\u2014who knew these jobs, and now you&#8217;re looking for people to fill these jobs because now we know how essential they are,\u201d said Senator Patty Murray (D-Washington). \u201cThat doesn&#8217;t seem to me to be very efficient.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In response to a question posed by Senator Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), Rollins said the agency is very close to finalizing a plan to move USDA staff from D.C. offices to other locations. \u201cWe are very in the weeds on that, and an announcement is forthcoming,\u201d she said. During the last Trump administration, the USDA moved its Economic Research Service to Kansas City, leading to major losses in experienced staff with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.feedstuffs.com\/agribusiness-news\/ers-relocation-will-cost-taxpayers-more-than-it-saves\">significant costs to taxpayers<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><b>On cuts to food aid and school food programs: <\/b>Democrats grilled Rollins on her decision to end two programs that move food from local farms into school and food banks and cuts to The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). Each time, Rollins said the local food programs were COVID-era programs that were not intended to continue. \u201cIt was the decision of our president and this administration that perhaps that COVID-era program had fulfilled its purpose,\u201d she said. She also responded to each Senator with numbers saying their states still had money in the bank to spend on local food.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can&#8217;t speak to what the state is doing, and we&#8217;ll be happy to run that to the ground, but the people I&#8217;m hearing from are literally the schools and the producers,\u201d said Senator Martin Heinrich (D-New Mexico).<\/p>\n<p>During an exchange with Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) in which he asked about the $500 million that the USDA cut from TEFAP, which was authorized in 1981, Rollins appeared to confuse TEFAP with the local food programs, calling it a \u201cCOVID-era program.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>On farmer grant funds that have been frozen: <\/b>Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) asked Rollins to provide an update on which grant programs are still frozen and a timeline for when her review would be finished.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are working around the clock, going line by line by line,\u201d she said. \u201cWe&#8217;re down to the final $5 billion out of, I believe, almost $20 billion of frozen funds.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But Democrats came back to the point over and over. &#8220;What I&#8217;ve <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/26\/farmers-say-climate-smart-commodities-projects-are-crumbling\/\">heard from farmers <\/a>over the past 100 days of this administration is that they&#8217;re not sure they can trust the federal government anymore,\u201d said Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire). \u201cI&#8217;ve heard from farmers across our state who no longer know if they can rely on the federal government honoring a basic signed contract.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>On cuts to agriculture research<\/b>: Murray, Fischer, and Senator Gary Peters (D-Michigan) all brought up concerns about cuts to agricultural research. The president\u2019s budget calls for a $159 million cut from the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), but Rollins said that only represents a 7 percent decrease and that cuts would be focused on closing outdated facilities. \u201cIt shouldn\u2019t affect the key, most important parts of the research,\u201d she said. The funding freeze and cuts to grants have already upended <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us\/trump-funding-freeze-upends-agricultural-research-us-universities-2025-04-17\/\">some important agricultural research<\/a>. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#rollins-defends-usdas-local-food-cuts-and-funding-freeze-says-she-will-move-staff-out-of-dc\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"64117\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/epa\/' title='EPA' class='pt-cv-tax-epa'>EPA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/bcalvert\/\" rel=\"author\">Brian Calvert<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >EPA Releases Its Final \u2018Insecticide Strategy\u2019 to Align with Endangered Species&nbsp;Act<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>May 5, 2025<\/b> &#8211; The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued the final version of its \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/endangered-species\/strategy-protect-endangered-species-insecticides\">Insecticide Strategy<\/a>,\u201d part of an ongoing initiative to bring the agency in compliance with the Endangered Species Act and <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/08\/22\/the-epa-has-ignored-the-endangered-species-act-for-50-years-its-changing-but-time-is-running-out\/\">avoid litigation<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The EPA has already completed a strategy on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/newsreleases\/epa-finalizes-first-its-kind-strategy-protect-900-endangered-species-herbicides\">herbicides<\/a>. These strategies, with others to follow, are intended to protect listed species under the law, while communicating clearly with farmers and other users of these chemicals on how and where they can be applied.<\/p>\n<p>The EPA said it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/newsreleases\/epa-releases-strategy-better-protect-endangered-species-insecticides-using-commonsense\">received more than 26,000 public comments<\/a> and more than 230 unique comments to address, following the release of a draft in July 2024. It adjusted the draft \u201cto provide greater flexibility and options for the agricultural community, while ensuring that endangered species are protected.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The strategy includes guidance on buffer distances for insecticide applications, a process for crediting growers who use conservation programs, and an interactive map that allows people to look up specific chemicals and their restrictions in specific areas. It also includes a three-step framework for reviewing insecticides and developing prohibitions for their use to protect endangered and threatened species.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cToday\u2019s action is another example of how protecting our environment and safeguarding our economy can go hand in hand,\u201d EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/newsreleases\/epa-releases-strategy-better-protect-endangered-species-insecticides-using-commonsense\">a statement<\/a> about the release. \u201cWe have found common-sense ways to keep endangered species safe that won\u2019t place unneeded burden on the growers who rely on these tools for their livelihood, and which are necessary to ensure a safe and plentiful food supply. We are committed to ensuring the agriculture community has the tools they need to protect our country, especially our food supply, from pests and diseases.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The EPA\u2019s strategies are provided to help steer the agency toward more compliance with the Endangered Species Act. They take into account comments from conservation groups, agricultural industry, and others. But they are not set in stone.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese strategies are guidance,\u201d Kyle Kunkler, senior director of government affairs for the American Soybean Association, said. \u201cThere&#8217;s nothing that prohibits them from going back and making changes to strategies, to make continued improvement. It&#8217;s going to mean that we still got our work cut out for us, for sure. We&#8217;ve got a laundry list of a dozen different things that we think are going to be necessary to make sure that we get these to a good spot for agriculture.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>They also are not the end of the issue, but rather an attempt by the EPA to address a wide majority of species and potential threats.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re putting in place some of these cookie-cutter ESA protections, and the idea is that they&#8217;re protecting probably 90 percent of the species that are getting hit by this pesticide,\u201d Nathan Donley, environmental health science director at the Center for Biological Diversity. \u201cAnd then, you know the deal with the other 10 percent, as time allows.\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#epa-releases-its-final-insecticide-strategy-to-align-with-endangered-species-act\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"64082\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hhs\/' title='HHS' class='pt-cv-tax-hhs'>HHS<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Senator Marshall Plans to Introduce MAHA Food Additive Legislation<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>May 2, 2025<\/b> \u2013 Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) is working on legislation that would tighten some rules around food additives and preempt a patchwork of state laws <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ewg.org\/news-insights\/news\/2025\/04\/interactive-map-tracking-state-food-chemical-regulation-us\">currently cropping up around the country<\/a>, which gained momentum as a result of the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/10\/09\/can-trump-and-robert-f-kennedy-jr-make-america-healthy-again\/\">Make America Healthy Again<\/a> (MAHA) movement.<\/p>\n<p>Marshall is planning on calling the legislation the Food Ingredient Transparency (FIT) Act, a legislative assistant, Lacy Pitts, said at a food policy event hosted by the Institute of Food Technologists\u2019 D.C. chapter on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/11\/kennedy-directs-fda-to-explore-revising-controversial-gras-food-additive-rules\/\">announced in March<\/a> that he was directing the FDA to look into changing the rules around ingredients the agency calls GRAS, or \u201cgenerally recognized as safe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Currently, companies can add their own ingredients to the list without obtaining FDA approval, but Kennedy hinted then that he would need the law to change to get some of that work done. Kennedy said he was hoping to work with Congress to \u201ccompletely close the loophole.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Marshall\u2019s bill will require \u201cmandatory notification\u201d for new GRAS additives, according to Pitts. Companies would have to submit paperwork to the FDA alerting regulators to the use of a new additive in a product, but those additives still would not go through an approval process.<\/p>\n<p>The bill will also include provisions related to a plan the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/food\/hfp-constituent-updates\/fda-hold-public-meeting-development-enhanced-systematic-process-fdas-post-market-assessment\">FDA proposed last year<\/a> to strengthen the review of food chemicals already on the market, including those on the GRAS list. Finally, she said it will include language that prevents states from passing laws that contradict the federal regulations.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We know it&#8217;s much easier for food manufacturers in the industry to get products across state lines if they have one united framework to follow,\u201d Pitts said.<\/p>\n<p>Last December, Marshall <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marshall.senate.gov\/newsroom\/press-releases\/senator-marshall-announces-make-america-healthy-again-caucus\/\">created<\/a> the Senate\u2019s MAHA Caucus <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marshall.senate.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/MAHA-Caucus-copy.pdf\">with a key purpose<\/a> to \u201cwork with RFK Jr. to be the legislative force that ensures the key pillars of MAHA are executed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Pitts said that Marshall\u2019s experience as an OB-GYN informed his interest in food-as-medicine, an approach to chronic disease prevention that was championed during the Biden administration at the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2022\/09\/29\/voices-from-the-white-house-conference-on-hunger-and-nutrition\/\">White House Conference on Hunger, Health, and Nutrition<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe has long worked on food-as-medicine,\u201d she said. \u201cNow, going into the Trump administration, food-as-medicine has kind of been rebranded to the Make America Healthy Again movement.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A report on addressing childhood chronic disease that <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/14\/trump-creates-make-america-healthy-again-commission\/\">President Trump directed<\/a> the MAHA Commission to deliver \u00a0is set to come out \u201cwithin the month,\u201d said Pitts. The Commission is made up of cabinet officials and is led by Kennedy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe&#8217;re waiting on direction from them,\u201d she said. \u201cAfter that comes out, then it&#8217;ll come to the Hill, [and] we&#8217;ll have discussions amongst ourselves about what is going to be done regulatory and what&#8217;s going to be done by a statute.\u201d As a result, more MAHA-inspired legislation will likely be on the table.\u00a0 (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#senator-marshall-plans-to-introduce-maha-food-additive-legislation\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"64067\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hunger\/' title='Hunger' class='pt-cv-tax-hunger'>Hunger<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Republican Ag Leaders Push Back on Cutting&nbsp;SNAP<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>May 1, 2025 <\/b>\u2013 While addressing agriculture journalists on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, Republican leaders of the Senate and House Agriculture Committees said that despite their party\u2019s directive to cut billions of dollars in spending, they are committed to keeping current benefit levels in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which 42 million Americans currently receive each month.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe&#8217;re not gonna&#8217; reduce the amount of money that individuals are getting right now,\u201d said Senate Chair John Boozman (R-Arkansas).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe&#8217;re not gonna&#8217; be cutting benefits,\u201d echoed House Chair G.T. Thompson (R-Pennsylvania). \u201cWe&#8217;re not gonna&#8217; hurt people that are living in poverty, folks that quite frankly are struggling paycheck to paycheck that are really dependent upon this nutritional assistance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>However, proposals on the table to deliver the cuts far-right lawmakers are demanding are still controversial and could push hungry people out of the program, anti-hunger experts say.<\/p>\n<p>Republicans are looking to slash spending during budget reconciliation to pay for making tax cuts passed during Trump\u2019s first term permanent. They are direction the Senate Ag Committee to find $1 billion in savings and the House Ag Committee to find $230 billion. The final number will be worked out later and the committees are scheduled to begin drafting their plans next week.<\/p>\n<p>SNAP is the most likely place to find the cuts, as it represents <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ers.usda.gov\/topics\/food-nutrition-assistance\/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap\/key-statistics-and-research\">more than $100 billion<\/a> in federal spending annually. Democrats have been <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#house-lawmakers-spar-over-snap-cuts-and-work-requirements\">loudly pushing back<\/a> on various proposals that have been floated on the Hill, including rolling back a Biden-era update that increased benefits.<\/p>\n<p>Thompson said he\u2019s not interested in that rollback and that while he suspects the final number will be lower than $230 billion, he has identified a way to get to that number without cutting any benefits, although it would be challenging. Depending on what he can get others in his parties to agree to, he may not have a choice&#8211;Republicans are also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/live-updates\/2025\/04\/30\/congress\/hurdles-remain-for-republicans-medicaid-quest-00320150?nname=playbook&amp;nid=0000014f-1646-d88f-a1cf-5f46b7bd0000&amp;nrid=c558fe25-ea7d-447c-8cb2-98af0156aea5\">divided amongst themselves<\/a> over cuts to Medicaid.<\/p>\n<p>Boozman pointed to overpayments as a place to find savings, and Thompson also cited \u201cprogram integrity,\u201d a term that generally refers to correcting errors. In 2023, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fns.usda.gov\/snap\/qc\/per\">USDA reported<\/a> the overpayment rate within SNAP at 10 percent. Both lawmakers also mentioned work requirements. One proposal previously introduced by Representative Dusty Johnson (R-South Dakota) would raise the age range for SNAP recipients subject to the strictest work requirements from 55 to 65 and reduce the number of counties in the country that would be eligible for waivers exempting participants from work requirements due to high unemployment.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lee.senate.gov\/2025\/3\/lee-introduces-snap-reform-and-upward-mobility-act-for-119th-congress\">another proposal<\/a> would shift some of the costs of paying for SNAP benefits to state governments rather than the feds. Thompson said he does not like this idea, but that if his hand is forced, he\u2019d choose it over cutting benefit amounts.<\/p>\n<p>Advocacy groups and think tanks argue that while many of these changes would not directly change how much participants receive each month, they qualify as \u201ccuts\u201d because they would push participants out of the SNAP program and therefore could still increase hunger. For instance, the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities estimated changes to work requirements <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbpp.org\/research\/food-assistance\/worsening-snaps-harsh-work-requirement-would-take-food-assistance-away\">could push 6 million people<\/a> out of the program and that the proposal to shift costs to states <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbpp.org\/blog\/house-republicans-reportedly-planning-to-shift-billions-in-snap-costs-to-states\">would force some states<\/a> to cut benefits.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.urban.org\/research\/publication\/how-would-state-cost-share-affect-snap-recession\">Another analysis<\/a> of the state cost-share plan found that in the case of a recession, it could lead to an average annual benefit cut of $327 per household and 862,000 additional people falling into poverty.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, Democrats on the House Ag Committee held a briefing to address negative impacts of shifting costs to states.\u201cThis proposal would not generate any cost savings\u2014it would merely pass the buck from the federal government to the states and take food away from innocent people in the process,\u201d Ranking Member Angie Craig (D-Minnesota) said in a statement. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#republican-ag-leaders-push-back-on-cutting-snap\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"64017\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/food-and-farm-workers\/' title='Food and farm workers' class='pt-cv-tax-food-and-farm-workers'>Food and farm workers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/immigration\/' title='Immigration' class='pt-cv-tax-immigration'>Immigration<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/bcalvert\/\" rel=\"author\">Brian Calvert<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Ahead of International Workers&#8217; Day, USDA Touts Anti-Immigration Efforts on&nbsp;Farms<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>April 30, 2025 \u2013 <\/b>As May Day approaches, and with the Trump administration reaching its 100-day mark, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins issued two <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/news\/press-releases\/2025\/04\/28\/first-100-days-secretary-rollins-blocks-illegal-immigrants-receiving-federal-benefits-supports-us\">statements<\/a> in the past week <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/news\/press-releases\/2025\/04\/24\/usda-ensures-illegal-aliens-do-not-receive-federal-benefits\">touting<\/a> the USDA\u2019s efforts to curb undocumented immigration\u2014moves that have had a significant impact on workers in food and agriculture and immigrant communities across the country.<\/p>\n<p>Immigration crackdowns were central to Donald Trump\u2019s re-election campaign, and the first 100 days of his administration farmworkers and labor organizers have been detained or arrested alongside student activists and alleged members of Central American gangs. Farmers and farmworkers continue to worry that broader crackdowns will hurt an already tight labor market.<\/p>\n<p>As with other departments, the USDA has worked to implement Trump\u2019s policies.\u00a0 Rollins has stated she wants \u201cto ensure that illegal immigrants do not receive federal benefits,\u201d the agency said, by implementing stricter eligibility screening for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), among other initiatives.<\/p>\n<p>Rollins says tighter restrictions will prevent \u201cillegal aliens\u201d from getting benefits. \u201cWe are stewards of taxpayer dollars, and it is our duty to ensure states confirm the identity and verify the immigration status of SNAP applicants,\u201d she <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/news\/press-releases\/2025\/04\/24\/usda-ensures-illegal-aliens-do-not-receive-federal-benefits\">said<\/a> in a statement. \u201cUSDA\u2019s nutrition programs are intended to support the most vulnerable Americans. To allow those who broke our laws by entering the United States illegally to receive these benefits is outrageous.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rollins did not cite evidence to support that undocumented people in the U.S. are receiving federal benefits, which are denied to non-citizens in most cases. But she said she has issued guidance to state agencies \u201cdirecting them to enhance identity and immigration verification practices when determining eligibility\u201d for SNAP.<\/p>\n<p>That could add steps to the process and make it harder in general for people to apply for benefits, which in turn could end up hurting farm laborers, foresters, and fishers, many of whom rely on such benefits. The Union of Concerned Scientists estimates that nearly 20 percent of farming, fishing, and forestry workers received SNAP benefits between 2015 and 2017. \u201cFood workers are roughly twice as likely to need SNAP as the average U.S. worker,\u201d the group <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.ucs.org\/alice-reznickova\/how-big-food-corporations-take-advantage-of-snap\/#:~:text=According%20to%20national%20averages%20between,retail),%20it's%2023%20percent.\">said<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Immigrant labor remains a key pillar of U.S. agriculture. This has included a major <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ers.usda.gov\/data-products\/charts-of-note\/chart-detail?chartId=104874\">increase<\/a> in farmworkers under the H2-A seasonal worker program over the past 20 years, but it also includes the widespread employment of undocumented workers on farms. The farm industry continues to worry about farm labor, despite some <a href=\"https:\/\/abic.us\/know-this-now-president-trump-signals-opening-on-farm-and-hotel-workers\/\">assurances<\/a> from Trump that farms will be able to continue to hire non-U.S. workers. USDA data from the end of the Biden administration suggest that about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ers.usda.gov\/topics\/farm-economy\/farm-labor#size\">half of hired crop workers<\/a> in the U.S. lack legal immigration status.<\/p>\n<p>Under President Trump, immigration enforcement has pushed into farm country. In Washington state in March, plainclothes ICE agents <a href=\"https:\/\/www.democracynow.org\/2025\/4\/4\/alfredo_lelo_juarez_zeferino_ice_jail\">detained<\/a> a farm labor organizer named Alfredo \u201cLelo\u201d Juarez Zeferino, and in January Border Patrol agents raided a farm in Kern County, California, <a href=\"https:\/\/calmatters.org\/economy\/2025\/04\/border-patrol-records-kern-county\/\">arresting<\/a> 78 people.<\/p>\n<p>Civic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foodjustice.org\/blog\/2025\/3\/27\/update-on-farmworker-leader-alfredo-lelo-juarez\">organizers<\/a> are holding a rally in Olympia, Washington today, calling for the release of Zeferino and others held in ICE detention. Meanwhile, a federal court in California has issued an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aclusocal.org\/en\/press-releases\/breaking-court-bars-border-patrols-unlawful-stop-and-arrest-practices\">injunction<\/a> that prohibits Border Patrol agents across large swathes of the state from stopping people without reasonable suspicion they are breaking the law, or arresting people without a warrant and probable cause.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis order rightfully upholds the law,\u201d\u00a0 Teresa Romero, President of United Farm Workers, said on Tuesday, following the injunction. \u201cBorder Patrol can\u2019t just wade into communities snatching up hardworking people without due process, just for being brown and working class.&#8221;\u00a0 (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#ahead-of-international-workers-day-usda-touts-anti-immigration-efforts-on-farms\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"64044\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/fda\/' title='FDA' class='pt-cv-tax-fda'>FDA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/food-and-farm-workers\/' title='Food and farm workers' class='pt-cv-tax-food-and-farm-workers'>Food and farm workers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hhs\/' title='HHS' class='pt-cv-tax-hhs'>HHS<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/immigration\/' title='Immigration' class='pt-cv-tax-immigration'>Immigration<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/the-white-house\/' title='The White House' class='pt-cv-tax-the-white-house'>The White House<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >5 Takeaways from the First 100 Days of Tracking the Trump Administration on Food and&nbsp;Farming<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>April 30, 2025<\/b> \u2013\u00a0This week, the Trump administration <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/articles\/2025\/04\/icymi-celebrating-president-trumps-incredible-first-100-days\/\">marked 100 days in office<\/a> with a deluge of rallies, messaging, and fanfare.<\/p>\n<p>During a visit to a Texas agriculture research center and farm with Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said that President Trump \u201chas given us a platform to change America for the better.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Since January, Civil Eats <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/\">has been following<\/a> the flood of White House and agency announcements and actions to keep track of the most important changes that impact food and agriculture. We&#8217;ve been regularly talking to members of Congress, government employees, farmers, food bank employees, school food pros, researchers, and advocates to stay up to speed.<\/p>\n<p>Here, we offer our own 100-day (and in no way comprehensive) review of our coverage of the biggest stories to date.<\/p>\n<p><b>1. Quick action on political priorities.<\/b> President Biden <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/15\/how-four-years-of-biden-reshaped-food-and-farming\/\">prioritized climate action and creating equity<\/a> across the federal government, including at the agencies that work on food and agriculture; Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/21\/trumps-day-1-orders-have-profound-implications-for-the-food-system\/\">made quick work<\/a> of undoing those policies and programs. The term &#8220;climate change&#8221; was <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/03\/usda-begins-deleting-website-pages-on-climate-change\/\">scrubbed from the USDA website<\/a> and farmer grant programs that prioritized climate goals were frozen for review and targeted for cancellation.<\/p>\n<p>The rooting out of what Trump calls \u201cdiversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA)\u201d programs included <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/10\/despite-cuts-to-dei-initiatives-food-and-farm-advocates-say-they-will-continue-to-fight-for-racial-justice\/\">throwing out the USDA\u2019s report<\/a> on historic discrimination and recommendations for course correction, <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/11\/epa-places-nearly-200-employees-on-leave-in-response-to-trump-dei-order\/\">shutting down the EPA\u2019s<\/a> environmental justice offices, and <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/26\/usda-has-begun-canceling-contracts-based-on-trumps-dei-order\/\">canceling grant contracts to farm groups<\/a> that had identified working with groups such as Black or LGBTQ farmers in their proposals.<\/p>\n<p>Under Rollins, USDA has also engaged in political disputes that don&#8217;t impact agriculture: the agency <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/07\/maine-sues-usda-over-withholding-funds-based-on-gender-identity-disputes\/\">threatened to withhold funding<\/a> from universities in Maine and California based on policies that supported transgender rights.<\/p>\n<p><b>2. A farm (and food) economy in turmoil. <\/b>\u201cFarmers come first at the United States Department of Agriculture in the Trump Administration,\u201d Rollins said in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/news\/press-releases\/2025\/04\/30\/first-100-days-trump-administration-secretary-rollins-puts-farmers-first\">a USDA statement<\/a> on the agency\u2019s first 100 days of work. \u201cAt USDA, I have made bold changes to improve the lives of American producers and consumers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>However, nearly all USDA grant programs were <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/11\/usda-continues-to-roll-out-deeper-cuts-to-farm-grants-a-list\/\">frozen for review<\/a> when she took over, which has caused months of financial turmoil for farmers waiting for payments they had been planning on. Many programs have since been unfrozen; the fate of others <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/16\/usdas-regional-food-business-centers-caught-in-federal-funding-freeze\/\">remains unknown<\/a>. In addition, more than $1 billion in expected payments to farmers to provide fresh food to schools and food banks <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/04\/kennedy-and-rollins-highlight-healthy-school-food-after-usda-slashes-funds-for-those-efforts\/\">was cancelled<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Biden\u2019s Climate-Smart Commodities program was <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/14\/usda-cancels-climate-smart-commodities-program-but-some-projects-may-continue\/\">renamed and revamped<\/a>, resulting in the cancellation of many multi-million dollar projects that were paying hundreds of farmers to implement conservation practices like <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/28\/agroforestry-projects-across-us-now-stymied-by-federal-cuts\/\">agroforestry<\/a>. Small farms selling locally to their communities <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/19\/the-end-of-federal-support-for-local-food\/\">have been particularly hard hit<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, Trump\u2019s tariffs have <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/02\/trump-announces-higher-tariffs-on-major-food-and-agricultural-trade-partners\/\">created uncertainty<\/a>, particularly for commodity farmers, like those who sell soybeans to China and import fertilizer from Canada. Trump has said the long-term payoff will be worth the short-term pain and Rollins has promised to bail out those farms if they do suffer losses\u2014as <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2019\/11\/13\/government-bailouts-are-the-only-thing-bringing-farm-incomes-up\/\">Trump\u2019s USDA did<\/a> during his first administration. The USDA also quickly steered <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/18\/usda-prioritizes-economic-relief-for-commodity-farmers\/\">extra commodity assistance dollars<\/a> authorized by Congress last year to commodity farmers.<\/p>\n<p><b>3. Fewer people working on food and farming.<\/b> The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has worked with agencies to slash staff and cancel office leases. At the USDA, an estimated 16,000 employees took an offer to resign, thousands more were let go, and more layoffs are expected, although many employees have been reinstated due to court orders and the agency backtracking after firing key personnel.<\/p>\n<p>At the FDA, Kennedy is <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/27\/rfk-jr-cuts-3400-additional-fda-jobs-in-sweeping-restructuring-of-hhs\/\">reorganizing the entire agency<\/a>, including eliminating 20,000 jobs. NOAA has <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/04\/house-democrats-hold-forum-on-noaa-cuts-and-point-to-impacts-on-farmers-and-fishermen\/\">cut at least 1,000 employees<\/a> and may lose as much as 20 percent of its 13,000-person workforce. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/04\/24\/us\/politics\/musk-cuts.html\">One report estimates<\/a> DOGE\u2019s approach to staff cuts will cost taxpayers $135 billion this year.<\/p>\n<p><b>4. The MAHA movement focuses on food additives and SNAP. <\/b>Since Kennedy took office, he\u2019s focused the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/10\/09\/can-trump-and-robert-f-kennedy-jr-make-america-healthy-again\/\">Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement<\/a> on food additives and unhealthy foods in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). He <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/11\/kennedy-directs-fda-to-explore-revising-controversial-gras-food-additive-rules\/\">directed the FDA<\/a> to review the controversial GRAS process and <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/22\/fda-plans-to-eliminate-artificial-food-dyes-by-end-of-2026\/\">announced<\/a> that the agency would work with industry to phase out six food dyes linked to hyperactivity in children.<\/p>\n<p>Together, Kennedy and Rollins are <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/16\/trump-administration-charges-forward-on-state-maha-initiatives\/\">supporting state-level efforts<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/10\/bans-on-soda-and-candy-in-snap-are-back-on-the-table-and-theyre-still-controversial\/\">ban soda and junk food from SNAP<\/a>. At a food policy event in D.C. this week, one Hill staffer said MAHA initiatives are so popular among Republicans that they\u2019ve \u201csucked all the air out of the room\u201d in terms of other priorities like the farm bill.<\/p>\n<p><b>5. Major rollbacks of environmental, food safety, and fisheries regulations. <\/b>The EPA has been <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/13\/deregulatory-blitz-at-epa-includes-climate-and-water-rules-that-impact-agriculture\/\">rolling back dozens of environmental regulations<\/a>, including a key rule that allows for the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions at a time when the food system is <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/03\/20\/the-ipccs-latest-climate-report-is-a-final-alarm-for-food-systems-too\/\">reeling from the impacts<\/a> of climate change. Trump also <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/18\/trump-orders-deregulation-of-the-us-fishing-industry\/\">ordered the deregulation<\/a> of the fishing industry, and the USDA <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#usda-scraps-rules-that-would-have-stopped-sale-of-salmonella-tainted-chicken\">scrapped rules<\/a> that would have allowed the agency to stop salmonella-tainted chicken from reaching grocery shelves. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#5-takeaways-from-the-first-100-days-of-tracking-the-trump-administration-on-food-and-farming\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"63978\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Ag Secretary Rollins to Appear Before House Committee as Dems Seek&nbsp;Answers<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>April 29, 2025<\/b> \u2013 Representative Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) said today that Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins will appear in front of a subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee focused on agriculture, which is <a href=\"https:\/\/appropriations.house.gov\/subcommittees\/agriculture-rural-development-food-and-drug-administration-and-related-agencies\">in charge of USDA spending<\/a>, as soon as next week, where lawmakers will have a chance to ask her about staffing cuts and field office closures.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats in both chambers of Congress have been trying to get clear answers from the Secretary about how the agency has been making those cuts and the impact they may have on farmers.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, Democrats on the House Agriculture Committee, which Pingree also serves on, <a href=\"https:\/\/democrats-agriculture.house.gov\/uploadedfiles\/house_agriculture_committee_minority_letter_on_usda_staff_decisions_04.25.2025.pdf?utm_campaign=2170-520\">sent a letter<\/a> to Rollins expressing their concerns. \u201cNot only are these the federal employees directly working with farmers on the ground, but these office closures are coming from programs that serve as a lifeline between the federal government and rural communities,\u201d they wrote.<\/p>\n<p>Approximately 16,000 USDA employees <a href=\"https:\/\/www.govexec.com\/workforce\/2025\/04\/employees-swarm-second-deferred-resignation-offer-though-some-are-receiving-unexpected-responses\/404504\/\">opted into<\/a> the administration\u2019s deferred resignation program earlier this month. Several thousand employees were also fired earlier this year, but some have been asked to come back or have been reinstated through court orders. Other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.govexec.com\/workforce\/2025\/04\/usda-slash-headquarters-other-staff-and-relocate-some-new-hubs-around-country\/404371\/\">reports have claimed<\/a> the agency is planning to slash thousands more soon. DOGE also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dtnpf.com\/agriculture\/web\/ag\/blogs\/ag-policy-blog\/blog-post\/2025\/03\/14\/usda-faces-111-office-leases-doge?itm_source=parsely-api\">reported it terminated leases<\/a> for more than 100 USDA offices around the country, many of which were local offices directly serving farmers.<\/p>\n<p>Lawmakers are especially worried about those cuts, since the local offices connect farmers to services including technical assistance, loan programs, and conservation planning. In Maine, Pingree said a Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office previously had six employees, but \u201cnow it has one [person] trying to answer the phone and deal with it all.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota), the top Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee, told Civil Eats that, in her state, one local USDA office had both of its two employees cut, while another office still had its full staff, demonstrating the haphazard nature of staff firings.<\/p>\n<p>While it was too soon to expect a response to the letter, Pingree said the Appropriations Committee has struggled to communicate with the USDA in the same way they have with past administrations.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEspecially as an appropriator, the clerk in your committee could always call, no matter what administration it was, and say, \u2018What kind of downsizing you&#8217;re doing?\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cIt&#8217;s been a very unusual time. Mostly they&#8217;re prohibited from talking to us.\u201d For that reason, she said she was looking forward to Rollins appearing before the committee.<\/p>\n<p>Senator John Boozman (R-Arkansas), on the other hand, said he has had plenty of communication with Secretary Rollins. In the past, he said, he has raised red flags about closing local USDA offices. However, he said, \u201creorganizing is not a bad idea\u201d given the size of the federal deficit.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think the farm community understands that. I think Congress understands that,\u201d he said. \u201cSo, we&#8217;re really trying to look and see exactly what [the USDA is] trying to do and be as supportive as we can, in order to make sure that we&#8217;re running as lean and mean as we can, but still providing those services that are so very important.\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#ag-secretary-rollins-to-appear-before-house-committee-as-dems-seek-answers\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"63883\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/food-safety\/' title='Food safety' class='pt-cv-tax-food-safety'>Food safety<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >USDA Scraps Rules That Would Have Stopped Sale of Salmonella-Tainted&nbsp;Chicken<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>April 25, 2025<\/b> \u2013 Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.federalregister.gov\/public-inspection\/2025-07187\/salmonella-framework-for-raw-poultry-products-withdrawal\">withdrew a rule<\/a> proposed under former President Biden that would have allowed the agency, for the first time, to stop chicken contaminated with salmonella from reaching consumers.<\/p>\n<p>Currently, the USDA tests for salmonella, alerts consumers to food safety concerns, and issues voluntary recalls, but it can\u2019t pull products off the shelves. Food safety watchdog groups <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/15\/how-four-years-of-biden-reshaped-food-and-farming\/\">had called<\/a> the agency\u2019s move to change that reality \u201cone of the greatest advances in food safety in a generation.\u201d But Biden\u2019s USDA didn\u2019t finalize the rule, making it easy for the incoming administration to scrap it.<\/p>\n<p>Those same groups slammed the decision, saying that more Americans will get sick as a result. Salmonella is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fsis.usda.gov\/inspection\/inspection-programs\/inspection-poultry-products\/reducing-salmonella-poultry\/salmonella\">responsible for<\/a> more than a million infections and 400 deaths in the U.S. annually.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe administration is sending the message that consumers will be on their own when it comes to protecting their families from foodborne illness,\u201d Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, said <a href=\"https:\/\/advocacy.consumerreports.org\/press_release\/usda-withdraws-proposed-framework-to-reduce-salmonella-illness-from-poultry\/\">in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>That message is more pronounced, Ronholm said, because many other deregulatory actions within the Trump administration could impact food safety. Those include staff and budget cuts, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration\u2019s decision to delay a rule to improve traceability in supply chains, the <a href=\"https:\/\/advocacy.consumerreports.org\/press_release\/consumer-reports-statement-on-the-elimination-of-two-critical-usda-food-safety-advisory-committees\/\">elimination<\/a> of food safety advisory committees, and faster line speeds permitted in meatpacking plants.<\/p>\n<p>The USDA did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n<p>The National Chicken Council, which represents the country\u2019s largest poultry companies, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalchickencouncil.org\/ncc-statement-on-withdrawal-of-salmonellaframework\/\">stated<\/a>\u00a0they appreciated the decision and looked forward to working with the USDA on an approach that is \u201cbased on sound science, is implementable, and will have a meaningful and measured impact on public health.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this week, <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#embattled-meat-giant-jbs-cleared-for-nyse-listing-was-trumps-largest-inauguration-donor\">election records revealed<\/a> that JBS-owned chicken company Pilgrim\u2019s Pride, a member of the National Chicken Council, donated $5 million to Trump\u2019s inauguration. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#usda-scraps-rules-that-would-have-stopped-sale-of-salmonella-tainted-chicken\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"63867\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/dhs\/' title='DHS' class='pt-cv-tax-dhs'>DHS<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/food-and-farm-workers\/' title='Food and farm workers' class='pt-cv-tax-food-and-farm-workers'>Food and farm workers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/immigration\/' title='Immigration' class='pt-cv-tax-immigration'>Immigration<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Federal Agents Detain Workers at a Vermont Dairy&nbsp;Farm<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>April 24, 2025<\/b> \u2013 On Monday, armed agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), a division of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.burlingtonfreepress.com\/story\/news\/2025\/04\/22\/vermont-migrants-arrested-dairy-farm-workers\/83220821007\/\">raided a Vermont dairy farm<\/a> and arrested eight immigrant workers. The migrants, who ranged in age from 22 to 41, worked at Pleasant Valley Farms, just a few miles from the Canadian border.<\/p>\n<p>It may be the first time since President Trump took office that his escalating efforts around immigration enforcement and deportations directly landed on an American farm. Farmers rely heavily on immigrant labor.<\/p>\n<p>During a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing in February, Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) brought up the impact that immigration crackdowns could have on his state\u2019s agriculture economy. \u201cIt&#8217;s very simple,\u201d he said. \u201cIf you don&#8217;t have farm labor in Vermont, you don&#8217;t milk the cows.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At a cabinet meeting in early April, Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/latino\/trump-farmworkers-hotel-workers-undocumented-legal-rcna200722\">made unclear statements<\/a> about deporting farmworkers, saying that he would \u201cslow it down\u201d for farmers and that workers would \u201cgo out\u201d and \u201ccome back as legal workers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In an emailed statement to Civil Eats, CBP Assistant Commissioner Hilton Beckham said that the action was not a raid targeting farmworkers. \u201cAgents were called to a location at a dairy farm located about 2.5 miles from the Canadian border by a concerned citizen,\u201d she said. \u201cThis was not a special operation or a worksite enforcement operation, however, when agents encounter individuals who are in the country illegally, they will take them into custody and determine their immigration disposition, including potentially turning those individuals over to other agencies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The workers were members of <a href=\"https:\/\/migrantjustice.net\/\">Migrant Justice<\/a>, an organization that fights for immigrant rights. According to Migrant Justice\u2019s Will Lambek, \u201cSuch a call would have been a flimsy pretext at best, as Border Patrol entered farm property, chased workers through barns, and entered a private dwelling.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lambek also said there was no evidence agents targeted the workers based on their organizing work with Migrant Justice, although the organization <a href=\"https:\/\/migrantjustice.net\/MJ-v-ICE-Settlement-PR\">has reported being targeted<\/a> by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the past. In March, ICE agents <a href=\"https:\/\/www.king5.com\/article\/news\/local\/washington-farmworker-activist-detained-by-immigration-ice\/281-8ed4ea64-55e8-4aa2-a083-b1b3df159c1b\">arrested farmworker activist Alfredo Juarez<\/a> during a traffic stop in Washington state.<\/p>\n<p>Migrant Justice <a href=\"https:\/\/migrantjustice.net\/node\/556\">launched a petition<\/a> and is holding <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DIzMPyfyZ3P\/\">a rally tonight<\/a> at Burlington City Hall to call for the release of the workers. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#federal-agents-detain-workers-at-a-vermont-dairy-farm\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"63843\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/animal-agriculture\/' title='Animal agriculture' class='pt-cv-tax-animal-agriculture'>Animal agriculture<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/climate-and-environment\/' title='Climate and environment' class='pt-cv-tax-climate-and-environment'>Climate and environment<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/the-white-house\/' title='The White House' class='pt-cv-tax-the-white-house'>The White House<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Embattled Meat Giant JBS Cleared for NYSE Listing, Was Trump\u2019s Largest Inauguration&nbsp;Donor<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>April 23, 2025<\/b> \u2013 The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/1791942\/999999999525001178\/xslEFFECTX01\/primary_doc.xml\">cleared<\/a> JBS, the world\u2019s largest meatpacker, for listing on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) yesterday, and the company <a href=\"https:\/\/jbsfoodsgroup.com\/articles\/jbs-completes-sec-registration-and-calls-shareholders-meeting-to-vote-on-dual-listing\">announced<\/a> it will hold a shareholder vote on the listing on May 23.<\/p>\n<p>Environmental organizations, animal welfare groups, and <a href=\"https:\/\/mightyearth.org\/article\/jbs-ipo-faces-new-opposition-from-investors\/\">investors<\/a> have been <a href=\"https:\/\/banthebatistas.com\/\">fighting<\/a> to keep the Brazilian company from achieving an IPO for about a year and half based on allegations of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/archives\/opa\/pr\/jf-investimentos-sa-pleads-guilty-and-agrees-pay-over-256-million-resolve-criminal-foreign\">bribery,<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2017\/03\/17\/world\/americas\/brazil-food-companies-bribe-scandal-salmonella.html\">corruption<\/a>, and environmental <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/10\/29\/world\/americas\/brazil-forest-amazon-chemicals.html\">destruction<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Many of those groups decried the SEC\u2019s approval of the registration. In one statement, Laura Fox, a research scholar in Yale Law School\u2019s Law, Environment, &amp; Animals Program, said that by not resolving allegations that the company made misleading claims about its role in driving climate change and biodiversity loss, the SEC failed in its obligation to protect investors.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe SEC should have thoroughly investigated these concerns to prevent investors from being misled and to ensure that corporate greenwashing does not further fuel climate destruction and ecological harm,\u201d Fox said.<\/p>\n<p>A spokesperson for the SEC said the agency cannot comment on \u201ca specific issuer or filing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Many groups also called attention to the fact that earlier this week, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/04\/20\/us\/politics\/trump-inauguration-donors.html?unlocked_article_code=1.B08.3l2C.pccOcDb3H_fR&amp;smid=url-share\">records revealed<\/a> the largest donor to President Trump\u2019s inauguration was Pilgrim\u2019s Pride, a chicken company JBS has owned since 2009.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA $5 million donation from JBS subsidiary Pilgrim\u2019s Pride was a blatant attempt to buy political favor and seek approval for critical regulatory decisions, including JBS\u2019s ongoing push to list on the New York Stock Exchange,\u201d Mighty Earth CEO Glenn Hurowitz <a href=\"https:\/\/mightyearth.org\/article\/brazilian-meat-giant-jbs-was-largest-donor-to-trumps-inauguration\/\">said in a statement.<\/a> \u201cThe amount was five times what tech giants contributed, underscoring JBS\u2019s aggressive strategy to gain influence over the Trump administration and avoid accountability.\u201d In the past, Mighty Earth has <a href=\"https:\/\/mightyearth.org\/article\/mighty-earth-has-filed-a-whistleblower-complaint-to-the-securities-and-exchange-commission-against-the-worlds-largest-meat-processor-jbs-we-are-calling-for-the-sec-the-usas-primary-financial-re\/\">filed complaints<\/a> with the SEC on JBS\u2019s governance and practices.<\/p>\n<p>Experts <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/rbreich.bsky.social\/post\/3lndvogpfcx2e\">have been calling attention to<\/a> other actions the administration has taken that have benefited major donors in other sectors: A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizen.org\/news\/trumps-corporate-inauguration-donor-pool-littered-with-federal-investigations-enforcement-lawsuits\/\">report released this week<\/a> by the nonprofit Public Citizen found that Pilgrim\u2019s Pride is just one of 58 companies that donated to the second Trump inauguration who are also facing federal lawsuits or investigations.<\/p>\n<p>In 2020, Trump\u2019s SEC and Department of Justice <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/newsroom\/press-releases\/2020-254\">found JBS engaged in a bribery scheme<\/a> to take over Pilgrim\u2019s Pride and fined the company more than $250 million. However, Trump\u2019s USDA also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/this-foreign-meat-company-got-us-tax-money-now-it-wants-to-conquer-america\/2019\/11\/04\/854836ae-eae5-11e9-9306-47cb0324fd44_story.html\">gave JBS $78 million in taxpayer funds<\/a> used to bail out farmers during his first trade war.<\/p>\n<p>The White House did not respond to Civil Eats\u2019 questions about the inaugural donation and the SEC\u2019s registration approval. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#embattled-meat-giant-jbs-cleared-for-nyse-listing-was-trumps-largest-inauguration-donor\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"63793\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/fda\/' title='FDA' class='pt-cv-tax-fda'>FDA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/food-safety\/' title='Food safety' class='pt-cv-tax-food-safety'>Food safety<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hhs\/' title='HHS' class='pt-cv-tax-hhs'>HHS<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >FDA Plans to Eliminate Artificial Food Dyes By End of&nbsp;2026<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>April 22, 2025 <\/b>\u2013 At a press conference today, Food &amp; Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Marty Makary <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/news-events\/press-announcements\/hhs-fda-phase-out-petroleum-based-synthetic-dyes-nations-food-supply\">announced<\/a> that the FDA is \u201ceffectively removing all petroleum-based food dyes from the U.S. food supply.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Makary said his agency will work with the food industry to eliminate FD&amp;C Green No. 3, FD&amp;C Red No. 40, FD&amp;C Yellow No. 5, FD&amp;C Yellow No. 6, FD&amp;C Blue No. 1, and FD&amp;C Blue No. 23 from products, including by approving new natural dye replacements and establishing a national standard and timeline to help companies make the transition.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere&#8217;s no one ingredient that accounts for the child chronic disease epidemic,\u201d Makary said. \u201cTaking petroleum-based food dyes out of the food supply is not a silver bullet that will instantly make America&#8217;s children healthy, but it is one important step. This administration is not interested in continuing down the path of doing the same old things as we watch our nation&#8217;s children get sicker. We need fresh new approaches.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For decades, public health advocates have been pushing <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2016\/02\/15\/what-you-need-to-know-about-artificial-food-coloring-phase-outs-mars\/\">food companies<\/a>, regulators, and <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2017\/03\/16\/a-new-calif-bill-could-be-first-to-require-food-dye-labeling\/\">lawmakers<\/a> to end the use of the artificial dyes based on their links to behavioral and other health issues in children, especially hyperactivity. The United Kingdom and European Union restrict their use in foods, but the FDA has <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2016\/02\/15\/what-you-need-to-know-about-artificial-food-coloring-phase-outs-mars\/\">long maintained<\/a> that they\u2019re safe for most children. On their way out the door, Biden administration officials <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/15\/goodbye-to-red-dye\/\">banned Red Dye No. 3<\/a> based on animal studies showing a link to cancer. California <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cspinet.org\/article\/which-school-meals-and-snacks-contain-synthetic-food-dyes\">enacted the first state ban<\/a> on artificial dyes in school foods in September of 2024, and other states have followed suit.<\/p>\n<p>After Makary\u2019s announcement, Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) advocates and influencers, including activist Vani Hari and functional-medicine physician Mark Hyman, took to the stage to applaud the announcement. \u201cNow we are entering a new era. An era where we don&#8217;t need to worry about artificial food dyes on the frosting of a birthday cake,\u201d Hari said.<\/p>\n<p>Robert F. Kennedy Jr, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which oversees the FDA, was the closer. Kennedy said while there are many issues he hopes to tackle on his MAHA agenda, \u201cFood dye is just a no-brainer. We can act on that now.\u201d While the FDA\u2019s plan depends on companies\u2019 willingness to work with the agencies, Kennedy said they had already demonstrated an eagerness to do so.<\/p>\n<p>In conjunction with the announcement, the U.S. Department of Agriculture sent out a statement celebrating <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idfa.org\/healthydairyinschools?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery\">a commitment<\/a> from the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) to remove artificial dyes from milk, cheese, and yogurt served in school meals by July 2026. In its announcement, the IDFA said the vast majority of dairy products are already free of the dyes but that some reformulation would be required.<\/p>\n<p>The president of the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), Peter Lurie, who has been driving work on the issue for years, said in a statement that the dyes are completely unnecessary and the harms to children\u2019s health are real. \u201cWe don\u2019t need synthetic dyes in the food supply, and no one will be harmed by their absence,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>However, he was critical of the fact that the plan relies on \u201cvoluntary food industry compliance\u201d and no major regulatory changes were proposed. He also worried other recent changes at the FDA could hinder longer-term work to fix the system that has allowed chemicals linked to health risks to remain in the food supply for so long.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThanks to the brutal staff cuts to FDA imposed by Secretary Kennedy and Elon Musk\u2019s DOGE, it will be harder now for FDA to police other food additives, inspect factories, or perform just about any function than it was four months ago,\u201d Lurie said. Last week, the country\u2019s top ultra-processed foods researcher <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/17\/top-ultra-processed-foods-researcher-at-nih-resigns-citing-censorship\/\">resigned from his role within HHS<\/a> after he said he no longer believed it was possible to practice \u201cunbiased science.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>During the conference, Kennedy reiterated his promises of transparency and sticking to science. \u201cWe\u2019re going to restore gold-standard science, so we know what\u2019s in our food and we can eliminate it,\u201d he said. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#fda-plans-to-eliminate-artificial-food-dyes-by-end-of-2026\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"63743\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Exclusive: Representative Chellie Pingree Introduces Agriculture Resilience&nbsp;Act<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>April 22, 2025 \u2013\u00a0<\/b>Today, Representative Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) re-introduced her Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA), an ambitious bill that she says could give farmers an economic boost while reducing agricultural emissions to net zero within 15 years.<\/p>\n<p>The world\u2019s leading climate experts emphasized in their latest series of reports that <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/03\/20\/the-ipccs-latest-climate-report-is-a-final-alarm-for-food-systems-too\/\">the food system is already being pummeled<\/a> by climate change and that impacts on food security will get worse. They also found that changes to how the world produces food <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2022\/04\/04\/the-field-report-new-un-climate-report-urges-food-systems-solutions-before-its-too-late\/\">could contribute about one-third<\/a> of the emissions reductions needed to turn things around.<\/p>\n<p>Pingree, an organic farmer, <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2020\/02\/26\/chellie-pingrees-new-roadmap-for-climate-action-on-agriculture\/\">first introduced the bill in 2020<\/a>, and then again <a href=\"https:\/\/pingree.house.gov\/news\/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4533\">in 2023<\/a>. It includes provisions to increase research on climate change and agriculture, expand the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s (USDA) <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/05\/17\/can-farming-with-trees-save-the-food-system\/\">agroforestry<\/a> centers and create a new soil health grant program, fund small meat processors to serve pasture-based livestock farms, increase funding for <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/02\/14\/micro-solar-leases-a-new-income-stream-for-black-farmers-in-the-south\/\">renewable energy on farms<\/a>, and curb food waste.<\/p>\n<p>Two years ago, many of the policies <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/04\/26\/climate-smart-farm-bill-heat-flooding-resilience-policy-conservation\/\">enjoyed significant support<\/a> in Congress. The Biden administration directed additional funding to similar efforts, in particular through the Inflation Reduction Act, and Biden\u2019s USDA made climate change a top priority. Now, the winds have shifted completely. President Trump\u2019s administration is <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/21\/trumps-day-1-orders-have-profound-implications-for-the-food-system\/\">aggressively rolling back<\/a> funding for climate initiatives and working to boost fossil fuel production. The USDA has <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/03\/usda-begins-deleting-website-pages-on-climate-change\/\">removed pages<\/a> dealing with climate change from its website and <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/14\/usda-cancels-climate-smart-commodities-program-but-some-projects-may-continue\/\">canceled climate-focused grant programs<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Pingree told Civil Eats that farmers in her state are looking for help more than ever as the climate crisis gets worse. \u201cI think we have to stay consistent in our beliefs that these are important priorities for farmers, not only to help them weather some of the difficult climate changes which aren&#8217;t going away, but also for economic viability in what&#8217;s going to be an increasingly challenging time,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>At a protest against USDA funding and staff cuts in Maine last week, she said, two blueberry growers said they <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/26\/farmers-say-climate-smart-commodities-projects-are-crumbling\/\">lost grant funding<\/a> they had been using to apply mulch to their fields, which helped retain water and protect them against drought. \u201cDrought used to be a very rare thing in Maine, and now we have to worry about it,\u201d Pingree said. \u201cThese are investments that they didn&#8217;t feel like they would have been able to make without this outside funding.\u201d Dozens of <a href=\"https:\/\/pingree.house.gov\/netzeroagriculture\/ara-statements-of-support.htm\">farm and environmental groups<\/a> have also already endorsed the bill.<\/p>\n<p>Still, Pingree admitted garnering support for the bill\u2019s ideas in Congress will be a serious challenge. She said she\u2019s interested in trying to tap into the support in the Republican party for Health and Human Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr.\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/10\/09\/can-trump-and-robert-f-kennedy-jr-make-america-healthy-again\/\">ideas around improving American health<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know in my own state there are people who are big supporters of RFK and are also big supporters of organic farming or eating more healthy food, so I&#8217;m just hoping we can translate some of that to the Washington agenda,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>The bill\u2019s provisions are intended to be attached to a farm bill, but there\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/08\/will-congress-pass-a-new-farm-bill-in-2025\/\">no clear path<\/a> for Congress to get one done anytime soon. Pingree said the important thing is to introduce the Agriculture Resilience Act and start to build support for the different sections now, so that if a farm bill does move, she\u2019ll be ready. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-New Mexico) also introduced a Senate version of the bill. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#exclusive-representative-chellie-pingree-introduces-agriculture-resilience-act\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"63710\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/school-food\/' title='School food' class='pt-cv-tax-school-food'>School food<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Lawmakers Listen to Farmer Concerns During Two-Week&nbsp;Break<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>April 21, 2025<\/b> \u2013 Last week, Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland) met with farmers at Moon Valley Farm in Woodsboro, Maryland, where livestock, vegetable, and grain growers expressed concerns about <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/16\/usdas-regional-food-business-centers-caught-in-federal-funding-freeze\/\">frozen<\/a> USDA programs, the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/02\/trump-announces-higher-tariffs-on-major-food-and-agricultural-trade-partners\/\">impacts of tariffs<\/a>, and other challenges.<\/p>\n<p>Van Hollen said that he set up the roundtable because farmers have been calling and writing to his office\u2014especially about tariffs and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/03\/10\/usda-cancels-local-food-purchasing-for-schools-food-banks-00222796\">cancellation of funding<\/a> for programs that connect small farms to schools and food banks\u2014and his purpose was to hear more of their stories.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe freeze on payments under the farm-to-school program is outrageous,\u201d he said at the event. \u201cWe will fight this in the courts. We will fight this in Congress.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><div class=\"post-image-caption align-left\"><a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/250421-congress-farmers-town-hall-recess-hearings-funding-freeze-cuts-climate-school-food-1-top-credit-lisa-held.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/250421-congress-farmers-town-hall-recess-hearings-funding-freeze-cuts-climate-school-food-1-top-credit-lisa-held.jpg\" alt=\"Senator Chris Van Hollen (left) listens to farmers talk about their concerns during a Congressional recess. (Photo credit: Lisa Held)\"\/><\/a><div class=\"post-caption\"><p>Senator Chris Van Hollen (left) listens to farmer-brewer Tom Barse of Milkhouse Brewery (right) at Stillpoint Farm talk about \u201ctrying to find a way to continue to make a living as a small farm.\u201d (Photo credit: Lisa Held)<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/p>\n<p>It was one of several agricultural roundtables and town halls that lawmakers are holding across the country during Congress\u2019 two-week recess, which ends later this week. Politico <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/newsletters\/weekly-agriculture\/2025\/04\/14\/lawmakers-brace-for-farmer-feedback-00288510\">reported<\/a> that Senators Elissa Slotkin (D-Michigan), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and Adam Schiff (D-California) would all be gathering feedback from farmers over the break.<\/p>\n<p>One farmer told Civil Eats he attended an invite-only event that Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) held in her state, where representatives of both the Minnesota Farm Bureau and Minnesota Farmers\u2019 Union were present. He attended to call her attention to the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/21\/federal-cuts-and-funding-pauses-add-to-farmers-labor-woes\/\">still-frozen Farm Labor Stabilization Program<\/a>. In Maine, Representative Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) <a href=\"https:\/\/mainemorningstar.com\/2025\/04\/16\/with-tractor-parade-maine-farmers-protest-usda-cuts-that-could-leave-many-in-debt\/\">marched alongside farmers<\/a> protesting USDA cuts to funding and staff.<\/p>\n<p>At Moon Valley, farmer-owner Emma Jagoz emphasized the loss of the Local Food for Schools funding, <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/19\/the-end-of-federal-support-for-local-food\/\">which had helped her <\/a>get her organic fruits and vegetables into 12 Maryland school districts. In the past, she said, USDA programs also helped her access land and build high tunnels that allow her to grow and sell produce year-round. \u201cThese tools help us to stay in business, grow responsibly for the future, and feed a lot more people,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Kelly Dudeck, the executive director of <a href=\"https:\/\/cultivateandcraft.com\/\">Cultivate &amp; Craft<\/a>, an organization that helps farmers turn their crops into higher-value products, said that the Mid-Atlantic\u2019s craft wineries and breweries are already struggling in the face of tariffs, since most depend on global supply chains for bottles, barrels, and grain inputs. \u201cBrewers specifically are saying that half of them will likely be out of business within a year,\u201d she told Van Hollen.<\/p>\n<p>One farmer expressed concerns<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/04\/12\/the-rush-for-solar-farms-could-make-it-harder-for-young-farmers-to-access-land\/\"> over solar development<\/a> leading to a loss of farmland, a priority of the last administration under Democrats. On the flipside, farmer Elisa Lane, of Two Boots Farm, said she was worried about the USDA <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/03\/usda-begins-deleting-website-pages-on-climate-change\/\">eliminating climate change<\/a> and other environmental terms from its vocabulary and website. \u201cI\u2019m not sure how USDA can support us if we can\u2019t even name the things we\u2019re up against,\u201d she said. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#lawmakers-listen-to-farmer-concerns-during-two-week-break\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"63676\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hhs\/' title='HHS' class='pt-cv-tax-hhs'>HHS<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/noaa\/' title='NOAA' class='pt-cv-tax-noaa'>NOAA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/seafood\/' title='Seafood' class='pt-cv-tax-seafood'>Seafood<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/the-white-house\/' title='The White House' class='pt-cv-tax-the-white-house'>The White House<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/bcalvert\/\" rel=\"author\">Brian Calvert<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Trump Orders Deregulation of the US Fishing&nbsp;Industry<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>April 18, 2025 \u2013<\/b> President Donald Trump yesterday announced an effort to create a &#8220;new era&#8221; of seafood policy, with an executive order that aims to &#8220;reduce the regulatory burden&#8221; on U.S. fisheries. Ocean sustainability groups have expressed concerns that the order could damage ocean ecosystems and deplete fisheries.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe United States should be the world\u2019s dominant seafood leader,\u201d Trump wrote in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/04\/restoring-american-seafood-competitiveness\/\">order<\/a>, Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness. \u201cBut in addition to overregulation, unfair trade practices have put our seafood markets at a competitive disadvantage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The order tasks \u00a0Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to work with the Department of Health and Human Services and the fishing industry to \u201cimmediately consider suspending, revising, or rescinding regulations that overly burden America\u2019s commercial fishing, aquaculture, and fish processing industries at the fishery-specific level.\u201d It also orders an examination of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2025-04-17\/trump-seeks-to-boost-us-fishing-industry-s-seafood-exports\">trade policies<\/a> to benefit U.S. fishing.<\/p>\n<p>U.S. fisheries experienced severe overfishing in the 1980s and 1990s, with essential fish stocks either depleting or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/2014\/5\/8\/5669120\/how-the-us-stopped-its-fisheries-from-collapsing\">collapsing<\/a>. In the decades since, the stocks have recovered, in large part due to stricter fishing regulations and close monitoring. The government agency tasked with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fisheries.noaa.gov\/national\/sustainable-fisheries\/status-stocks-2023\">monitoring<\/a> fish stocks, through scientific survey, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, underwent major personnel <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/03\/experts-and-lawmakers-sound-alarms-over-impacts-of-noaa-cuts-on-fisheries\/\">cuts<\/a> after Trump\u2019s inauguration.<\/p>\n<p>The Department of Commerce <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/03\/experts-and-lawmakers-sound-alarms-over-impacts-of-noaa-cuts-on-fisheries\/\">fired<\/a> more than 600 probationary employees in February. And while lower court judges ordered many of them reinstated in March, the Supreme Court has since paused some of the reinstatements. Workers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/science\/science-news\/noaa-workers-report-intentional-chaos-personnel-cuts-rcna201625\">told<\/a> NBC News this week the agency is suffering under \u201cintentional chaos,\u201d due to the cuts. Firings have since <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us\/noaa-fires-previously-reinstated-probationary-workers-sources-say-2025-04-10\/\">resumed<\/a>, Reuters reported on April 10.<\/p>\n<p>Advocacy groups say Trump\u2019s newest order endangers U.S. fisheries anew, at a time when they are facing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fisheries.noaa.gov\/video\/us-fisheries-face-climate-challenges#:~:text=April%2020,%202022,these%20fish%20for%20their%20livelihoods.\">increasing pressure<\/a> from climate change.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBetween firing experts at NOAA, delaying fishing seasons, and disrupting ocean science and data collection, the Trump administration is causing unprecedented chaos,\u201d Meredith Moore, Ocean Conservancy\u2019s senior director for fish conservation, said in a statement. \u201cToday\u2019s executive order would weaken, not strengthen, our fishing industry by increasing the risk that overfishing drives our fish stocks into decline, effectively taking healthy U.S. seafood off the menu. The U.S. fishing management system already maximizes catch to the limit that science says is sustainable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It was not the only fisheries-related move from the administration. An official proclamation from the president also announced a plan for \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/04\/unleashing-american-commercial-fishing-in-the-pacific\/\">unleashing American commercial fishing<\/a>\u201d into the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument. &#8220;This action threatens to reverse decades of progress that have reduced overfishing and exploitation of one of the planet&#8217;s last wild, healthy ocean ecosystems and a place of cultural significance for Pacific Islanders,\u201d the Pacific Islands Heritage Coalition said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fws.gov\/national-monument\/pacific-islands-heritage-marine\">national monument<\/a>, which was established in 2009 at the end of the Bush administration and expanded under the Obama administration, \u201cincludes some of America\u2019s most pristine coral reefs and ocean ecosystems,\u201d Douglas McCauley, a professor at the University of California Santa Barbara and director of Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory, said in a statement. \u201cIt is a safe haven for endangered sea turtles, the feeding and breeding ground for millions of seabirds, and a place of refuge for endangered marine mammals. Only 3 percent of our worldwide ocean is strongly protected today and our monuments are a significant portion of this figure. In attempting to downgrade the protection of this unique monument, we are devaluing a critically important asset in America\u2019s ocean wealth portfolio.\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#trump-orders-deregulation-of-the-us-fishing-industry\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"63660\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/epa\/' title='EPA' class='pt-cv-tax-epa'>EPA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hhs\/' title='HHS' class='pt-cv-tax-hhs'>HHS<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Republican Lawmakers Voice Concerns About MAHA\u2019s Potential Focus on Pesticide&nbsp;Risks<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>April 17, 2025<\/b> &#8211; Some Republicans in Congress are worried that members of the Trump administration may consider restricting pesticide use as part of their agenda to improve American health. This week, Senator Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska) led a group of 79 lawmakers to ask Cabinet members to resist efforts from \u201cactivist groups promoting misguided and sometimes malicious policies masquerading as health solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The concerns come in the form of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ricketts.senate.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/25.04.11.-MAHA-Commission-Integrity-FINAL.pdf\">letter sent to<\/a> Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., citing a recent petition that asked the commission to prioritize \u201celiminating extraordinarily toxic pesticides from food.\u201d Rollins, Zeldin, and Kennedy are part of <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/14\/trump-creates-make-america-healthy-again-commission\/\">the Make America Healthy Again Commission<\/a> that Trump created in February.<\/p>\n<p>Submitted by the Center for Biological Diversity, <a href=\"https:\/\/biologicaldiversity.org\/programs\/environmental_health\/pdfs\/FINAL-MAHA-Petition-2.18.25.pdf\">the petition recommends<\/a> agencies take several actions that would transform current pesticide policy. For example, it says the EPA should eliminate current allowances for residues of pesticides including <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2019\/11\/20\/epa-weakens-safeguards-for-weed-killer-atrazine-linked-to-birth-defects\/\">atrazine,<\/a> paraquat, and 2,4-D on food and that the USDA should only subsidize crop insurance for farmers who agree not to use a long list of pesticides, including <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2018\/03\/29\/inside-monsantos-day-in-court-scientists-weigh-in-on-glyphosates-cancer-risks\/\">glyphosate<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2016\/06\/06\/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-epas-assessment-of-atrazine\/\">atrazine<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/03\/22\/paraquat-the-deadliest-chemical-in-us-agriculture-goes-on-trial\/\">paraquat<\/a>, and the three most common <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2022\/04\/05\/when-seeds-become-toxic-waste\/\">neonicotinoid insecticides<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The Republican lawmakers wrote in the letter that they are concerned that \u201cenvironmental activists\u201d are \u201cadvancing harmful health, economic or food security policies under the guise of human health.\u201d\u00a0 However, Kennedy himself has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=rQedKOpJM-0\">pointed to several<\/a> of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/rfkjr\/posts\/the-pesticide-known-as-chlorpyrifos-is-both-clearly-dangerous-and-in-very-wide-u\/2498082317185169\/\">same chemicals<\/a> in the past as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.podchaser.com\/podcasts\/rfk-jr-podcast-1987789\/episodes\/murdering-the-bees-with-dr-dav-180218935\">potential causes<\/a> of rising chronic disease rates, which the petition references.<\/p>\n<p>In February, President Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.agri-pulse.com\/articles\/22309-daybreak-feb-4-trump-on-rfk-and-pesticides-maybe-thatll-stop\">also said<\/a>, on the topic of pesticides, \u201cBobby Kennedy is actually looking at that very seriously because maybe it\u2019s not necessary to use all of that. We want to be the healthiest country, and we\u2019re not.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>During Trump\u2019s first administration, his EPA <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2020\/11\/02\/how-four-years-of-trump-reshaped-food-and-farming\/\">rolled back restrictions<\/a> on the use of several pesticides potentially linked to negative health impacts. The agency, which is the primary regulator of pesticides, is currently <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/13\/deregulatory-blitz-at-epa-includes-climate-and-water-rules-that-impact-agriculture\/\">focused on deregulation<\/a>, although it hasn\u2019t taken any major actions on pesticide regulations to date. Since Kennedy has been at HHS, he has focused his MAHA efforts primarily on food dyes, <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/11\/kennedy-directs-fda-to-explore-revising-controversial-gras-food-additive-rules\/\">additives<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#trump-administration-charges-forward-on-state-maha-initiatives\">getting soda out of SNAP<\/a>. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#republicans-voice-concerns-about-mahas-potential-focus-on-pesticide-risks\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"63598\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hhs\/' title='HHS' class='pt-cv-tax-hhs'>HHS<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/nutrition\/' title='Nutrition' class='pt-cv-tax-nutrition'>Nutrition<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Top Ultra-processed Foods Researcher at NIH Resigns, Citing Censorship<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>April 17, 2025<\/b> &#8211; Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made curbing the consumption of <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC10260459\/\">ultra-processed<\/a> foods <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/10\/09\/can-trump-and-robert-f-kennedy-jr-make-america-healthy-again\/\">a central tenet <\/a>of his Make America Healthy Again campaign. But yesterday, Kevin Hall, the country\u2019s leading researcher studying those foods, <a href=\"https:\/\/consumed.substack.com\/p\/maha-just-cost-the-nih-its-star-nutrition\">resigned from his position<\/a> at the National Institutes of Health, a subagency of HHS.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUnfortunately, recent events have made me question whether NIH continues to be a place where I can freely conduct unbiased science,\u201d Hall <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/kevinh_phd\/status\/1912611967493177674?s=46\">wrote in a post on X<\/a>. \u201cSpecifically, I experienced censorship in the reporting of our research because of agency concerns that it did not appear to fully support preconceived narratives of my agency\u2019s leadership about ultra-processed food addiction.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hall said NIH <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/27\/rfk-jr-cuts-3400-additional-fda-jobs-in-sweeping-restructuring-of-hhs\/\">freezes on hiring<\/a> and purchasing also made it difficult for him to staff his research projects and pay for supplies, including food for research participants, he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/04\/16\/well\/kevin-hall-nutrition-retirement-nih-censorship-rfk-maha.html?smid=url-share\">wrote in a letter <\/a>to Kennedy and NIH director Jay Bhattacharya. But Hall said since he received no response to the concerns, he felt compelled to accept early retirement, at 54.<\/p>\n<p>Hall was the lead researcher on the most important <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cell.com\/cell-metabolism\/fulltext\/S1550-4131(19)30248-7\">randomized, controlled trial<\/a> to date that showed diets high in ultra-processed foods cause individuals to eat more and gain more weight, even when matched for nutrients with a whole-food diet. At the National Food Policy Conference in March, as the keynote speaker, he talked about the preliminary results of his latest trial, which was intended to help get at <i>why<\/i> the foods <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2020\/09\/17\/op-ed-the-rise-of-ultra-processed-foods-is-bad-news-for-our-health\/\">\u201care bad news for health,\u201d<\/a> he said, in terms of their link to an epidemic of chronic diseases including diabetes and obesity.<\/p>\n<p>Last year, the panel of experts that makes recommendations on the U.S. Dietary Guidelines declined to add restrictions on ultra-processed foods, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.statnews.com\/2024\/10\/21\/ultra-processed-foods-more-data-needed-before-new-federal-dietary-guidelines\/\">citing the fact<\/a> that more research is needed. Kennedy is <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/04\/kennedy-and-rollins-highlight-healthy-school-food-after-usda-slashes-funds-for-those-efforts\/\">now working<\/a> with Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins on reviewing that report.<\/p>\n<p>In response to a request for comment on Hall&#8217;s allegations of censorship, an HHS spokesperson sent Civil Eats a statement: \u201cIt\u2019s disappointing that this individual is fabricating false claims. NIH scientists have, and will, continue to conduct interviews regarding their research through written responses or other means. We remain committed to promoting gold-standard research and advancing public health priorities. Any attempt to paint this as censorship is a deliberate distortion of the facts.\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#top-ultra-processed-foods-researcher-at-nih-resigns-citing-censorship\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"63569\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hhs\/' title='HHS' class='pt-cv-tax-hhs'>HHS<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/nutrition\/' title='Nutrition' class='pt-cv-tax-nutrition'>Nutrition<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Trump Administration Charges Forward on State MAHA Initiatives<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b><i>May 20, 2025 Update: <\/i><\/b><i>On May 19, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/news\/press-releases\/2025\/05\/19\/secretary-rollins-approves-first-ever-state-waiver-restrict-soda-and-energy-drinks-food-stamps\">signed a state waiver<\/a> to restrict SNAP purchases for the first time, allowing Nebraska to ban soda and energy drinks from SNAP.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><b>April 16, 2025<\/b> \u2013 Trump administration officials traveled to Arkansas and Indiana yesterday to announce their support for the states\u2019 steps to restrict the purchases of unhealthy foods within the country\u2019s largest food-assistance program. The announcements, as well as a focus on other efforts to change the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), are part of the larger Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement.<\/p>\n<p>Next to a table piled with bananas, pineapples, and tomatoes, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins joined Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders to announce that Sanders had submitted the first official request to Trump\u2019s USDA to allow the state to take soda and candy out of SNAP. Sanders is also asking the USDA to allow Arkansans to use their SNAP benefits to buy rotisserie chicken. Currently, benefits in the state only cover staple grocery items, not hot or prepared foods.<\/p>\n<p>Minutes later, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spoke in Indiana after Governor Mike Braun announced he signed nine MAHA-inspired <a href=\"https:\/\/www.in.gov\/gov\/newsroom\/executive-orders\/\">executive orders<\/a>, one of which directs the state to submit a waiver to the USDA to eliminate soda and candy from SNAP.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have to figure out new ways to allow Americans to take responsibility and agency for their own health,\u201d Kennedy said. \u201cWe also need to change our food system in this country so that we start giving our kids foods that are gonna actually make them healthy and imbue them with vigor and ambition and a dream.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At both events, Kennedy and Rollins cited the misleading statistic that soda is the number one item SNAP participants purchase. Based on <a href=\"https:\/\/fns-prod.azureedge.us\/sites\/default\/files\/ops\/SNAPFoodsTypicallyPurchased.pdf\">the best data available<\/a>, SNAP participants spent about 40 cents of every dollar on basic foods including meat, poultry, fruits, vegetables, milk, eggs, and bread; soft drinks accounted for 5.4 cents. Those purchases do account for a large total dollar amount, since the program is so large.<\/p>\n<p>While there is some bipartisan support for taking soda and unhealthy foods out of SNAP, many experts <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/10\/bans-on-soda-and-candy-in-snap-are-back-on-the-table-and-theyre-still-controversial\/\">say there is no evidence<\/a> the step will actually make Americans healthier. Anti-hunger groups also oppose the restrictions, especially because they see them as opening the door to further restricting benefits. In Indiana, for example, one of Governor Braun\u2019s other executive orders <a href=\"https:\/\/www.in.gov\/gov\/files\/25-52.pdf\">directed the state<\/a> to more strictly enforce work requirements within the program. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.in.gov\/gov\/files\/25-53.pdf\">Another order<\/a> attempts to tighten processes that assess financial eligibility for SNAP benefits.<\/p>\n<p>In Arkansas, however, Governor Sanders cited her state\u2019s support of other anti-hunger programs. \u201cWe understand that food security is a real problem across the country, which is why we worked to make Arkansas the first state in the South to offer free school breakfast to every student, and why I signed our state up for a second year of <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/07\/29\/hunger-doesnt-take-a-summer-break-neither-do-school-food-professionals\/\">summer EBT<\/a> so kids have meals during the summer months,\u201d she said. Her request to add rotisserie chicken to SNAP-eligible foods is in line with <a href=\"https:\/\/frac.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Hot-Foods-Act-Fact-Sheet.pdf\">efforts championed by Democrats for years,<\/a> which now have some bipartisan support, to allow participants to <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2020\/01\/21\/3-states-moving-to-make-more-snap-recipients-eligible-for-hot-meals\/\">purchase hot, prepared foods<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Sanders also cited the fact that the rotisserie chickens were produced locally in Arkansas, while Braun included <a href=\"https:\/\/www.in.gov\/gov\/files\/25-58.pdf\">an executive order<\/a> directing his state government to study access to local food in Indiana and make recommendations to expand it. At both events, Kennedy and Rollins were asked how those priorities squared with recent pauses and cuts to USDA programs and funding that <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/19\/the-end-of-federal-support-for-local-food\/\">have been devastating <\/a>for many small farms selling local food.<\/p>\n<p>Rollins blamed left-wing media for crafting an untrue narrative and said cuts that were made were simply a rolling back of extra funding that should have ended with the pandemic. Some of the local food funding was initiated by Biden\u2019s USDA as part of pandemic relief efforts; other spending that was cut <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#kennedy-and-rollins-highlight-healthy-school-food-after-usda-slashes-funds-for-those-efforts\">was for programs<\/a> that have been in place for more than a decade. She said the USDA is \u201cworking to realign every taxpayer dollar around what is the best, most effective spend.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Both secretaries encouraged other governors to follow the lead of Sanders and Braun. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#trump-administration-charges-forward-on-state-maha-initiatives\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"63468\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/climate-and-environment\/' title='Climate and environment' class='pt-cv-tax-climate-and-environment'>Climate and environment<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Updated: USDA Cancels Climate-Smart Commodities Program, but Some Projects May&nbsp;Continue<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><em>This story is developing and was updated on April 15, 2025, to include details of some of the projects that are being affected by the cancellation.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><b>April 14, 2025<\/b> \u2013 After nearly three months of frozen payments, the USDA <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/news\/press-releases\/2025\/04\/14\/usda-cancels-biden-era-climate-slush-fund-reprioritizes-existing-funding-farmers\">announced today<\/a> that it would officially cancel the Biden-era <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/26\/farmers-say-climate-smart-commodities-projects-are-crumbling\/\">Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities<\/a> program. However, the agency said it would review existing projects based on new criteria and continue to fund those that qualify under a new name, the Advancing Markets for Producers (AMP) initiative.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities initiative was largely built to advance the green new scam at the benefit of NGOs, not American farmers,\u201d Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said in a press release. \u201cThe concerns of farmers took a backseat during the Biden Administration. During my short time as Secretary, I have heard directly from our farmers that many of the USDA partnerships are overburdened by red tape, have ambiguous goals, and require complex reporting that push farmers onto the sidelines.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>While Trump\u2019s USDA has paused funding <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/11\/usda-continues-to-roll-out-deeper-cuts-to-farm-grants-a-list\/\">across many programs<\/a> that pay farmers, the Climate-Smart Commodities Program freeze has caused <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/26\/farmers-say-climate-smart-commodities-projects-are-crumbling\/\">an outsized amount of turmoil<\/a> among farmers and organizations that support them due to the scale of the $3.1 billion investment <a href=\"https:\/\/publicdashboards.dl.usda.gov\/t\/FPAC_PUB\/views\/PartnershipsForClimate-SmartCommodities\/Overview?%3Aembed=y&amp;%3AisGuestRedirectFromVizportal=y\">in 135 projects<\/a> across the American farm landscape. Projects were spearheaded by large corporations, universities, and tiny nonprofits. In June of 2024, the USDA <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/october-2024-progress-report-pcsc.pdf\">reported<\/a> that 14,000 farms were enrolled, implementing climate-smart practices on 3.2 million acres. Those ranged from simple <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2020\/02\/11\/two-states-are-leading-a-cover-crop-revival\/\">cover cropping<\/a> to the adoption of <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/08\/29\/can-agroforestry-breathe-new-life-into-carbon-markets\/\">advanced agroforestry systems<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In the release, Rollins said many of the projects had high administrative costs and that in many cases less than half of the funding was going directly to farmers. To continue under the AMP initiative, the agency said, projects now must show a minimum of 65 percent of funds go directly to producers and grant recipients must have enrolled and made a payment to at least one producer by December 31, 2024.<\/p>\n<p>The grants were for five-year terms and many organizations spent the first year hiring staff, designing their projects, and enrolling farmers. Many were already making payments to farmers, but some had just gotten to that phase in the project. At the end of March, a coalition of 105 organizations running the projects and 260 farmers sent Rollins a letter asking her to keep the program going.<\/p>\n<p>Working Landscapes, an organization that was\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/11\/trumps-funding-freeze-creates-chaos-and-financial-distress-for-farmers\/\">running a $5 million project<\/a> with vegetable, livestock, and row-crop farms enrolled across North Carolina, received a termination letter from the USDA saying their project did not meet the first parameter on percentages. The letter said the team can resubmit a proposal by June 20 to try to align the project with the new priorities.<\/p>\n<p>Jon White, the project director, said it\u2019s not clear at this point how the agency calculated the percentage of dollars going to producers. In addition to the money paid directly as incentives to farmers, he said, the organization spent money on tasks that supported the work, including technical assistance, soil sampling, and equipment.\u00a0 \u201cWhile the reapplication process has not been detailed yet, we are interested in submitting a revised application that meets the current agency\u2019s priorities,\u201d White said.<\/p>\n<p>Pasa Sustainable Agriculture, which was\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/26\/farmers-say-climate-smart-commodities-projects-are-crumbling\/\">running a large project<\/a>\u00a0across 15 states, also received a termination letter based on the fact that the USDA\u2019s evaluation concluded that 45 percent of their funding is directly supporting farmers. But Pasa director Hannah Smith-Brubaker said she\u2019d calculate it at closer to 85 percent, because Pasa pays contractors assisting farmers directly rather than giving the funds to the farmer to pay the contractor. For instance, to implement an agroforestry project, farmers often hire a tree-planting business, and Pasa pays the business directly. Smith-Brubaker has asked the USDA for a review. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#updated-usda-cancels-climate-smart-commodities-program-but-some-projects-may-continue\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"63395\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >USDA Shares (Incomplete) List of Frozen Programs With&nbsp;Congress<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>April 11, 2025<\/b> \u2013\u00a0In response to requests from Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota), USDA officials provided a list of 15 agency programs that are currently paused, meaning farmers and organizations with active grant contracts are not currently receiving payments. However, based on Civil Eats\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/11\/usda-continues-to-roll-out-deeper-cuts-to-farm-grants-a-list\/\">ongoing reporting<\/a>, the list\u2014which was <a href=\"https:\/\/subscriber.politicopro.com\/article\/2025\/04\/usda-identifies-15-farm-programs-still-on-ice-according-to-details-shared-with-congress-00284759?site=pro&amp;prod=alert&amp;prodname=alertmail&amp;linktype=headline&amp;source=email\">shared with Politico<\/a>\u2014is incomplete.<\/p>\n<p>The list confirms that the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/26\/farmers-say-climate-smart-commodities-projects-are-crumbling\/\">Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Program<\/a>, which was slated to move $3.1 billion to thousands of farmers across the country, is still under review. It also includes the Rural Energy for America Program, despite the fact that the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#usda-unfreezes-energy-funds-for-farmers-but-demands-they-align-on-dei\">USDA announced<\/a> it had unfrozen that program at the end of March.<\/p>\n<p>However, missing from the list is the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/21\/federal-cuts-and-funding-pauses-add-to-farmers-labor-woes\/\">Farm Labor Stabilization Program<\/a>, which farmers report they have still been unable to get answers on. Also missing is the Regional Food Business Centers program, which has been paused since January. The Organic Market Development Grant and the Transition to Organic Partnership Programs are also still paused, although farm groups told Civil Eats that the USDA has indicated to the organic industry that it is nearly done with its review.<\/p>\n<p>Other programs that farmers and organizations have reported to Civil Eats as having paused payments included the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program, the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, and the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program. Also unclear is whether all funding for the Environmental Quality Incentive Program and Conservative Stewardship Programs has been released or if only <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/24\/usda-unfreezes-20-million-in-conservation-funds\/\">a first $20 million chunk was unfrozen<\/a>. (Civil Eats\u2019\u00a0<a class=\"c-link\" href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/11\/usda-continues-to-roll-out-deeper-cuts-to-farm-grants-a-list\/\">ongoing list<\/a>\u00a0has been updated to reflect additional programs the USDA identified as frozen.)<\/p>\n<p>The USDA froze funding soon after President Trump took office. In <a href=\"https:\/\/aboutbgov.com\/bhOS\">a letter<\/a> to Senator Klobuchar, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said the pause is in service of a \u201csubstantive review of contracts, personnel, and spending\u201d that is her responsibility during a transition. The agency has also <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#usda-publicizes-canceling-a-grant-to-an-organization-that-trains-young-farmers\">canceled some individual contracts<\/a> within programs that it says violate President Trump&#8217;s executive order banning <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/10\/despite-cuts-to-dei-initiatives-food-and-farm-advocates-say-they-will-continue-to-fight-for-racial-justice\/\">diversity, equity, and inclusion<\/a> programs.<\/p>\n<p>Since then, farmers have struggled to get answers as to when expected reimbursements might arrive or if their contracts might be cancelled, causing <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/19\/the-end-of-federal-support-for-local-food\/\">significant financial distress and uncertainty<\/a>. The USDA has provided few details in response to press inquiries, and the list provided to Senator Klobuchar represents the first significant disclosure of details.<\/p>\n<p>Civil Eats sent a list of the missing programs to USDA and asked the agency to clarify if those were also under review despite not being on their list. A USDA spokesperson did not provide specific details but sent the following statement: \u201cWhile USDA can confirm ongoing review of most of these programs, USDA offered this information to the Ranking Member in response to her ongoing oversight inquiries. Taking that good faith exchange and introducing it to the press is unfortunate.\u201d\u00a0 (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#usda-shares-incomplete-list-of-frozen-programs-with-congress\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"63366\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/animal-agriculture\/' title='Animal agriculture' class='pt-cv-tax-animal-agriculture'>Animal agriculture<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/local-food\/' title='Local food' class='pt-cv-tax-local-food'>Local food<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >6 Proposed Farm Bill Changes to&nbsp;Watch<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>April 10, 2025<\/b> \u2013 Despite a prevailing sense on Capitol Hill that <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/08\/will-congress-pass-a-new-farm-bill-in-2025\/\">passing a farm bill this year<\/a> is highly unlikely, lawmakers in both chambers introduced a flurry of marker bills over the past 10 days.<\/p>\n<p>Marker bills are small bills that senators and representatives attempt to insert into <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/03\/20\/farm-bill-explainer-2023-bill-snap-nutrition-climate-smart-farming-commodities-insurance-congress\/\">the larger legislative package<\/a> during farm bill negotiations. Mike Lavender, policy director at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), said getting bills out there, even when the future of the farm bill is uncertain, helps advocates and members of Congress organize support (or opposition). Plus, the farm bill process could begin at any time. \u201cEssentially, we have to be ready,\u201d he told Civil Eats.<\/p>\n<p>Here are six bills to pay attention to.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ernst.senate.gov\/news\/press-releases\/ernst-grassley-marshall-protect-family-farms-consumers-from-burdensome-government-overreach#:~:text=The%20Food%20Security%20and%20Farm,(R%2DKan.).\"><b>Food Security and Farm Protection Act<\/b><\/a>, <em>introduced by <\/em><i>Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas)<\/i>: A revision of the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/11\/07\/congress-may-roll-back-pesticide-protections-farm-bill\/\">EATS Act<\/a>\u00a0 that would overturn <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2022\/10\/05\/supreme-court-docket-farm-animal-welfare-prop-12-california-gestation-crates-pork-industry\/\">California\u2019s Proposition 12, <\/a>which banned selling pork from pigs raised in tight confinement. This new bill would prevent states from restricting food sales based on farm production practices if the \u201cpre-harvest production\u201d occurred in another state. This would mean California couldn&#8217;t stop pork from pigs raised in gestation crates in Iowa from being sold within its borders. It\u2019s a top priority for the National Pork Producers Association.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youngfarmers.org\/2025\/04\/release-new-producer-act-introduced\/\"><b>New Producer Economic Security Act<\/b><\/a><b>,<\/b><em> introduced by <\/em><i>Nikki Budzinski (D-Illinois), Zach Nunn (R-Iowa), Joe Courtney (D-Connecticut), Don Davis (D-North Carolina), et al.: <\/i>A major priority of the Young Farmers Coalition, the bill creates a new program within USDA that would help young and new farmers access land, credit, and capital.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wyden.senate.gov\/news\/press-releases\/wyden-welch-grassley-rounds-introduce-legislation-to-stop-monopoly-of-meat-packing-industry-promote-opportunity-for-local-ranchers\"><b>Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act<span style=\"color: #000000;\">,<\/span><\/b><\/a> <em>introduced by <\/em><i>Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), Peter Welch (D-Vermont), Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa)<\/i>: Creates an office and team of investigators within the USDA to prevent anticompetitive practices in the meat and poultry industry and enforce <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/14\/new-protections-for-chicken-farmers\/\">the Packers &amp; Stockyards Act<\/a>. Backed by the National Farmers Union and U.S. Cattlemen\u2019s Association.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.klobuchar.senate.gov\/public\/index.cfm\/2023\/5\/klobuchar-marshall-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-increase-access-to-nutritious-dairy-products-and-support-dairy-farmers\"><b>Dairy Nutrition Incentive Program Act<\/b><\/a><b>,<\/b><i> <em>introduced by <\/em>Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) and Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) in the Senate, Jim Costa (D-CA) and Nick Langworthy (R-NY) in the House<\/i>: Backed by the dairy industry, the bill would give SNAP recipients who buy dairy products extra dollars to buy more cheese and yogurt.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.welch.senate.gov\/welchs-local-foods-act-reintroduced-with-bipartisan-support\/\"><b>Livestock Owned By Communities to Advance Local (LOCAL) Food Act<\/b><\/a><b>,<\/b> <em>introduced by <\/em><i>Peter Welch (D-Vermont), Mike Lee (R-Utah), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont): <\/i>A simple tweak to the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) that will make it easier for farmers to sell animals slaughtered on their farms directly to consumers. It\u2019s a priority of the National Family Farm Coalition.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.blumenthal.senate.gov\/newsroom\/press\/release\/blumenthal-connecticut-delegation-introduce-legislation-to-protect-small-farms\"><b>Save Our Small (SOS) Farms Act,<\/b><\/a> <em>introduced by Jahana Hayes (D-Connecticut) et al. in the House, Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut), Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) in the Senate:<\/em> Supported by NSAC, the bill would make it easier for small farms to access crop insurance and disaster aid. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#6-proposed-farm-bill-changes-to-watch\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"63348\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/epa\/' title='EPA' class='pt-cv-tax-epa'>EPA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Trade, Not Staffing, Takes Spotlight in USDA Deputy Confirmation&nbsp;Hearing<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>April 9, 2025 <\/b>\u2013 During a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing to consider Stephen Vaden for the number-two position at the USDA today, senators focused on trade and other issues important in their districts, while largely ignoring ongoing staff layoffs and funding freezes.<\/p>\n<p>Vaden, who served as the top lawyer for the USDA during Trump\u2019s first term and is currently a judge at the U.S. Court of International Trade, is being considered for the role of deputy secretary, reporting to the Secretary of Agriculture, and tasked with running daily operations.<\/p>\n<p>Previously, Vaden provided the legal justification for the agency\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2021\/02\/02\/963207129\/usda-research-agencies-decimated-by-forced-move-undoing-the-damage-wont-be-easy\">controversial decision<\/a> to move the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the Economic Research Service out of Washington, D.C. to Kansas City, Missouri. At the start of the hearing, Chairman John Boozman (R-Arkansas) referenced that experience and asked whether Vaden anticipates \u201cany future reorganizations that might be necessary to maximize the efficiency of the department?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Vaden skipped answering that question and instead emphasized his commitment to communicating with the committee. Since Trump took office, the USDA has <a href=\"https:\/\/investigatemidwest.org\/2025\/03\/25\/axed-once-usda-employees-anxiously-await-potentially-being-fired-again\/\">laid off thousands of employees<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2025\/04\/01\/usda-buyouts-trump-musk-doge\/82755577007\/\">recently offered<\/a> another opportunity for staff to resign. Other outlets have reported that more significant layoffs and reorganizations <a href=\"https:\/\/www.govexec.com\/workforce\/2025\/04\/usda-slash-headquarters-other-staff-and-relocate-some-new-hubs-around-country\/404371\/?oref=ge-featured-river-top\">are coming &#8220;within weeks.&#8221;<\/a> During that last stint at the USDA, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/story\/2017\/12\/04\/stephen-vaden-usda-agriculture-department-200905\">Politico reported<\/a> that Vaden&#8217;s leadership led to plummeting morale.<\/p>\n<p>When ranking member Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) asked Vaden about <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#usda-continues-to-roll-out-deeper-cuts-to-farm-grants-a-list\">a list<\/a> of 15 programs the USDA provided that have been affected by the agency\u2019s funding freeze, he also emphasized communication. \u201cWe&#8217;ll get you the information that you need.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For most of the hearing, though, senators on both sides of the aisle brought up <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#trump-announces-higher-tariffs-on-major-food-and-agricultural-trade-partners\">how tariffs<\/a> might impact farmers and how to tackle trade deficits. Vaden pointed to Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#trump-announces-higher-tariffs-on-major-food-and-agricultural-trade-partners\">six trade missions<\/a> planned so far and said the agency should also tackle \u201cphony&#8221; health and sanitary concerns that countries use to keep American products out. China recently stopped imports of some American chicken, for example, because they said the meat <a href=\"https:\/\/www.poultryproducer.com\/china-suspends-imports-of-u-s-chicken-and-sorghum-products-amid-trade-tensions\/\">contained a banned antibiotic<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat I hope to bring, should I be confirmed as deputy secretary of the Department of Agriculture, is a constant reminder to the president&#8217;s trade team that we need to be on offense when it comes to American agriculture,&#8221; Vaden said. &#8220;Because ultimately what we&#8217;re going to be judged on is how many new markets we have opened up for our producers where they could not previously sell.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Senator Raphael Warnock (D-Georgia), who <a href=\"https:\/\/cbc.house.gov\/uploadedfiles\/cbc_ag_letter_.pdf\">signed onto a letter<\/a> from the Congressional Black Caucus that claims Vaden&#8217;s record &#8220;reflects a pattern of undermining civil rights protections,&#8221; voiced the importance of outreach efforts to ensure underserved farmers can equitably participate in the USDA&#8217;s programs and the department\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/03\/08\/how-the-long-shadow-of-racism-at-usda-impacts-black-farmers-in-arkansas-and-beyond\/\">history of discrimination<\/a> against Black farmers. \u201cDo you agree that USDA has a well-documented record of racial discrimination against minority farmers?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI do agree that there are court rulings that have found that, yes, Senator,\u201d Vaden replied.<\/p>\n<p>Since Rollins took over at the USDA, she has <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#usda-publicizes-canceling-a-grant-to-an-organization-that-trains-young-farmers\">celebrated the cancellation<\/a> of grant contracts to groups that highlight helping Black and other underserved farmers to align with President Trump\u2019s executive order to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.<\/p>\n<p>Vaden responded positively to a question from Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kansas)\u00a0 about making sure the \u201cguardrails are loose enough\u201d for farmers to access pesticides, sharing that his family has long been involved in no-till row crop farming.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat only becomes possible if you have in your tool kit as a farmer the amazing chemicals that are provided in order to clear the land so that you can plant. And so if you take those chemicals away, what you are doing is you are taking a tool out of the tool kit of the farmer,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>While the USDA does not regulate pesticides, he said he looks forward to working with agencies that do, like the EPA, on the issue. Tyler Clarkson\u2019s nomination to take the top lawyer job Vaden previously held, running the Office of General Counsel, was also considered during the hearing. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#trade-not-staffing-takes-spotlight-in-usda-deputy-confirmation-hearing\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"63269\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hunger\/' title='Hunger' class='pt-cv-tax-hunger'>Hunger<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >House Lawmakers Spar Over SNAP Cuts and Work Requirements<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>April 8, 2025<\/b> \u2013 In a House Agriculture Committee <a href=\"https:\/\/agriculture.house.gov\/calendar\/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=7873\">hearing today<\/a>, Republicans made their case for expanding work requirements within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the country\u2019s largest hunger-relief program. Meanwhile, Democrats used the opportunity to rail against the deeper cuts to the program that Republican party leaders are proposing.<\/p>\n<p>The hearing came during the same week that House lawmakers are expected to vote on a budget bill that might lock in those cuts. A version of the budget passed in the Senate last week, but House Republicans are eyeing more significant cuts before a vote, in order to get more fiscally conservative members of their party on board. One number that has circulated so far is <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#congress-considers-snap-cuts-as-budget-reconciliation-advances\">$230 billion in cuts to SNAP<\/a>, which would likely come from rolling back a <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/15\/how-four-years-of-biden-reshaped-food-and-farming\/\">Biden-era update<\/a> called the Thrifty Food Plan that increased benefits by about $1 a day to align with the current cost of a healthy diet.<\/p>\n<p>In her opening statement, Ranking Member Angie Craig (D-Minnesota) accused Republicans of supporting those cuts in the budget bill \u201cto <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbpp.org\/press\/statements\/new-budget-resolution-is-upside-down-hurting-families-the-president-pledged-to\">pay for tax cuts<\/a> that predominantly go to billionaires and large corporations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf making families hungrier so the rich can get richer weren&#8217;t bad enough, cutting SNAP also cuts farm income for America&#8217;s family farmers,\u201d she continued. \u201cThis cut would slash farm revenue by approximately $30 billion, on top of the markets they&#8217;re losing because of the dumbest trade war in American history.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chairman G.T. Thompson (R-Pennsylvania) noted at one point that Democrats were talking about \u201ca bill that doesn\u2019t exist yet,\u201d and his team told Civil Eats that while he did not support the 2021 update to the Thrifty Food Plan, he is not looking to roll it back now. During the hearing, he largely expressed support for SNAP while pointing to what he sees as a need to strengthen \u201cthe connection between receiving SNAP and securing employment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe must preserve benefits for those truly in need, but also ensure that SNAP guides participants to independence and self-sufficiency,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Most SNAP recipients are either children or elderly; most recipients <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbpp.org\/research\/food-assistance\/snap-provides-critical-benefits-to-workers-and-their-families\">who can work do<\/a>. The program <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brookings.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/20250407_THP_SNAPWorkRequirements_Paper.pdf\">also has<\/a> general work requirements, employment and training programs, and additional requirements that apply to working adults without dependents. However, about 40 percent of working adults are not subject to the requirements due to state waivers, a point Republicans emphasized. \u201cStates are abusing loopholes in the law and keep people on the sidelines and stuck in lives of government dependency,\u201d said Representative Mike Bost (R-Illinois).<\/p>\n<p>During the hearing, Angela Rachidi from the American Enterprise Institute repeatedly <a href=\"https:\/\/agriculture.house.gov\/uploadedfiles\/testimony-package_rachidi_04.08.2025.pdf\">said evidence points<\/a> to the benefits of work requirements in SNAP, while Diane Schanzenbach, a professor and economist at Northwestern University, said the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brookings.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/20250407_THP_SNAPWorkRequirements_Paper.pdf\">most recent research<\/a> shows the requirements do not actually lead to increased employment.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf I have to sit through one more Republican lecture about how SNAP discourages work, I might lose it. Spare us the condescending talk about the dignity of work. If you guys cared about that, you&#8217;d be raising the minimum wage, but you don&#8217;t,\u201d said Representative Jim McGovern (D-Massachusetts). \u201cCall me radical, but I don&#8217;t think it&#8217;s morally right to slash a food benefit that costs a sliver of the budget while <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#trump-announces-higher-tariffs-on-major-food-and-agricultural-trade-partners\">farmers get hammered and food prices<\/a> go through the roof.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Behind the scenes, lawmakers told Civil Eats that if Republicans get deep SNAP cuts into a budget bill, which they can pass through a process called reconciliation with fewer votes, the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/08\/will-congress-pass-a-new-farm-bill-in-2025\/\">prospect of getting a 2025 farm bill passed<\/a> will become even more remote. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#house-lawmakers-spar-over-snap-cuts-and-work-requirements\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p><em>This story has been updated to more accurately reflect Chairman Thompson&#8217;s position on a Thrifty Food Plan rollback.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"63227\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/school-food\/' title='School food' class='pt-cv-tax-school-food'>School food<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Maine Sues USDA Over Withholding Funds Based on Gender Identity&nbsp;Disputes<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>April 7, 2025<\/b> \u2013\u00a0Last week, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/news\/press-releases\/2025\/04\/02\/usda-freezes-funding-promises-further-action-if-maine-continues-violating-federal-law\">announced<\/a> she was pausing some USDA funding that flows to the Maine Department of Education based on violations of Title IX, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/crt\/title-ix-education-amendments-1972\">the federal law<\/a> that prohibits discrimination based on sex.<\/p>\n<p>The news came after a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/01\/defending-women-from-gender-ideology-extremism-and-restoring-biological-truth-to-the-federal-government\/\">series<\/a> of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/01\/defending-women-from-gender-ideology-extremism-and-restoring-biological-truth-to-the-federal-government\/\">executive orders<\/a> signed by President Trump that define sex and gender so that schools that allow transgender female athletes to participate in women\u2019s sports are in violation of Title IX. \u201cIn order to continue to receive taxpayer dollars from USDA, the state of Maine must demonstrate compliance with Title IX, which protects female student athletes from having to compete with or against or having to appear unclothed before males,\u201d Rollins <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/maine-letter.pdf\">wrote in a letter<\/a>. The National Collegiate Athletic Association <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecrimson.com\/article\/2024\/4\/16\/editorial-obstacles-trans-womens-sports\/\">estimates<\/a> less than a tenth of 1 percent of college athletes are transgender.<\/p>\n<p>In response, Maine today filed a lawsuit against the USDA. \u201cUnder the banner of keeping children safe, the Trump Administration is illegally withholding grant funds that go to keeping children fed,\u201d Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey <a href=\"https:\/\/www.maine.gov\/ag\/news\/article.shtml?id=13167569\">said in a statement<\/a>. \u201cThis is just another example where no law or consequence appears to restrain the administration as it seeks capitulation to its lawlessness. The President and his Cabinet secretaries do not make the law and they are not above the law, and this action is necessary to remind the President that Maine will not be bullied into violating the law.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the statement, Frey said that the Child Nutrition Program of the Maine Department of Education was &#8220;unable to access several sources of federal funding, all of which are necessary to feed children and vulnerable adults.&#8221; That&#8217;s despite the fact that Rollins, in her letter, said school meals would not be affected but that funding for \u201ccertain administrative and technological functions in schools\u201d would be withheld. \u201cThis is only the beginning,\u201d she said, \u201cthough you are free to end it at any time by protecting women and girls in compliance with federal law.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The USDA did not respond to a question from Civil Eats asking for details on what other kind of funding the agency, which oversees food and agriculture, would withhold from a state education department.<\/p>\n<p>This is not the only such dispute: Earlier this year, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/news\/press-releases\/2025\/03\/19\/university-maine-system-chooses-sanity-complies-president-trumps-policy-keeping-men-out-womens#:~:text=%28Washington%2C%20D.C.%2C%20March%2019%2C%202025%29%20%E2%80%94%20After%20the,articulated%20in%20President%20Donald%20J.%20Trump%E2%80%99s%20Executive%20Order.\">agency initiated<\/a> a Title IX compliance review of the University of Maine. In March, it announced the university system complied with the orders on keeping transgender athletes out of women\u2019s sports and as a result \u201chas been able to access all federal funds from USDA.\u201d Then, at the end of March, Rollins <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/ca-letter.pdf\">sent a letter<\/a> to California governor Gavin Newsom initiating a similar review of USDA funding that flows to California\u2019s Department of Education, this time related to a state law that stops schools from requiring teachers to notify parents of their children\u2019s gender identity.<\/p>\n<p>In her letter, Rollins said she is assisting the U.S. Department of Education in investigating whether that law violates the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. The USDA also did not respond to a question asking for details on what the agency\u2019s role in that investigation would be, given the issue is not related to food or agriculture. In the meantime, California\u2019s state superintendent <a href=\"https:\/\/calmatters.org\/education\/k-12-education\/2025\/03\/transgender-students\/\">said it would defend the state law<\/a>, which he said protects the rights of LGBTQ+ students. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#maine-sues-usda-over-withholding-funds-based-on-gender-identity-disputes\">Link to this post.)<\/a><\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"63188\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hhs\/' title='HHS' class='pt-cv-tax-hhs'>HHS<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/nutrition\/' title='Nutrition' class='pt-cv-tax-nutrition'>Nutrition<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/school-food\/' title='School food' class='pt-cv-tax-school-food'>School food<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Kennedy and Rollins Highlight Healthy School Food After USDA Slashes Funds for Those&nbsp;Efforts<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>April 4, 2025<\/b> \u2013 Yesterday, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SP_kgxxS2K8\">visited<\/a> a Virginia elementary school to call attention to what Kennedy characterized as a collaboration to tackle the country\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/chronic-disease\/data-research\/facts-stats\/index.html\">chronic disease crisis<\/a> and \u201cchange the nutrition of America\u2019s schoolchildren.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rollins said she was inspired by the healthy foods offered at Ferdinand T. Day School, part of the Alexandria City Public School system. \u201cThis is what we should be supporting at USDA,\u201d she said, pointing to the salad bar behind them, including \u201cmoving farm-fresh produce, as much as is possible, into the schools.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>However, the visit came just a week after the USDA <a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmtoschool.org\/news-and-articles\/statement-on-fy-25-patrick-leahy-farm-to-school-grant-cancelation\">cancelled<\/a> $10 million in fiscal year 2025 funding for USDA\u2019s Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant program. That followed the earlier cancellation of $660 million in funding for the Local Food for Schools and Child Care program. Both programs enable schools to get more fresh, local food into cafeterias while supporting small farms.<\/p>\n<p>When asked about how canceling funding fit in with her stated commitment to healthier food in schools, Rollins said she is realigning the agency around \u201cwhat works well, what\u2019s important\u201d and that a lot of the money being pulled back had not yet been spent or committed. \u201cWhat we are pulling back now is the COVID-era programs that were affirmed under the last administration that were always meant to come back,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>The Patrick Leahy Farm to School grant program has been in place since 2013, and the school Rollins and Kennedy were visiting likely benefited from it, at least tangentially. The Virginia Department of Education <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fns.usda.gov\/f2s\/grant\/awards\">received the grants<\/a> in 2017, 2020, and 2022 to expand <a href=\"https:\/\/www.doe.virginia.gov\/programs-services\/school-operations-support-services\/school-nutrition\/programs-promotions-and-initiatives\/virginia-farm-to-school\">farm-to-school efforts<\/a> across the state. Last year, Alexandria City Public Schools\u2019 nutrition staff <a href=\"https:\/\/www.acps.k12.va.us\/acps-staff-portal\/insider\/stories\/~board\/express\/post\/national-school-lunch-week-thank-you-acps-nutrition-staff\">participated in raising awareness<\/a> of Virginia Farm-to-School; they posted a photo of the same salad bar set-up to showcase their commitment.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to getting more fresh food in school meals, Kennedy spoke about getting processed foods out. He said he and Rollins were in the process of revising the report that the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee delivered under President Biden, which is meant to inform updates to the standards. Kennedy said that it \u201clooked like it was written by the food processing industry, and we are going to come up with a document that is simple, that lets people know with great clarity what kind of foods their children need to eat, what kind of foods they can eat, and what\u2019s good for them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Finally, Kennedy and Rollins talked about their focus on supporting state-level efforts to get food dyes out of school meals and <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/10\/bans-on-soda-and-candy-in-snap-are-back-on-the-table-and-theyre-still-controversial\/\">soda out of the SNAP program<\/a>, which Kennedy highlighted <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/03\/28\/us\/politics\/kennedy-snap.html\">at an event in West Virginia<\/a> last week. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#kennedy-and-rollins-highlight-healthy-school-food-after-usda-slashes-funds-for-those-efforts\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"63144\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/climate-and-environment\/' title='Climate and environment' class='pt-cv-tax-climate-and-environment'>Climate and environment<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/doge\/' title='DOGE' class='pt-cv-tax-doge'>DOGE<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/noaa\/' title='NOAA' class='pt-cv-tax-noaa'>NOAA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/seafood\/' title='Seafood' class='pt-cv-tax-seafood'>Seafood<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >House Democrats Hold Forum on NOAA Cuts and Point to Impacts on Farmers and Fishermen<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b>April 4, 2025<\/b> \u2013\u00a0On Wednesday, a group of leading Democrats on the House Committee on Natural Resources hosted an unofficial forum to call attention to the potential impacts of significant <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#experts-and-lawmakers-sound-alarms-over-impacts-of-noaa-cuts-on-fisheries\">staff cuts<\/a> and office closures at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/03\/08\/climate\/noaa-layoffs-trump.html\">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration<\/a> (NOAA). NOAA\u2019s workforce <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/03\/08\/climate\/noaa-layoffs-trump.html\">is slated for<\/a> about a 20 percent reduction in size, with more than 1,000 employees already gone. DOGE is also planning to close 34 agency offices in 17 states and territories.<\/p>\n<p>Representative Seth Magaziner (D-Rhode Island) said that one of those offices is a branch of the National Marine Fisheries Service in his district, noting that NOAA is an \u201ceconomic engine\u201d for fishing and agriculture, two industries that depend on weather and climate data. \u201cFishermen rely on accurate weather predictions to safely navigate our waters,\u201d he said. \u201cFarmers rely on NOAA&#8217;s climate models to make informed decisions that affect their crops and livelihoods.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mary Glackin, a 30-year NOAA employee who is now retired, emphasized that NOAA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.weather.gov\/\">National Weather Service<\/a> data underpins all private weather forecasting in the country.<\/p>\n<p>NOAA is also the primary regulator of fisheries, and witnesses said they are already seeing impacts from cuts. Elizabeth L. Lewis, at attorney at Eubanks &amp; Associates, told the lawmakers that Atlantic bluefin tuna <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us\/how-trumps-regulatory-freeze-is-disrupting-us-fishing-industry-2025-03-23\/\">was overfished<\/a> by 125 percent this year because NOAA failed to close the fishery on time and that several other fisheries, including scallops and Pacific salmon, likely face delayed openings.<\/p>\n<p>Sarah Schumann, a commercial fisherman from Rhode Island, said she had approached Trump\u2019s populist rise with cautious optimism but now she believes DOGE\u2019s cuts threaten the livelihoods of Americans who work the waterfronts.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAll of the ambitious and visionary things that fishermen desperately need\u2014the faster, more collaborative data collection and decision making, the greater attention to the multitude of stressors affecting fishery habitats, the supports for young people to enter thriving fishing careers\u2014will be vastly more difficult to achieve with a diminished and distressed NOAA workforce,\u201d she said. \u201cHow can NOAA and other agencies possibly ever solidify and sustain the kind of partnership with working people in coastal communities that is so urgently needed when the agency is being terrorized by oligarchs and their minions who&#8217;ve never done an honest day&#8217;s work in their lives?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Schumann had previously volunteered to serve on NOAA\u2019s Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee, which the agency disbanded on February 28 along with two other committees that served as interfaces between the fishing industry and NOAA.<\/p>\n<p>Representatives Sarah Elfreth (D-Maryland), Melanie Stansburg (D-New Mexico), Val Hoyle (D-Oregon), Julia Brownley (D-California), Maxine Dexter (D-Oregon), and ranking member Jared Huffman (D-California) also attended the forum. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#house-democrats-hold-forum-on-noaa-cuts-and-point-to-impacts-on-farmers-and-fishermen\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"63106\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/fda\/' title='FDA' class='pt-cv-tax-fda'>FDA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hhs\/' title='HHS' class='pt-cv-tax-hhs'>HHS<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >RFK Jr. Advisor Calley Means Defends FDA Cuts as Senators Seek&nbsp;Answers<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong><em>April 4, 2025 Update: <\/em><\/strong><em>At an event in Virginia yesterday, Secretary Kennedy <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/Politics\/rfk-jr-announces-hhs-reinstating-programs-employees-cut\/story?id=120463293\"><em>told reporters<\/em><\/a><em> that while streamlining the agency, mistakes were made and that some staff and studies would be \u201creinstated.\u201d \u201cThat was always the plan,\u201d he said.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>April 3, 2025<\/strong> \u2013 A day after the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) began firing employees and eliminating entire departments as part of <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#rfk-jr-cuts-3400-additional-fda-jobs-in-sweeping-restructuring-of-hhs\">a massive reduction and reorganization<\/a> of its workforce, Calley Means defended the cuts in a combative interview at a Politico Live healthcare event in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n<p>Means, the co-founder of healthcare startup TrueMed, is working with Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as a special government employee at HHS and is a central figure in the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, and he described the cuts as a dismissal of bureaucrats.<\/p>\n<p>Politico\u2019s Dasha Burns <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/04\/02\/calley-means-hhs-politico-00265680\">pushed back<\/a> on that framing, citing the fact that career employees, including scientists, have been let go. \u201cThose scientists have overseen a record of utter failure,\u201d Means said. \u201cFundamentally what Bobby has done is, he has taken over a department that has utterly failed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While sparring with hecklers in the audience, whom he accused of being lobbyists, Means accused Burns and the media at large of ignoring <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uclahealth.org\/news\/release\/pediatric-chronic-disease-prevalence-has-risen-nearly-30\">a chronic disease epidemic<\/a> among American children and said Kennedy\u2019s focus is on solving that issue, <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#kennedy-directs-fda-to-explore-revising-controversial-gras-food-additive-rules\">starting with<\/a> understanding \u201cwhat\u2019s in our food.\u201d But he didn&#8217;t provide answers as to how Kennedy plans to get that work done with a drastically reduced workforce, including at least <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#rfk-jr-cuts-3400-additional-fda-jobs-in-sweeping-restructuring-of-hhs\">3,500 dismissed Food and Drug Administration (FDA)<\/a> employees.<\/p>\n<p>Means said cutting \u201cindirect costs\u201d would allow HHS to send more money to researchers, although some research funding on chronic disease <a href=\"https:\/\/www.statnews.com\/2025\/03\/17\/trump-cuts-columbia-university-nih-cancels-diabetes-prevention-program-study\/\">has already been cut<\/a>. That same day, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cspinet.org\/press-release\/researchers-challenge-nihs-politically-driven-grant-cancellations\">coalition of researchers<\/a> filed a lawsuit against the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is part of HHS, challenging cancellations of research grants.<\/p>\n<p>He also mentioned Kennedy\u2019s commitment to \u201cradical transparency,\u201d specifically citing the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#trump-creates-make-america-healthy-again-commission\">White House MAHA Commission.<\/a> However, the commission\u2019s first meeting and a followup meeting with MAHA supporters in March were both <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cspinet.org\/press-release\/closed-door-debut-maha-commission-shaky-start-scholars-say\">closed to the press<\/a>. In addition, this week\u2019s HHS cuts <a href=\"https:\/\/www.supplysidesj.com\/supplement-regulations\/fda-comms-staff-axed-in-massive-hhs-reorg\">reportedly included<\/a> the entire FDA communications team and staff that work on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.statnews.com\/2025\/04\/02\/hhs-cuts-cdc-communications-foia-offices-gutted\/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_UDIHQrnO8iSoUYUup6l3UMdnUVhQMLL5D3UPup9zv9nia3jduhen9NgLoTTR7P4xiBiYzVjlnTDimpddjwPtW0O9ZAw&amp;_hsmi=354890839&amp;utm_content=354890839&amp;utm_source=hs_email\">Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, around the corner on Capitol Hill, lawmakers in both chambers asked Kennedy to provide more details on the layoffs and restructuring. Representative Brett Guthrie (R-Kentucky) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/live-updates\/2025\/04\/02\/congress\/energy-and-commerce-democrats-call-for-hearing-with-rfk-jr-after-major-hhs-layoffs-00267100?nname=inside-congress&amp;nid=0000014f-1646-d88f-a1cf-5f46b4be0000&amp;nrid=c558fe25-ea7d-447c-8cb2-98af0156aea5\">said HHS staff<\/a> will brief the House Energy and Commerce Committee next week, while Senator Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/healthcare-pharmaceuticals\/us-senator-cassidy-calls-kennedy-appear-before-senate-panel-over-health-agency-2025-04-01\/\">invited Kennedy<\/a> to appear in front of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Cassidy was <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#during-day-2-of-his-hearings-rfk-jr-emphasizes-toxins-in-food\">initially skeptical<\/a> of Kennedy\u2019s nomination to lead the department but ultimately voted to confirm him. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#rfk-jr-advisor-calley-means-defends-fda-cuts-as-senators-seek-answers\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"63084\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hunger\/' title='Hunger' class='pt-cv-tax-hunger'>Hunger<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/the-white-house\/' title='The White House' class='pt-cv-tax-the-white-house'>The White House<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Trump Announces Higher Tariffs on Major Food and Agricultural Trade&nbsp;Partners<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b><i>May 29, 2025 Update: <\/i><\/b><i>Yesterday,<\/i> <i>a federal panel of judges <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/05\/28\/business\/trump-tariffs-blocked-federal-court.html\"><i>found that<\/i><\/a><i> most of Trump\u2019s tariffs, including the 10 percent baseline imposed on all countries, are illegal. However, the administration is <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/05\/29\/business\/trump-tariffs-trade-strategy.html\"><i>already petitioning the court <\/i><\/a><i>to continue imposing the tariffs, so uncertainty abounds.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><em><b>April 9, 2025 Update: <\/b>President Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/live\/2025\/04\/08\/business\/trump-tariffs-stock-market\">announced<\/a> he is pausing the higher, country-specific tariffs announced on April 2 for 90 days. The universal 10 percent tariff is still in effect. China, which has since retaliated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/04\/04\/business\/china-tariffs-american-farmers.html\">with higher tariffs and imposed a ban on imports<\/a> from some American chicken and sorghum companies it attributes to contamination, will now face a <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/114309144289505174\">125 percent tariff<\/a>. European Union member states also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/04\/09\/world\/europe\/eu-tariffs-trump.html?smid=url-share\">voted to impose tariffs<\/a> on American goods including corn and soybeans.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>April 2, 2025 \u2014<\/strong> At an event in the White House Rose Garden today, President Trump announced a 10 percent baseline tariff on imports from all countries and higher retaliatory tariffs on some of the United States\u2019 most important <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ers.usda.gov\/data-products\/ag-and-food-statistics-charting-the-essentials\/agricultural-trade\">agricultural trade partners<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Trump will levy tariffs of 34 percent against China and 20 percent against the European Union. Mexico and Canada will be exempt from the new tariffs, but Trump has already put in place <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#how-trumps-tariffs-will-affect-farmers-and-food-prices\">existing tariffs<\/a> against those countries. A long list of other food and farm trade partners are subject to higher tariffs as well; Trump has set each country\u2019s tariffs at about half the rate of its existing tariffs on U.S. goods.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have to take care of our people, and we\u2019re going to take care of our people first,\u201d Trump said, pitching the idea that the tariffs will encourage more companies to produce and sell goods within the U.S., boosting American manufacturing. He said his plan has already sparked $6 trillion in new investments in the U.S,, and the White House put out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/articles\/2025\/04\/tariffs-work-and-president-trumps-first-term-proves-it\/\">a fact sheet<\/a> on the success of the tariffs he implemented during his first term. \u201cIt\u2019s going to be fantastic for the workers. It\u2019s going to be fantastic for everyone,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>But economists <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/05\/how-trumps-tariffs-will-affect-farmers-and-food-prices\/\">say<\/a> that the tariffs will cause food prices to rise and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/trump-tariffs-could-cost-american-households-4200-year-2054053\">negatively impact Americans <\/a>struggling to feed their families, not to mention small businesses like <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/02\/op-ed-how-trumps-tariffs-could-impact-your-local-restaurant\/\">independent grocers and restaurants<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fb.org\/market-intel\/tallying-up-the-latest-retaliatory-tariffs\">Farmers<\/a> and others <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2025\/04\/01\/trump-liberation-day-tariffs-consumer-food-cost-price-warning.html\">across the food system<\/a> are also incredibly worried about profound economic consequences. Last time around, the tariffs caused farmers who export their crops to lose billions of dollars; Trump\u2019s USDA <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2019\/11\/13\/government-bailouts-are-the-only-thing-bringing-farm-incomes-up\/\">bailed them out<\/a> with close to $30 billion in taxpayer funds.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBy declaring a worldwide trade war, the administration is hurting American farmers, workers and consumers. Increasing input costs, shutting farmers out of export markets and causing middle-class families to pay more at the grocery store is not a winning strategy,\u201d said Representative Angie Craig (D-Minnesota), the top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>Brooke Rollins, who sat directly in front of Trump in the audience, has already hinted that the administration will again issue payments to commodity farmers if they are hurt by the tariffs. Rollins also made two announcements related to boosting trade for farmers over the past week. She <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/news\/press-releases\/2025\/03\/28\/secretary-rollins-announces-aggressive-international-travel-agenda-expand-market-access-american\">announced<\/a> she\u2019ll travel to Vietnam, Japan, India, Peru, Brazil, and the United Kingdom this year to boost agricultural trade, and that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/news\/press-releases\/2025\/04\/02\/usda-announces-agricultural-trade-promotion-programs-2025\">the USDA is making<\/a> about $300 million available for programs intended to expand international markets for farm products. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#trump-announces-higher-tariffs-on-major-food-and-agricultural-trade-partners\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"63015\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hunger\/' title='Hunger' class='pt-cv-tax-hunger'>Hunger<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/nutrition\/' title='Nutrition' class='pt-cv-tax-nutrition'>Nutrition<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/school-food\/' title='School food' class='pt-cv-tax-school-food'>School food<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >USDA May Allow Iowa to Adopt More Restrictive Summer&nbsp;Meals<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>April 1, 2025<\/strong> \u2013 On her first visit to Iowa as Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins toured farms and factories with the state\u2019s Republican leaders, including U.S. Representatives Zach Nunn and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, state Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig, and Governor Kim Reynolds. During the tour, Rollins <a href=\"https:\/\/ktvo.com\/news\/local\/usda-secretary-brooke-rollins-visits-iowa-discusses-tariffs-and-iowas-summer-ebt-waiver-governor-kim-reynolds-house-senate-republicans-donald-trump-farmers-liberation-day-joe-biden-snap-benefits\">signaled<\/a> she\u2019s open to allowing Reynolds to use USDA money to implement her own summer meal distribution system instead of opting in to federal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fns.usda.gov\/summer\/sunbucks\">SUN Bucks<\/a>, which give low-income families cash benefits for groceries to replace school meals during summer months.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is no better governor in America than your governor, Kim Reynolds,\u201d Rollins said. \u201cEverything she sends us, whatever the waiver is, especially on school programs in the summer, we will be looking at very very closely and are really really excited about.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In 2024, Reynolds <a href=\"https:\/\/governor.iowa.gov\/press-release\/2024-08-15\/iowa-submits-summer-ebt-waiver-request-demonstration-project-feeds-more-children-leverages-existing\">submitted a waiver request <\/a>to the USDA to run a program she said would serve more kids at a lower cost. Her office said it did not want to participate in SUN Bucks because the program didn\u2019t explicitly promote healthy foods. Instead, she proposed giving out boxes of healthy foods at distribution sites.<\/p>\n<p>The USDA, under President Biden, <a href=\"https:\/\/cbs2iowa.com\/news\/local\/usda-criticizes-gov-reynolds-for-summer-food-program-waiver-request#\">denied<\/a> the waiver. Hunger groups across Iowa also fought hard to get Reynolds to opt in to SUN Bucks instead, arguing that the flexibility of the cash benefit is what makes the program effective, allowing it to <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/07\/29\/hunger-doesnt-take-a-summer-break-neither-do-school-food-professionals\/\">surmount the challenge<\/a> of getting meals to families when kids are not in school. Congress modeled SUN Bucks after the COVID-era <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fns.usda.gov\/snap\/state-guidance-coronavirus-pandemic-ebt-pebt\">Pandemic EBT program<\/a>, which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brookings.edu\/articles\/the-effect-of-pandemic-ebt-on-measures-of-food-hardship\/\">researchers estimate <\/a>lifted around 3 million children out of hunger. But Reynolds doubled down and resubmitted the waiver request after Trump took office.<\/p>\n<p>Rollins\u2019 comments come as other waivers to restrict hunger programs are also on the table. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#rfk-says-usda-will-allow-states-to-ban-soda-from-snap\">recently indicated<\/a> the administration will also grant waivers for states <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/10\/bans-on-soda-and-candy-in-snap-are-back-on-the-table-and-theyre-still-controversial\/\">to restrict SNAP participants from buying soda<\/a> and other unhealthy foods. But a <a href=\"https:\/\/iowacapitaldispatch.com\/2025\/02\/26\/iowa-house-wants-to-limit-snap-food-eligibility-to-help-iowans-eat-better\/\">recent bill <\/a>that passed Iowa\u2019s House takes those restrictions to a new level, whittling down SNAP-eligible foods to a short list of staples while boosting incentives for fresh produce purchases.<\/p>\n<p>During her trip, Rollins also met with members of the Iowa Farm Bureau, spoke at the Iowa Ag Leaders dinner, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rd.usda.gov\/HBIIP?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery\">announced <\/a>she would release $537 million in funding already committed to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rd.usda.gov\/media\/file\/download\/usda-rd-nr-hbiip-chart-06262023pdf\">oil and gas companies and fuel distributors<\/a> to pay for shipping, storing, and dispensing higher ethanol and biodiesel fuel blends. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#usda-may-allow-iowa-to-adopt-more-restrictive-summer-meals\">Link to this post.)<\/a><\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"62901\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/climate-and-environment\/' title='Climate and environment' class='pt-cv-tax-climate-and-environment'>Climate and environment<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Republicans Take Aim at Energy-Efficient Refrigeration Standards<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong><i>April 4, 2025 Update:<\/i><\/strong><i> Yesterday, the resolution to roll back energy efficiency standards <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.senate.gov\/legislative\/LIS\/roll_call_votes\/vote1191\/vote_119_1_00162.htm\"><i>passed in the Senate<\/i><\/a><i>, with all Republicans voting in favor and all Democrats opposed.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><strong>March 31, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> Last week, lawmakers in the House <a href=\"https:\/\/clerk.house.gov\/FloorSummary\">voted<\/a> to overturn new efficiency standards for commercial refrigerators used by food processors, distributors, grocery stores, food banks, and restaurants, a move that could significantly increase greenhouse gas emissions from the food system.<\/p>\n<p>Because the standards were finalized by the Department of Energy (DOE) at the end of the Biden administration, Congress has the ability to roll them back through a process called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/crs-product\/R43992\">Congressional Review<\/a>. For that to happen, the Senate would also need to vote on the resolutions. Trump\u2019s DOE <a href=\"https:\/\/www.utilitydive.com\/news\/trump-pauses-implementation-doe-appliance-efficiency-standards\/740726\/\">already paused<\/a> the implementation of the standards, along with many other energy efficiency rules that affect home appliances as well.<\/p>\n<p>During a floor debate, Republicans said the standards represent burdensome regulations that will increase costs on businesses. \u201cCafes, restaurants, and grocery stores would be forced to purchase more expensive, less effective equipment. As we all know, those costs would be passed on to consumers,\u201d said Representative Craig Goldman (R-Texas).<\/p>\n<p>Democrats countered that the standards are common-sense updates to energy efficiency guidelines that will lead to significant savings. They pointed to the fact that two thirds of products on the markets already meet the standards and that the DOE determined increased initial costs, on average, are balanced by energy savings after just three and a half years. Businesses would not be required to update appliances currently in use; the standards only apply to new purchases. \u201cRepublicans continue to do the bidding of Big Oil and Gas. This resolution proves that Republicans are completely out of touch,\u201d said Representative Frank Pallone (D-New Jersey).<\/p>\n<p>While the standards float under the radar as technical details, Sarah Gleeson, climate solutions research manager at <a href=\"https:\/\/drawdown.org\">Project Drawdown<\/a>, said that when it comes to climate change, greenhouse gas emissions from refrigeration are \u200b\u200b\u201cextremely important.\u201d Globally, cooling\u2014which includes refrigeration and air conditioning across all sectors\u2014accounts for about 10 percent of emissions. Two thirds of those emissions come from energy use, while the other third stem from the use of refrigerant chemicals called hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).<\/p>\n<p>EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin already announced <a href=\"https:\/\/progressivegrocer.com\/grocers-encouraged-epas-reconsideration-refrigeration-rules\">he\u2019s reconsidering<\/a> another Biden-era rule that would phase out the use of HFCs over time. Managing leaks of those refrigerants and switching to alternatives <a href=\"https:\/\/drawdown.org\/solutions\/table-of-solutions\">both rank high<\/a> on Project Drawdown\u2019s list of effective climate solutions. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#republicans-take-aim-at-energy-efficient-refrigeration-standards\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"62873\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hhs\/' title='HHS' class='pt-cv-tax-hhs'>HHS<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hunger\/' title='Hunger' class='pt-cv-tax-hunger'>Hunger<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >RFK Jr. Says USDA Will Allow States to Ban Soda From&nbsp;SNAP<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>March 28, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> Speaking at an event in West Virginia, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. today <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/03\/28\/us\/politics\/kennedy-snap.html\">announced<\/a> that the Trump administration will start allowing states to prevent individuals from purchasing soda with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.<\/p>\n<p>According to <em>The<\/em> <em>New York Times<\/em>, during the event, Kennedy told states to submit waivers to his department, although he does not have jurisdiction over SNAP.\u00a0 However, the <em>Times<\/em> also<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/03\/28\/us\/politics\/kennedy-snap.html\"> reported<\/a> that Calley Means, a White House <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us\/white-house-hires-calley-means-special-government-adviser-bloomberg-news-reports-2025-03-18\/\">advisor<\/a>, said Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, who does have SNAP jurisdiction, agreed to grant the waivers that states need to make the change. Rollins had previously indicated she was open to granting the waivers.<\/p>\n<p>Restrictions on soda in SNAP have been<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/10\/bans-on-soda-and-candy-in-snap-are-back-on-the-table-and-theyre-still-controversial\/\"> at the center of heated debate for years<\/a>. Proponents say they&#8217;re common sense and will improve Americans&#8217; health. Opponents say there&#8217;s no evidence that will happen and that low-income Americans deserve to make their own choices. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#rfk-says-usda-will-allow-states-to-ban-soda-from-snap\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"62825\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/fda\/' title='FDA' class='pt-cv-tax-fda'>FDA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/food-safety\/' title='Food safety' class='pt-cv-tax-food-safety'>Food safety<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hhs\/' title='HHS' class='pt-cv-tax-hhs'>HHS<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/nutrition\/' title='Nutrition' class='pt-cv-tax-nutrition'>Nutrition<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >RFK Jr. Cuts 3,500 Additional FDA Jobs in Sweeping Restructuring of&nbsp;HHS<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong><b><i>May 23, 2025 Update:<\/i><\/b><\/strong><i> In response to a lawsuit, a district court judge <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/democracyforward.org\/updates\/judge-deals-significant-blow-to-unconstitutional-reorganization-of-federal-government\/\"><i>issued a preliminary injunction<\/i><\/a><i> that will block federal agencies from implementing major reorganizations without the approval of Congress while the case proceeds.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><strong>March 27, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a plan to make sweeping changes to his agency\u2019s structure and workforce this morning, with the most significant job cuts <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.gov\/about\/news\/hhs-restructuring-doge-fact-sheet.html\">planned<\/a> for the agency that regulates food safety, food additives, and antibiotic use in agriculture.<\/p>\n<p>Of the 20,000 jobs Kennedy said he\u2019ll eliminate across the HHS, 3,500 will be at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). He\u2019ll also cut 2,400 jobs at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which monitors infectious disease outbreaks, including the bird flu that is still spreading on poultry and dairy farms. The cuts are in addition <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/health\/2025\/02\/18\/trump-health-firings-fda-cdc\/\">to several thousand probationary employees<\/a> fired from the HHS in February.<\/p>\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=O8qQxLYTyV8\">a video<\/a> posted to YouTube, Kennedy said that in the first few months on the job, with the help of the Department of Government Efficiency, he determined that HHS is a sprawling bureaucracy filled with \u201ctremendous waste and duplication,\u201d including subagencies working at cross purposes. \u201cWe\u2019re going to streamline HHS to make our agency more efficient and more effective,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to imbue the agency with a clear sense of mission to radically improve the health of Americans and to improve agency morale.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The plan is <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/robert-r-kennedy-rfk-vaccines-hhs-food-trump-0500f67ef53ed6862583dace587b3899\">in line with multiple pledges<\/a> Kennedy made before his confirmation as Secretary, when he said in different instances he\u2019d eliminate entire departments and told FDA employees to \u201cpack your bags.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In addition to job cuts, he\u2019s consolidating 28 HHS divisions into 15 and combining five smaller agencies into a new Administration for a Healthy America (AHA). FDA was still in the process of a restructuring that started in 2023 to move all of its work on food into one place to better prioritize food safety and nutrition. Jim Jones, the director of that division, <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/19\/cuts-at-fda-include-staff-working-on-food-safety\/\">resigned in February <\/a>in response to the earlier job cuts, which he said threatened his team\u2019s ability to do their work.<\/p>\n<p>Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.consumerreports.org\/issue\/food-safety\">Consumer Reports<\/a>, put out a statement today highlighting similar concerns. \u201cDespite recent encouraging statements about addressing infant formula safety and harmful food chemicals, mass layoffs will undermine these initiatives and hinder the FDA\u2019s ability to ensure our food is safe to eat,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>In the video, Kennedy said that the job cuts would lead to a painful period but that no essential services will be cut and the changes will save taxpayers money while radically improving quality of service. \u201cOur key services delivered through Medicare and Medicaid, the FDA and CDC and other agencies will enter a new era of responsiveness and a new era of effectiveness,\u201d he said. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#rfk-jr-cuts-3400-additional-fda-jobs-in-sweeping-restructuring-of-hhs\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p><em>Correction: An earlier version of this post misstated the number of layoffs proposed by Kennedy. The numbers have been updated to align with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.gov\/about\/news\/hhs-restructuring-doge-fact-sheet.html\">the fact sheet<\/a> provided by HHS.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"62791\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/doge\/' title='DOGE' class='pt-cv-tax-doge'>DOGE<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Exclusive: Senator Cory Booker Introduces Bill to &#8216;Honor Farmer Contracts&#8217;<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>March 27, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> Senator Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) will introduce a bill today that would require the USDA to release frozen grant funds, while also prohibiting the agency from terminating existing contracts or closing local field offices without notifying Congress.<\/p>\n<p>Called the Honor Farmer Contracts Act of 2025, the bill directs the USDA to immediately \u201cimplement all agreements and contracts entered into\u201d and to \u201crapidly pay past due amounts.\u201d It also says the USDA \u201cshall not cancel\u201d any signed contracts with farmers or organizations supporting them unless they\u2019ve failed to comply with the terms. Technically, the contracts are already legally binding documents, but the agency has not been treating them as such.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Farmers across the country have been in limbo ever since the USDA froze previously signed agreements and contracts, with many facing catastrophic consequences if these freezes continue,\u201d Senator Booker told Civil Eats. \u201cUSDA\u2019s refusal to pay what is owed to farmers and the organizations that support them is theft, plain and simple.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Booker, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, had previously prepared similar language to potentially attach to a legislative package but ultimately decided to introduce the standalone bill. About a dozen other Senate Democrats, including fellow Ag Committee members Tina Smith (D-Minnesota) and Peter Welch (D-Vermont), signed on as cosponsors. Representative Gabe Vasquez (D-New Mexico) will introduce a companion bill in the House.<\/p>\n<p>Since President Trump\u2019s inauguration, payments for already-contracted projects<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/26\/farmers-say-climate-smart-commodities-projects-are-crumbling\/\"> have been paused<\/a> across a <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#usda-continues-to-roll-out-deeper-cuts-to-farm-grants-a-list\">broad array of farmer programs<\/a>. The USDA says it has been reviewing those programs and contracts to ensure they align with Trump\u2019s directives. The agency has also<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#usda-has-begun-canceling-contracts-based-on-trumps-dei-order\"> canceled individual grant contracts<\/a> based on their inclusion of diversity and equity language. Pauses and cancellations have caused<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/11\/trumps-funding-freeze-creates-chaos-and-financial-distress-for-farmers\/\"> serious financial distress on farms<\/a> and<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/19\/the-end-of-federal-support-for-local-food\/\"> gutted many nonprofit organizations<\/a> that provide training, market opportunities, and other support.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has targeted the USDA\u2019s \u201cboots on the ground\u201d through office closures and employee cuts, prompting concerns about the availability of services like loan administration and conservation and technical assistance for farmers.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a critical time of year for farmers and ranchers. They should be doing what they love\u2014feeding our communities, not worrying about unpaid contracts,\u201d Booker said. \u201cThis legislation will fix that by forcing USDA and the Trump Administration to hold up their end of the deal.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We thank Senator Booker and Congressman Vasquez for their leadership in forcing Secretary Rollins to honor USDA obligations,&#8221; said Joe Maxwell, president of Farm Action Fund, which brought together more than 300 organizations to <a href=\"https:\/\/farmactionfund.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Coalition-Support-Letter-for-Honor-Farmer-Contracts-Act.pdf\">sign a letter<\/a> in support of the bill. &#8220;When farmers shake hands, it&#8217;s a deal. No less should be expected of our government or the Trump administration.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In addition to enforcing the terms of contracts, the bill requires the USDA to provide Congress with written notice and justification at least 60 days ahead of closing any Farm Service Agency (FSA) county office, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) field office, or Rural Development Service Center. Two weeks ago, AgDaily<a href=\"https:\/\/www.agdaily.com\/news\/doge-cracking-down-on-leases-for-dozens-of-fsa-nrcs-sites\/\"> reported<\/a> that the USDA listed nearly 60 FSA and NRCS offices on a list of lease terminations on DOGE\u2019s website. Those offices are generally farmers\u2019 first and only pathway to connect with USDA programs and services. Questions also remain as to how the agency will fulfill <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/01\/return-to-in-person-work\/\">Trump&#8217;s order ending remote work<\/a> if offices are shuttered.<\/p>\n<p>So far, Republicans have refrained from calling attention to the pauses and cuts; when asked, they have said they support the USDA&#8217;s work so far. With the Republican Party in control in both the Senate and House, the bill has little chance of moving, although GOP lawmakers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/newsletters\/weekly-agriculture\/2025\/03\/24\/lawmakers-face-angry-farmers-00244260\">have been faced with<\/a> angry farmers and USDA employees at town halls and public events in their districts. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#exclusive-senator-cory-booker-introduces-bill-to-honor-farmer-contracts\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"62783\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/climate-and-environment\/' title='Climate and environment' class='pt-cv-tax-climate-and-environment'>Climate and environment<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >USDA Unfreezes Energy Funds for Farmers, but Demands They Align on&nbsp;DEI<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>March 26, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> Last night, the U.S. Department of Agriculture <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/news\/press-releases\/2025\/03\/25\/usda-delivers-rural-energy-commitments-provides-path-applicants-support-us-energy-independence\">announced<\/a> it would release funds already granted to farmers through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) and two other programs that pay for energy production and efficiency. However, the agency is requesting farmers make changes to their project contracts so that they align with <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/21\/trumps-day-1-orders-have-profound-implications-for-the-food-system\/\">Trump directives<\/a> on energy production and <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/10\/despite-cuts-to-dei-initiatives-food-and-farm-advocates-say-they-will-continue-to-fight-for-racial-justice\/\">DEI<\/a>, a task experts say may not be legal or possible.<\/p>\n<p>These grants were paid for by President Biden\u2019s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/11\/trumps-funding-freeze-creates-chaos-and-financial-distress-for-farmers\/\">many small farms used the funds<\/a> as a cost-share to afford solar arrays on their land, simultaneously reducing their long-term energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.<\/p>\n<p>In a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/01\/unleashing-american-energy\/\">day-one executive order<\/a>, Trump ordered agencies to freeze that funding and to determine whether the grants aligned with policies to \u201cunleash America\u2019s affordable and reliable energy.\u201d A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/01\/ending-radical-and-wasteful-government-dei-programs-and-preferencing\/\">separate executive order<\/a> directed all agencies to terminate funding related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA), which are also known as DEI initiatives.<\/p>\n<p>In yesterday\u2019s announcement, the USDA said farmers will have 30 days to voluntarily edit their projects to \u201cremove harmful DEIA and far-left climate features.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPresident Trump made tackling America\u2019s energy emergency a top priority from day one, and this review allows rural energy providers and small businesses to realign their projects with that mission,\u201d Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said in the release.<\/p>\n<p>But Hana Vizcarra, senior attorney at Earthjustice, said that it\u2019s not clear how farmers who installed solar panels might do that, since the order is primarily about boosting fossil fuel production. Since Congress allotted the funds for specific types of projects, she added, the agency can\u2019t legally go back and change what the money is used for.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think they\u2019re being completely disingenuous. This is about finding another way to deny farmers what they\u2019re owed,\u201d Vizcarra said. \u201cTo me, this is not any more reasonable or lawful than the blanket freeze.\u201d Earthjustice is currently <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#usda-faces-lawsuit-and-congressional-action-over-funding-freeze-and-cancellations\">suing the USDA<\/a> over its freezing of IRA funds.<\/p>\n<p>In a letter sent to farmers with REAP grants today, the agency said that if farmers don\u2019t make updates through a web portal the USDA has set up, \u201cit will be considered that they do not wish to make changes to their proposals, and disbursements and other actions will resume after the 30 days.\u201d In response to a question regarding whether \u201cother actions\u201d might include cancellations, a USDA spokesperson sent Civil Eats the same language that was in the announcement and emphasized the word &#8220;voluntary.&#8221; Within other programs, they have been <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#usda-has-begun-canceling-contracts-based-on-trumps-dei-order\">canceling individual contracts <\/a>they determine don\u2019t align with Trump\u2019s order on DEI. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#usda-unfreezes-energy-funds-for-farmers-but-demands-they-align-on-dei\">Link to this post.)<\/a><\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"62722\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/doge\/' title='DOGE' class='pt-cv-tax-doge'>DOGE<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Democrats in Congress Seek Answers from USDA on the Funding&nbsp;Freezes<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>March 25, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> During <a href=\"https:\/\/organicfarmersassociation.org\/news\/2025fly-in\/\">multiple<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/nffc.net\/nffc-2025-fly-in-kaitlyn-kimballs-walk-through-washington\/\">fly-ins<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.masslive.com\/westernmass\/2025\/03\/wmass-farmers-protest-federal-funding-cuts-they-say-jeopardize-food-supplies.html\">town hall meetings<\/a>, farmers and others working in the food system have been asking their representatives in D.C. for help navigating <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#usda-continues-to-roll-out-deeper-cuts-to-farm-grants-a-list\">funding pauses and cuts<\/a> at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). In response, Democrats in Congress are pressing the agency for answers, but have yet to get a response.<\/p>\n<p>On March 14, Representative Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) <a href=\"https:\/\/pingree.house.gov\/uploadedfiles\/2025.03.14_letter_to_usda_re_lfpa_and_lfs.pdf\">sent a letter <\/a>signed by 80 House Democrats asking Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins to provide details on the<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/19\/the-end-of-federal-support-for-local-food\/\"> canceling of two USDA programs <\/a>that help move local food from small farms into schools and food banks. On March 20, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) and her New York colleagues Senator Chuck Schumer and Representative John Mannion <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gillibrand.senate.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Letter-to-USDA-and-GSA-re-USDA-Syracuse-Office-2-1.pdf\">sent a letter<\/a> to Rollins regarding a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) proposal to close a state office housing three USDA sub-agencies that support farmers and rural communities. She asked for an explanation as to how the USDA plans to maintain services if the office closes.<\/p>\n<p>And today, Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) led 25 Senate Democrats in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.klobuchar.senate.gov\/public\/_cache\/files\/f\/c\/fc50b0a1-1c30-482e-bf97-a3c4ce63b7d0\/18F6897A7885A67E746D2CDFE98E888F4323983552674EF983E877A87ABCF9D8.march-25---letter-to-usda-regarding-emergency-food-assistance-.pdf\">asking for details<\/a> on the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#usda-pauses-additional-food-bank-funds-directs-new-money-to-texas-farmers\">reported cancellation<\/a> of food purchases within an emergency hunger program. Klobuchar asked for a prompt response to her questions within a week.<\/p>\n<p>Staff in both Pingree and Gillibrand\u2019s offices told Civil Eats that they have not yet received a response to their letters. It does typically take federal agencies some time to respond to inquiries from Congress, but multiple sources have told Civil Eats off the record that overall, the agency has not been communicating with lawmakers in the way that has historically been typical of the relationship.<\/p>\n<p>However, a spokesperson for Senate Agriculture Chair John Boozman (R-Arkansas) said that Boozman has had &#8220;recent conversations with Secretary Rollins about issues important to farm country&#8221; and that Senate Republicans <a href=\"https:\/\/www.agriculture.senate.gov\/hearings\/oversight-of-the-us-department-of-agriculture\">struggled to get timely responses<\/a> from former Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, who dismissed their concerns. Boozman is likely referring to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.agriculture.senate.gov\/imo\/media\/doc\/10.27.22%20Oversight%20Letter%20Sec.%20751.pdf\">an October 2022 letter to then-USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack<\/a> asking for details about how the agency was using COVID-related funding for non-COVID-related programs. But Democrats are stressing the urgency of their current concerns, such as funding for emergency food purchases that organizations had been expecting to pay farmers and use to feed hungry people.<\/p>\n<p>In response to written questions, a USDA spokesperson echoed that sentiment. &#8220;Secretary Rollins prioritizes serious, timely engagement with Congress. The idea that there\u2019s a lapse in responsiveness\u2014based on letters sent just days ago\u2014is simply absurd. Juxtaposed with the Biden Administration, where Secretary Vilsack took months\u2014plural\u2014to respond to even the simplest of inquiries, the Trump Administration values its relationship with Congress.\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#democrats-in-congress-seek-answers-from-usda-on-the-funding-freezes\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"62656\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/doge\/' title='DOGE' class='pt-cv-tax-doge'>DOGE<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/food-and-farm-workers\/' title='Food and farm workers' class='pt-cv-tax-food-and-farm-workers'>Food and farm workers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/immigration\/' title='Immigration' class='pt-cv-tax-immigration'>Immigration<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Don\u2019t Miss: How a USDA Freeze and USAID Cuts Are Hitting H-2A&nbsp;Farms<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>March 24, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> On Friday, Civil Eats published an <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/21\/federal-cuts-and-funding-pauses-add-to-farmers-labor-woes\/\">in-depth report<\/a> on two Trump administration actions that are affecting some of the farmers using the H-2A guestworker program in intersecting ways.<\/p>\n<p>First, farmers report that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has paused payments within the Farm Labor Stabilization Program, a Biden-era effort intended to help farmers offset the cost of hiring H-2A workers while improving conditions for those workers.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has interrupted efforts to increase the recruitment of H-2A workers from northern Central America.<\/p>\n<p>Some farmers are now facing labor challenges as a result of both actions.<\/p>\n<p>This story grew out of the daily reporting we&#8217;re doing here at the Food Policy Tracker; we have been talking to farmers around the country who alerted us to the freeze and the cuts, and we followed up with a number of labor recruiters and former USAID officials. <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/21\/federal-cuts-and-funding-pauses-add-to-farmers-labor-woes\/\">Get the full story here.<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#dont-miss-how-a-usda-freeze-and-usaid-cuts-are-hitting-h-2a-farms\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"62573\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/fda\/' title='FDA' class='pt-cv-tax-fda'>FDA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/food-safety\/' title='Food safety' class='pt-cv-tax-food-safety'>Food safety<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hhs\/' title='HHS' class='pt-cv-tax-hhs'>HHS<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >FDA Delays New Food Safety Rules, Debuts Contaminant&nbsp;Database<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>March 21, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> Yesterday, the FDA <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/food\/hfp-constituent-updates\/fda-intends-extend-compliance-date-food-traceability-rule\">announced<\/a> it will give food companies an additional two and a half years to comply with new food safety rules that were set to go into effect in 2026.<\/p>\n<p>The rules tighten standards around record keeping within supply chains, so that when food safety issues arise, it will be easier to trace and contain them. They were first proposed in 2020 during President Trump\u2019s first term and finalized under former President Biden.<\/p>\n<p>In December, more than 100 industry groups sent<a href=\"https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/96\/00\/56e471dc488889ba051d00dfeacc\/manufacturers-regulatory-letter-to-president-elect-trump-12-5-24.pdf\"> a de-regulatory wishlist<\/a> to incoming President Trump that included an ask to delay the food safety requirements by \u201cat least three years.\u201d Among the signatories was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fmi.org\/\">FMI, The Food Industry Association<\/a>, which represents grocers and other food companies. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who oversees the FDA, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/joshuacohen\/2024\/12\/04\/rfk-jr-says-he-wants-to-untie-links-between-industry-and-fda\/\">has said repeatedly<\/a> that he would eliminate food industry influence within FDA.<\/p>\n<p>In February, advocacy group U.S. PIRG <a href=\"https:\/\/pirg.org\/edfund\/resources\/food-for-thought-2025\/\">released an analysis<\/a> that found hospitalizations and deaths from contaminated food doubled in 2024 compared to 2023. \u201cIn the year 2025, the United States has access to some of the best technology in the world for keeping track of products moving through the food system, yet we still have a hard time figuring out where a bag of lettuce came from and getting contaminated peanut butter off the shelves,\u201d Sarah Sorscher, director of regulatory affairs at the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), said in a statement criticizing the FDA\u2019s decision. \u201cUnfortunately, this delay will only serve to keep the public in the dark.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On the same day, the agency <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/news-events\/press-announcements\/hhs-fda-announce-chemical-contaminants-transparency-tool-foods?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery\">also debuted<\/a> a <a href=\"https:\/\/hfpappexternal.fda.gov\/scripts\/fdcc\/?set=contaminant-levels&amp;sort=Contaminant&amp;order=ASC&amp;startrow=1&amp;type=basic&amp;search=toxic%20element\">new tool<\/a> that allows consumers to search for the contaminant levels FDA sets for substances including lead and pesticides. \u201cHHS is committed to radical transparency to give Americans authentic, informed consent about what they are eating,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/30\/during-day-2-of-his-hearings-rfk-jr-emphasizes-toxins-in-food\/\">Kennedy<\/a> said in the press release.<\/p>\n<p>Tom Neltner, executive director of <a href=\"https:\/\/unleadedkids.org\/\">Unleaded Kids<\/a>, a nonprofit that focuses on gaps in lead policy, applauded the agency. \u201cThe tool is helpful for food companies trying to comply and for consumers trying to understand what they can expect from food companies,\u201d he said. Neltner noted that while the tool does a good job of showing the standards FDA does have in one place, what many people are concerned about are the standards the agency <em>doesn\u2019t<\/em> have. For example, there are no limits for cadmium or arsenic in baby food or for PFAS in food.<\/p>\n<p>CSPI President and Executive Director Peter Lurie, echoed the sentiment, telling Civil Eats that while it may be beneficial to have the information in one spot, what the tool lays bare is that \u201cmost toxic elements are not regulated in most commodities by the FDA.\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#fda-delays-new-food-safety-rules-debuts-contaminant-database\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"62548\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hunger\/' title='Hunger' class='pt-cv-tax-hunger'>Hunger<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >USDA Pauses Additional Food Bank Funds, Directs New Money to Texas&nbsp;Farmers<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>March 20, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> Yesterday, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/news\/press-releases\/2025\/03\/19\/usda-announces-280-million-grant-agreement-support-rio-grande-valley-agricultural-producers-amid\">announced<\/a> that USDA awarded a $280 million grant to the Texas Department of Agriculture to pay farmers affected by water shortages in her home state. Water scarcity <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2024\/08\/16\/nx-s1-5075171\/water-treaty-mexico-united-states\">has put<\/a> Texas farmers crops\u2019 at risk and shuttered <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tpr.org\/environment\/2024-02-26\/the-last-sugar-mill-in-texas-shuts-down-because-of-ongoing-water-issues-with-mexico\">the state\u2019s last sugar mill<\/a>, and Mexico is far behind on its obligations to share water from the Rio Grande and Colorado Rivers.<\/p>\n<p>But the announcement came on the same day that<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/03\/19\/usda-halts-deliveries-food-banks-trump-00239453?nname=politico-nightly&amp;nid=00000170-c000-da87-af78-e185fa700000&amp;nrid=0000015a-22f8-d9d2-a35b-befc1a7f0000\"> Politico reported<\/a> another yet another USDA program\u2019s already-allocated funding has been paused, this one covering $500 million for food banks, with $148 million in food purchases already canceled.<\/p>\n<p>Overall, a lack of clarity remains as to which farmers and groups will receive grant payments and when. Yesterday, Civil Eats reviewed an email from a USDA employee saying the agency has completed its review of the Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP) and payments are cleared to resume, but <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#usda-continues-to-roll-out-deeper-cuts-to-farm-grants-a-list\">several other programs<\/a> remain frozen. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#usda-pauses-additional-food-bank-funds-directs-new-money-to-texas-farmers\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"62509\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/fda\/' title='FDA' class='pt-cv-tax-fda'>FDA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/food-safety\/' title='Food safety' class='pt-cv-tax-food-safety'>Food safety<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >FDA Plans to Increase Testing Baby Formula for Heavy&nbsp;Metals<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>March 19, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> Yesterday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and its parent agency the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/news-events\/press-announcements\/hhs-fda-announce-operation-stork-speed-expand-options-safe-reliable-and-nutritious-infant-formula\">announced<\/a> a series of actions on infant formula dubbed \u201cOperation Stork Speed,\u201d including a plan to increase testing for heavy metals such as lead and arsenic, which can cause cancer and neurological and behavior health impacts.<\/p>\n<p>However, the announcement comes at a time when <a href=\"https:\/\/www.consumerreports.org\/health\/food-safety\/fda-spending-freeze-threatens-safety-of-food-supply-a7676246448\/\">experts are questioning<\/a> whether the agency will even have the resources to maintain its basic responsibilities related to food safety.<\/p>\n<p>Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/11\/12\/health\/robert-kennedy-jr-fda.html\">long been concerned<\/a> about heavy metals in food, and the announcement came just a day after Consumer Reports <a href=\"https:\/\/www.consumerreports.org\/babies-kids\/baby-formula\/baby-formula-contaminants-test-results-a7140095293\/\">shared tests with the agency<\/a> that identified metals in some infant formula products. While Consumer Reports\u2019 scientists found almost no mercury or cadmium in common products, in some, they found levels of arsenic and lead that were high enough to be concerning to experts. (Formula companies challenged the testing methods and results.) Brian Ronholm, head of food policy at Consumer Reports, called the quick announcement \u201cvery encouraging.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Current law does not require the FDA to test for toxins like heavy metals. The agency does regulate the nutrient content of formula and tests for microbial pathogens, like the bacteria that set off the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanprogress.org\/article\/the-national-baby-formula-shortage-and-the-inequitable-u-s-food-system\/\">infant formula shortage<\/a> of 2022. In the announcement, the agency said it will also kick off a review of the nutrients in products and take steps to expand the country\u2019s supply of formula.<\/p>\n<p>However, earlier this month, the Trump administration<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/03\/19\/health\/food-safety-trump-fda-cutbacks-deadly-outbreaks.html\"> shut down <\/a>a joint FDA-USDA committee that had been studying the situation that led to the shortage in order to make recommendations on preventing another. The FDA has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/03\/19\/health\/food-safety-trump-fda-cutbacks-deadly-outbreaks.html\">also fired critical staff<\/a> working on food safety and put a freeze on credit cards researchers use to purchase products to test.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe FDA is deeply committed to ensuring that moms and other caregivers of infants and young children and other individuals who rely on infant formula for their nutritional needs have confidence that these products are safe, consistently available, and contain the nutrients essential to promote health and well-being during critical stages of development and life,\u201d Acting FDA Commissioner Sara Brenner said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/news-events\/press-announcements\/hhs-fda-announce-operation-stork-speed-expand-options-safe-reliable-and-nutritious-infant-formula\">in a statement<\/a> announcing the plan. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#fda-plans-to-increase-testing-baby-formula-for-heavy-metals\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"62454\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >USDA Prioritizes Economic Relief for Commodity&nbsp;Farmers<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>March 18, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> The USDA <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/news\/press-releases\/2025\/03\/18\/usda-expediting-10-billion-direct-economic-assistance-agricultural-producers\">announced today<\/a> it would roll out economic relief payments to commodity farmers starting tomorrow, two days ahead of the deadline set by Congress. The new program will be called the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fsa.usda.gov\/ecap\">Emergency Commodity Assistance Program<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Congress included $10 billion in last December\u2019s spending bill to compensate those farmers for low crop prices and high input costs. Farmers will be able to apply for the funding starting tomorrow. The USDA also said it will streamline the process by sending pre-filled applications to farmers who are eligible: The program is for growers of corn, soybeans, rice, sorghum, oilseeds, and other row crops.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith clear direction from Congress, USDA has prioritized streamlining the process and accelerating these payments ahead of schedule, ensuring farmers have the resources necessary to manage rising expenses and secure financing for next season,\u201d Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said in a statement. Lawmakers on <a href=\"https:\/\/agriculture.house.gov\/news\/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=7864\">both<\/a> sides of the aisle celebrated the announcement.<\/p>\n<p>In the end-of-year spending bill, Congress allocated another $21 billion to compensate farmers for damage caused by natural disasters. Agency officials said those payments will be available later this year. The quick rollout is happening at a time when other farmers who already have signed USDA contracts to <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/26\/farmers-say-climate-smart-commodities-projects-are-crumbling\/\">fund conservation practices<\/a>, new processing facilities, and market development <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/11\/usda-continues-to-roll-out-deeper-cuts-to-farm-grants-a-list\/\">say their payments are not being processed<\/a>. The USDA is also <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#usda-publicizes-canceling-a-grant-to-an-organization-that-trains-young-farmers\">canceling contracted payments<\/a> for projects, including young farmer training, that prioritize equity. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#usda-prioritizes-economic-relief-for-commodity-farmers\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"62426\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/food-and-farm-workers\/' title='Food and farm workers' class='pt-cv-tax-food-and-farm-workers'>Food and farm workers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/food-safety\/' title='Food safety' class='pt-cv-tax-food-safety'>Food safety<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >USDA Moves to Permanently Increase Line Speeds at Meatpacking&nbsp;Plants<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>March 18, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> On March 17, the USDA <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/news\/press-releases\/2025\/03\/17\/secretary-rollins-takes-action-streamline-us-pork-and-poultry-processing\">extended waivers<\/a> that currently allow some meatpacking plants to process pigs and chickens at faster speeds and announced it is starting the process of permanently changing the rule so that all plants could speed up their processing going forward.<\/p>\n<p>In a press release, the agency said it would also reduce the amount of worker safety data plants are required to provide and that the changes would ensure meatpackers can meet demand. \u201cAmerica leads the world in pork and poultry production, and we are committed to ensuring our producers remain competitive on a global scale without being held back by unnecessary bureaucracy,\u201d Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said in the release.<\/p>\n<p>Republican agriculture leaders Senator John Boozman (R-Arkansas) and G.T. Thompson (R-Pennsylvania) applauded the decision, as did industry groups including the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalchickencouncil.org\/usda-announces-plans-for-new-rulemaking-for-chicken-processing-line-speeds\/\">National Chicken Council<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meatinstitute.org\/press\/meat-institute-usda-secretary-rollins-acts-swiftly-bring-certainty-innovation-pork-poultry\">the Meat Institute<\/a>, the trade group that represents the country\u2019s biggest meatpackers. Meat Institute CEO Julie Anna Potts said it showed Secretary Rollins will eliminate hurdles to efficient production of safe meat and poultry. \u201cWe appreciate her wasting no time to support innovation in our industry. We look forward to working with the Secretary and our livestock and poultry suppliers to provide certainty to the supply chain and to allow additional companies the opportunity to utilize this system,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>However, Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), which represents more than 15,000 poultry workers, said workers cannot safely process meat at the faster speeds. \u201cIncreased line speeds will hurt workers\u2014it\u2019s not a maybe, it\u2019s a definite\u2014and increased production speeds will jeopardize the health and safety of every American that eats chicken,\u201d he said in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rwdsu.org\/news\/statement-usda-line-speed-waivers\">a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Trump\u2019s USDA <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2020\/08\/31\/usda-seeks-to-permanently-speed-up-poultry-plant-line-speeds\/\">started this same process<\/a> during his first term, initially granting waivers to speed up meat production at the start of the pandemic, but the Biden administration <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2022\/02\/21\/op-ed-one-year-in-where-vilsacks-usda-stands-on-10-key-measures\/\">withdrew the rule<\/a> that would have permanently increased speeds. Biden\u2019s USDA then <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2022\/02\/21\/op-ed-one-year-in-where-vilsacks-usda-stands-on-10-key-measures\/\">allowed some plants<\/a> to run at faster speeds and launched studies to measure impacts on workers.<\/p>\n<p>When the results of those studies <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/13\/reports-high-rates-of-meatpacking-worker-injuries\/\">were released in January,<\/a> Republicans and industry groups pointed to them as proof that faster speeds are safe, while worker groups said they showed evidence of dangerous conditions. The studies did not find a clear correlation between slaughter line speed and worker injuries,\u00a0 but workers who had a higher \u201cpiece rate,\u201d a different measure of individual job pace, did have increased risk of injury. And the studies found 81 percent of poultry workers and 46 percent of pork workers, regardless of line speeds, had increased risk of musculoskeletal disorders and reported high rates of moderate to severe upper extremity pain. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#usda-moves-to-permanently-increase-line-speeds-at-meatpacking-plants\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"62347\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >USDA Faces Lawsuit and Congressional Action Over Funding Freeze and Cancellations<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>March 13, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> With a broad pause on grant funding still in place <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/26\/farmers-say-climate-smart-commodities-projects-are-crumbling\/\">across many USDA programs<\/a> and grant cancellations <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#usda-has-begun-canceling-contracts-based-on-trumps-dei-order\">beginning to roll out<\/a>, the agency is now facing a lawsuit and pushback from Congress.<\/p>\n<p>Today, the environmental group Earthjustice <a href=\"https:\/\/earthjustice.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/1-butterbee-farm-v-usda-complaint.pdf\">sued the USDA<\/a> on behalf of five farms and three nonprofit organizations over the freezing of funds allocated through former President Biden\u2019s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). (A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/trump-freeze-federal-assistance-judge-blocks\/\">previous lawsuit<\/a> over frozen IRA funds targeted the Trump administration more broadly.) Researchers at the University of Illinois <a href=\"https:\/\/policydesignlab.ncsa.illinois.edu\/issues-whitepapers\">recently estimated<\/a> farmers stand to lose $12.5 billion if those funds are not delivered as promised.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Trump administration\u2019s unlawful actions are hurting communities across the country. This is not government efficiency. It is thoughtless waste that inflicts unwarranted financial pain on small farmers and organizations trying to improve their communities,\u201d Hana Vizcarra, senior attorney at Earthjustice, said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, a group of Democrats in the Senate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us\/us-senators-urge-usda-reinstate-canceled-local-food-programs-2025-03-13\/\">are sending a letter<\/a> to Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins asking her to reinstate the two local food programs USDA canceled earlier this week, Reuters reported.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Senator Cory Booker (D-New Jersey), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, shared with Civil Eats a legislative amendment he\u2019s prepared that would order the USDA to honor its signed contracts with farmers. The amendment directs the USDA to immediately \u201cunfreeze funding for and implement all contracts entered into by the Secretary prior to the date of enactment of this Act\u201d and to pay past-due amounts on contracts as rapidly as possible. It also prohibits the cancellation of \u201cany signed contract with a farmer or an entity providing assistance to farmers, unless the farmer or entity has failed to comply with the terms and conditions of the contract.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Booker has been vocal in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.booker.senate.gov\/news\/videos\">recent Senate hearings<\/a> about calls and emails he\u2019s been getting from farmers across his home state. \u201cFor some of these farmers, they\u2019re saying if they\u2019re not able to move forward with their spring planting, they\u2019re ultimately at risk of losing their farms,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>At this moment, there is no clear path for Booker to introduce the amendment. The Senate is currently debating a Republican-backed bill to keep the government funded beyond Friday night; Booker, like most Senate Democrats, is committed to opposing the bill, so won&#8217;t introduce the amendment until the current crisis is resolved. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#usda-faces-lawsuit-and-congressional-action-over-funding-freeze-and-cancellations\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"62316\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/climate-and-environment\/' title='Climate and environment' class='pt-cv-tax-climate-and-environment'>Climate and environment<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/epa\/' title='EPA' class='pt-cv-tax-epa'>EPA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/water\/' title='Water' class='pt-cv-tax-water'>Water<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Deregulatory Blitz at EPA Includes Climate and Water Rules That Impact Agriculture<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>March 13, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> On March 12, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/newsreleases\/epa-launches-biggest-deregulatory-action-us-history\">announced<\/a> more than 30 deregulatory actions the agency is taking, including steps to roll back rules that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and farm pollution, and to eliminate environmental justice efforts.<\/p>\n<p>In their last evaluation of the climate crisis, the world\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/03\/20\/the-ipccs-latest-climate-report-is-a-final-alarm-for-food-systems-too\/\">top scientists found<\/a> climate change is already making it harder for farmers to produce food\u2014and that challenges including extreme heat, droughts, and destructive weather events will get worse without rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Zeldin\u2019s actions will move the EPA off that path significantly with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/newsreleases\/trump-epa-kicks-formal-reconsideration-endangerment-finding-agency-partners\">a reconsideration<\/a> of what is called the \u201cendangerment finding,\u201d a scientific decision the agency made determining greenhouse gases endanger public health, which underpins the agency\u2019s other climate rules and regulations. \u201cWe are driving a dagger straight into the heart of the climate change religion to drive down cost of living for American families,\u201d Zeldin <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/newsreleases\/epa-launches-biggest-deregulatory-action-us-history\">said in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Another stop in Zeldin\u2019s plan <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/newsreleases\/administrator-zeldin-announces-epa-will-revise-waters-united-states-rule-0\">is to once again review<\/a> a rule that determines which bodies of water are subject to restrictions on runoff from farms. Called Waters of the U.S., or \u201cWOTUS,\u201d the rule has been in flux for decades, with every administration changing it and the Supreme Court already weighing in. It has been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fb.org\/focus-on-agriculture\/farmers-wait-on-wotus-rule-continues\">a key issue<\/a> for the American Farm Bureau Federation, and House Agriculture Committee Chair G.T. Thompson (R-Pennsylvania) thanked Zeldin \u201cfor listening to America\u2019s farmers and delivering much needed relief to our rural communities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And Zeldin <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/newsreleases\/epa-terminates-bidens-environmental-justice-dei-arms-agency\">officially ended<\/a> all of EPA\u2019s office environmental justice work, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/03\/11\/climate\/epa-closure-environmental-justice-offices.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&amp;amp;referringSource=articleShare&amp;amp;sgrp=p&amp;amp;pvid=429DCE10-4848-4B7D-BDDB-140CC2695D23\">shutting down offices<\/a> around the country. Some environmental justice programming at EPA focused on communities disproportionately affected by <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/03\/05\/california-farm-counties-are-not-even-close-to-meeting-the-epas-new-clean-air-quality-standard\/\">air<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/02\/05\/should-a-plan-to-curb-meat-industry-water-pollution-consider-the-business-costs\/\">water pollution<\/a> from the food system. \u201cBy shutting down environmental justice, Trump\u2019s EPA is turning its back on protecting clean air and safe drinking water for every American, regardless of where they live or who they voted for,\u201d said Michelle Roos, Executive Director at the Environmental Protection Network, in a statement. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#deregulatory-blitz-at-epa-includes-climate-and-water-rules-that-impact-agriculture\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"62300\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/doge\/' title='DOGE' class='pt-cv-tax-doge'>DOGE<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >USDA Publicizes Canceling a Grant to an Organization That Trains Young&nbsp;Farmers<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>March 13, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DHGsKH2xXFY\/\">posted a \u201cDOGE update\u201d video<\/a> on Instagram with a caption announcing that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) cancelled a $397,000 grant in the Bay Area because it aimed \u201cto educate queer, trans, and BIPOC urban farmers and consumers about food justice and values-aligned markets.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That grant was a 2023 award to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.agroecologycommons.org\/\">Agroecology Commons<\/a>, a nonprofit that runs a beginning farmer training program and incubator for young farmers who are just starting out and helps them access training, land, and local markets. At <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#continuing-usda-funding-freeze-hangs-over-farm-policy-events\">the NASDA Conference<\/a> two weeks ago, Rollins specifically called out the need to make it easier and more attractive for young people to farm. \u201cWe need more young farmers to carry on the proud agricultural legacy of innovation, of entrepreneurship, and of feeding our nation,\u201d she said at the time.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s in line with Agroecology Commons\u2019 mission, said Leah Atwood, the group&#8217;s director of partnerships. Atwood told Civil Eats that the grant helped fund training programs that include farmer-to-farmer skill shares on topics including composting and beekeeping. Three cohorts of beginning farmers have made it through the nine-month training that includes 12 local farm partners so far, and she estimated about a dozen are farming on their own so far. The organization also works to help farmers sell fresh food to their local communities. \u201cThere\u2019s a focus on being able to have a livelihood in farming,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>The grant was terminated because it was identified as <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/10\/despite-cuts-to-dei-initiatives-food-and-farm-advocates-say-they-will-continue-to-fight-for-racial-justice\/\">promoting DEI efforts<\/a>. Atwood said their programs are open to all farmers, especially low-income individuals, but center those from groups that have historically been left out of farming and barred from accessing resources. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to be BIPOC or queer to be here, that\u2019s just who we\u2019re actively welcoming into the space because there\u2019s a need for that,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>The contract was through the Community Food Projects Competitive Grant Program, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.govinfo.gov\/content\/pkg\/CMR-A94-00189225\/pdf\/CMR-A94-00189225.pdf\">tiny grant program<\/a> that got an extra $14 million allocated in 2023 through Biden\u2019s American Rescue Plan. As to Agroecology Commons&#8217; $397,000, \u201cIt\u2019s a rounding error for the USDA,\u201d Atwood said. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#usda-publicizes-canceling-a-grant-to-an-organization-that-trains-young-farmers\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"62221\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/climate-and-environment\/' title='Climate and environment' class='pt-cv-tax-climate-and-environment'>Climate and environment<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/local-food\/' title='Local food' class='pt-cv-tax-local-food'>Local food<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >USDA Continues to Roll Out Deeper Cuts to Farm Grants: A&nbsp;List<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>March 11, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> Over the past several weeks, farmers and farm groups with USDA grant contracts have been reeling from uncertainty caused by the agency\u2019s funding freeze. At the same time, cancellation letters terminating individual grant contracts based on stated commitments to equity and diversity <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#usda-has-begun-canceling-contracts-based-on-trumps-dei-order\">began to trickle in<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Now, deeper cuts are coming into focus. Last night, Marcia Brown at Politico <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/03\/10\/usda-cancels-local-food-purchasing-for-schools-food-banks-00222796\">reported<\/a> the agency officially ended two local food programs expanded under Biden to connect small farms to school meals and hunger assistance programs like food banks. Organizations with active contracts in those programs told Civil Eats they were devastated by the cuts.<\/p>\n<p>And more cuts are likely: According to an internal USDA document viewed by Civil Eats, staff that cover programs under the agency\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/general-information\/mission-areas\">Farm Production and Conservation <\/a>mission area were given a flowchart to help them determine which funds to continue to distribute and which contracts to refer for potential cancellation.<\/p>\n<p>The document confirms the agency\u2019s review of grant contracts to determine if they include \u201cDEIA or EJ\u201d (diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility or environmental justice) and whether they were funded by the Inflation Reduction Act and include energy or conservation. The chart directs staff to send contracts funded by IRA money that meet certain criteria to the Office of Management and Budget to review. It directs staff to send contracts with other sources of funding that meet certain criteria to the Office of Secretary Rollins to \u201cdecide on whether to terminate the agreement or modify the scope of work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>This is a developing story. Civil Eats is compiling a list of grant program cancellations and pauses, below, and will continue to update the list as more information becomes available. This list is based on cancellations and pauses reported directly to Civil Eats. Email <a href=\"mailto:tracker@civileats.com\">tracker@civileats.com<\/a> to submit a tip.\u00a0<\/em> (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#usda-continues-to-roll-out-deeper-cuts-to-farm-grants-a-list\">Link to this post<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p><b>Full Programs Reportedly Ended to Date<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Working Lands Conservation Corps<\/li>\n<li>Local Food for Schools and Child Care Cooperative Agreement (LFSCC)<\/li>\n<li>Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement program (LFPA)<\/li>\n<li>Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program <em>(FY 2025 funding canceled, added April 4, 2025)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Program <em>(canceled April 14, 2025, <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/04\/14\/usda-cancels-climate-smart-commodities-program-but-some-projects-may-continue\/\">some projects continuing under new program<\/a>)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Regional Food Business Centers<em> (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#usda-cancels-more-support-for-regional-food-systems\">canceled<\/a> July 16, 2025)<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Programs With Individual Contracts Reportedly Canceled<br \/>\n<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP)<\/li>\n<li>Equity in Conservation Outreach Program<\/li>\n<li>Community Food Projects Competitive Grant Program<\/li>\n<li>Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program <em>(added July 16, 2025)<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Programs with Payments Reportedly Paused\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) <em>(reported unpaused April 16, 2025)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program<em> (reported unpaused April 15, 2025)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)<em> (some funding released, total status unclear, April 2025)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)<em> (some funding released, total status unclear, April 2025)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP) <em>(reported unpaused March 18, 2025)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Organic Market Development Grants<em> (reported unpaused May 8, 2025)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Transition to Organic Partnership Program <em>(added April 8, 2025, reported unpaused May 8, 2025)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Rural Energy for America Program <em>(unpaused March 26, 2025, with changes)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Farm Labor Stabilization and Protection Program <em>(added March 20, 2025)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>The Emergency Food Assistance Program <em>(added March 20, 2025)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SARE) <em>(added March 25, 2025)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program <em>(added March 26, 2025)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative <em>(added April 11, 2025)<\/em><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">American Rescue Plan Technical Assistance Investment Program<em> (added April 11, 2025 based on USDA list)<\/em><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Bioproduct Pilot Program <em>(added April 11, 2025 based on USDA list)<\/em><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the Next Generation of Diverse Food and Agriculture Professionals <em>(added April 11, 2025 based on USDA list)<\/em><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Infrastructure Investment and Job Act Joint Fire Science Program (Research &amp; Development) <em>(added April 11, 2025 based on USDA list)<\/em><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Restoration\/Revegetation <em>(added April 11, 2025 based on USDA list)<\/em><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Capital Maintenance and Improvement <em>(added April 11, 2025 based on USDA list)<\/em><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Forest Service Reverse 911 Grant Program <em>(added April 11, 2025 based on USDA list)<\/em><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Forest and Grassland Collaboratives <em>(added April 11, 2025 based on USDA list)<\/em><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Conservation Outreach, Education and Technical Assistance <em>(added April 11, 2025 based on USDA list)<\/em><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Farm Loan Borrower Relief Program <em>(added April 11, 2025 based on USDA list)<\/em><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">DSA COVID Relief Program <em>(added April 11, 2025 based on USDA list)<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"62151\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/fda\/' title='FDA' class='pt-cv-tax-fda'>FDA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/food-safety\/' title='Food safety' class='pt-cv-tax-food-safety'>Food safety<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hhs\/' title='HHS' class='pt-cv-tax-hhs'>HHS<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Kennedy Directs FDA to Explore Revising Controversial &#8216;GRAS&#8217; Food Additive&nbsp;Rules<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>March 11, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> On March 10, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.gov\/about\/news\/2025\/03\/10\/hhs-secretary-kennedy-directs-fda-explore-rulemaking-eliminate-pathway-companies-self-affirm-food-ingredients-safe.html\">announced<\/a> he was directing the FDA to look into changing its rules to eliminate the ability of companies to add new chemicals to foods without agency review.<\/p>\n<p>The process\u2014called Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS)\u2014has <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2016\/08\/24\/will-fdas-new-gras-rule-make-food-any-safer\/\">been criticized for years<\/a> as allowing companies to self-certify food ingredients as safe without government regulators evaluating potential risks. \u201cFor far too long, ingredient manufacturers and sponsors have exploited a loophole that has allowed new ingredients and chemicals, often with unknown safety data, to be introduced into the U.S. food supply without notification to the FDA or the public,\u201d Secretary Kennedy said in a press release.<\/p>\n<p>While President Trump has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/01\/regulatory-freeze-pending-review\/\">put a pause on<\/a> all new regulations across the federal government, the HHS announcement falls short of committing to a rule change by only directing FDA to &#8220;take steps to explore&#8221; the option. It also says the agency is &#8220;committed to working with Congress to explore ways legislation can completely close the GRAS loophole.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The action came up during the first panel at the Consumer Federation of America&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/consumerfed.org\/events\/national-food-policy-conference\/\">National Food Policy Conference<\/a> in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, where Beth Johnson, the founder of <a href=\"https:\/\/fooddirectionsllc.com\/\">Food Directions<\/a>, said the FDA &#8220;could be an outlier&#8221; when it comes to the Trump administration&#8217;s overall deregulatory agenda.\u00a0(<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#kennedy-directs-fda-to-explore-revising-controversial-gras-food-additive-rules\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"62147\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/climate-and-environment\/' title='Climate and environment' class='pt-cv-tax-climate-and-environment'>Climate and environment<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >USDA Makes Rare Move to Reschedule an Important Organic Standards&nbsp;Meeting<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>March 11, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) posted on its website that the spring meeting of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20250204193353\/https:\/www.ams.usda.gov\/event\/national-organic-standards-board-nosb-meeting-tempe-az\">originally planned<\/a> for April 29\u2013May 1 in Tempe, Arizona\u2014is being <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ams.usda.gov\/event\/national-organic-standards-board-nosb-meeting-tempe-az\">rescheduled<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Since the USDA began regulating organic certification, NOSB meetings have been the primary public forum for organic farmers, processors, and other industry players to engage with the board, which is responsible for evaluating and voting on updates to the regulations. The meetings happen twice a year. Since 2010, only one meeting, in 2013, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ams.usda.gov\/rules-regulations\/organic\/nosb\/meetings\">was cancelled<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In response to questions as to why the meeting was cancelled or when it might happen, a USDA spokesperson said it is being rescheduled &#8220;for a time frame that will provide the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) with sufficient time to brief Secretary Rollins about the role of the NOSB and other AMS federal advisory committees.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The rescheduling <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DHCeWs_N1Bh\/\">sparked concern<\/a> among organic advocates since the agency has been <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/26\/farmers-say-climate-smart-commodities-projects-are-crumbling\/\">making cuts and pausing funding<\/a> to other farm programs that prioritize climate and environmental aims. The news also comes at a time when organic farmers and advocates <a href=\"https:\/\/actionnetwork.org\/letters\/ofa_costshare\">have been fighting<\/a> to restore organic programs, including federal help with the cost of certification that Congress left out of the recent farm bill extension.<\/p>\n<p>Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is a staunch<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=0mRHpbtS55M\"> proponent of organic agriculture<\/a>. At HHS, he does not have jurisdiction over the organic program, but Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has pledged to work closely with him. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#usda-makes-rare-move-to-reschedule-an-important-organic-standards-meeting\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"62052\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/fda\/' title='FDA' class='pt-cv-tax-fda'>FDA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hhs\/' title='HHS' class='pt-cv-tax-hhs'>HHS<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/nutrition\/' title='Nutrition' class='pt-cv-tax-nutrition'>Nutrition<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >FDA Commissioner Nominee Says He\u2019ll Focus on Food and&nbsp;Health<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>March 6, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> In a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.help.senate.gov\/hearings\/nomination-of-martin-makary-to-serve-as-commissioner-of-food-and-drugs\">Senate hearing<\/a> that focused more on vaccines and the safety of the abortion drug mifepristone than the Food and Drug Administration&#8217;s (FDA) oversight of what Americans eat, President Trump\u2019s nominee for FDA Commissioner said <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/29\/in-a-tense-first-hearing-rfk-got-more-questions-about-farmers-than-food\/\">Robert F. Kennedy, Jr<\/a>., the Health and Human Services secretary, had started a grassroots movement around healthy foods.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cChildhood obesity is not a willpower problem, and the rise of early onset Alzheimer&#8217;s is not a genetic cause,\u201d Marty Makary said in his opening statement. \u201cWe should be and we will be addressing food as it impacts our health.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Makary is an accomplished surgeon and public policy researcher at Johns Hopkins Medicine. He\u2019s also been an outspoken critic of the medical establishment\u2019s emphasis on disease treatment over prevention for years. Before the presidential election, he emerged as a close Kennedy ally and supporter of his <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/10\/09\/can-trump-and-robert-f-kennedy-jr-make-america-healthy-again\/\">Make America Healthy Again campaign<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>When asked by Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) about the FDA\u2019s controversial list of food additives that are subject to almost no regulation because they\u2019re deemed Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS), Dr. Markary said he\u2019s concerned about chemicals added to food that create inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract and alter the <a href=\"https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/body\/25201-gut-microbiome\">gut microbiome<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere&#8217;s a body of research now that suggests concern with some of these ingredients. We have to look at those ingredients, and you have my commitment to do so if confirmed as FDA commissioner,\u201d he said. Tuberville also asked him to speed up the timeline on phasing out the use of Red Dye No. 3, which the Biden administration <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/15\/goodbye-to-red-dye\/\">banned at the very last minute<\/a>, and about seed oils, which Kennedy frequently rails against. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/11\/09\/well\/eat\/seed-oil-effects.html\">Most nutritionists say<\/a> there is no evidence that they cause harm.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSeed oils are a good example of where we could benefit from a consolidation of the scientific research,&#8221; Dr. Makary said, &#8220;and I don&#8217;t think it&#8217;s any one ingredient in the food supply that&#8217;s making our nation&#8217;s children sick.\u201d He added that he\u2019d like to work on a pilot program to make school lunches healthier, although the FDA does not run the school lunch program, the USDA does.<\/p>\n<p>School lunch standards were <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2019\/09\/10\/what-have-the-last-10-years-of-school-food-policy-taught-us\/\">given a nutrition overhaul by the Obama administration<\/a>, and many pilots to further improve meals <a href=\"https:\/\/www.centerfornutrition.org\/newsroom\/2024\/01\/school-nutrition\">have been in place ever since<\/a>, supported by USDA grants to get fresh food from local farms into schools and shift to more scratch cooking. There\u2019s also a vast landscape of nonprofits and private companies working on these efforts, including the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2022\/09\/28\/healthier-school-meals-california-investing-chef-training-healthy-school-meals-pathway-scratch-cooking\/\">Chef Ann Foundation<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2021\/08\/23\/farm-to-school-programs-are-finally-making-inroads-on-capitol-hill\/\">Edible Schoolyard<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2018\/09\/04\/brigaid-is-in-the-business-of-transforming-school-food\/\">Brigaid<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Makary mostly sidestepped multiple questions about the purpose and impacts of recent FDA layoffs\u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#cuts-at-fda-include-staff-working-on-food-safety\">which included staff<\/a> working on food ingredient oversight\u2014but committed to conducting an assessment \u201cto ensure that the scientists and food inspectors have all the resources they need to do their job.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He also didn\u2019t directly answer a question from Senator Andy Kim (D-New Jersey) about whether he agreed with HHS\u2019s recent decision to <a href=\"https:\/\/public-inspection.federalregister.gov\/2025-03300.pdf\">end public comment periods<\/a> for some rule changes and whether that decision aligned with Kennedy\u2019s stated commitment to radical transparency. \u201cIf confirmed, my goals are very clear at the FDA: more cures and meaningful treatments for Americans, including diagnostics, healthy food for children, and rebuilding the public trust,\u201d he said. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#fda-commissioner-nominee-says-hell-focus-on-food-and-health\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"62015\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/grocery-stores\/' title='Grocery stores' class='pt-cv-tax-grocery-stores'>Grocery stores<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/the-white-house\/' title='The White House' class='pt-cv-tax-the-white-house'>The White House<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >How Trump\u2019s Tariffs Will Affect Farmers and Food&nbsp;Prices<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b><i>March 7, 2025 Update:<\/i><\/b><i> On March 6, after a barrage of pushback from agricultural groups and lawmakers, President Trump <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/tariff-reprieve-likely-be-extended-all-usmca-compliant-goods-lutnick-says-2025-03-06\/?utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=Newsletter&amp;utm_campaign=Daily-Briefing&amp;utm_term=030725&amp;lctg=61e6eef0147ee7756a15b0bd\"><i>temporarily exempted<\/i><\/a><i> products covered under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) from tariffs until April 2. Many agricultural products are covered <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/ustr.gov\/trade-agreements\/free-trade-agreements\/united-states-mexico-canada-agreement\/fact-sheets\/strengthening\"><i>by USMCA<\/i><\/a><i>. In a <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/news\/press-releases\/2025\/03\/06\/secretary-rollins-thanks-president-trump-trade-actions-mexico-and-canada\"><i>press release<\/i><\/a><i>, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins praised the move and said Trump also lowered the tariff on potash, not covered by USMCA, from 25 percent to 10 percent.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><strong>March 5, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> On Tuesday morning, President Trump doubled the 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods to 20 percent and put 25 percent tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada. The three countries are America&#8217;s biggest trading partners. During the State of the Union address last night, Trump pitched the tariffs as a step toward prioritizing \u201cAmerica first\u201d production and markets while boosting America\u2019s power within international trade; Trump said additional tariffs should be expected on April 2. Trump said the tariffs \u201cwill be great\u201d for American farmers\u2014but also said that \u201cit may be a little bit of an adjustment period.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo our farmers, have a lot of fun, I love you, too,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Over the past several weeks, farmers representing a wide range of agricultural interests have expressed concerns that tariffs would hurt farmers by threatening export markets and raising the costs of imported goods. At multiple events, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has told farm groups the president understands and is considering those concerns. Economists also warn that tariffs will cause food prices to jump. Some of the biggest potential impacts include:<\/p>\n<p><b>Fertilizer imports: <\/b>\u00a0According to trade group <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tfi.org\/media-center\/2025\/03\/04\/tfi-statement-on-implementation-of-u-s-tariffs-on-imports-of-canadian-potash-and-other-fertilizers\/\">The Fertilizer Institute<\/a> (TFI), 85 percent of the mineral fertilizer potash used by American farmers comes from Canada; our northern neighbor also provides a quarter of farmers\u2019 nitrogen needs. In a statement, TFI asked the administration to consider exempting fertilizers from the Canadian tariffs. \u201cA stable and affordable supply of fertilizers is critical to maintaining the global competitiveness of U.S. farmers, strengthening rural economies, and keeping food prices in check,\u201d said CEO Corey Rosenbusch.<\/p>\n<p><b>Agricultural exports: <\/b>China is the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/china\/china-preparing-countermeasures-us-tariff-threat-global-times-says-2025-03-03\/\">biggest export market<\/a> for American farmers. In response to Trump\u2019s tariffs, the country <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-tariffs-canada-mexico-china-lutnick-2b269614084027a4894aa14f3dc16227\">announced<\/a> it will reciprocate with 15 percent tariffs on American food and agricultural products including soybeans, meat, and chicken. Mexico and Canada are also<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-tariffs-canada-mexico-china-643086a6dc7ff716d876b3c83e3255b0\"> promising retaliation<\/a>, which could impact exports of American wine and beer, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ers.usda.gov\/topics\/international-markets-us-trade\/countries-regions\/usmca-canada-mexico\/mexico-trade-fdi\">grains, and meat<\/a>. During Trump\u2019s first term, tariffs caused economic losses in farm country and the USDA paid farmers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2020\/07\/14\/donald-trump-coronavirus-farmer-bailouts-359932\">tens of billions of dollars<\/a> to make up for it. Secretary Rollins has said the agency is prepared to do that again.<\/p>\n<p><b>Food imports and prices: <\/b>Beyond farmers, economists say everyday Americans should expect higher food prices. That\u2019s because the U.S. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/business\/2025\/03\/03\/trump-tariffs-mexico-canada-prices\/\">imports about $200 billion<\/a> in food, beverages, and animal feed from the three countries, especially fruits and vegetables from Mexico and animal feed, grains, and meat from Canada. In the past, importers have passed the cost of tariffs on to consumers. Specialty items like avocados and tequila from Mexico and <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/03\/05\/branching-out-beyond-maple-syrup\/\">maple syrup from Canada<\/a> may be harder to find, and major food distributors <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/03\/05\/business\/tariffs-food-supply-chains.html\">are already scrambling<\/a> to figure out what to do.<\/p>\n<p>Still, a lot remains unknown, since Trump uses tariffs as a bargaining tool and has already demonstrated an openness to adjusting them as countries respond. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#how-trumps-tariffs-will-affect-farmers-and-food-prices\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"61959\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hunger\/' title='Hunger' class='pt-cv-tax-hunger'>Hunger<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Democrats Will Bring Farmers and Food Bank Leaders to the State of the Union&nbsp;Tonight<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>March 4, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> Several Democrats on the Senate and House Agriculture Committees will bring farmers and anti-hunger advocates as their guests to the State of the Union address tonight to call attention to how they say President Trump&#8217;s policies are impacting their constituents&#8217; ability to produce and access food.<\/p>\n<p>In the Senate, top Agriculture Democrat Amy Klobuchar is bringing third-generation farmer Gary Wertish, president of the Minnesota Farmers Union. In the House, Representative Andrea Salinas (D-Oregon) is bringing dairy farmer Bubba King. Representative Sharice Davis (D-Kansas) invited Joe Newland, president of the Kansas Farm Bureau, and Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) will be accompanied by farmer Seth Kroeck. As the growing season rapidly approaches, Kroeck is waiting on about $90,000 in<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/11\/trumps-funding-freeze-creates-chaos-and-financial-distress-for-farmers\/\"> frozen conservation funds<\/a> related to contracts he signed with the USDA last year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLike so many hardworking Mainers, Seth has been directly impacted by the President\u2019s illegal funding freeze\u2014which has left farmers without the resources they need to not only keep their businesses running, but to keep our communities fed,\u201d Pingree said in a press release. \u201cSeth\u2019s story is a stark reminder that this administration\u2019s policies aren\u2019t just numbers on a spreadsheet; they have real consequences for real people, real families, and real livelihoods.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To call attention and build opposition to Republicans\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/13\/congress-considers-snap-cuts-as-budget-reconciliation-advances\/\">proposed cuts to SNAP benefits<\/a> (which are not yet final), Shontel Brown (D-Ohio) will host Kristin Warchoza, president and CEO of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#democrats-will-bring-farmers-and-food-bank-leaders-to-the-state-of-the-union-tonight\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"61907\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/climate-and-environment\/' title='Climate and environment' class='pt-cv-tax-climate-and-environment'>Climate and environment<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Continuing USDA Funding Freeze Hangs Over Farm Policy&nbsp;Events<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>March 4, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> During a busy week of farm policy events in Washington D.C. (and beyond) last week, USDA officials and staff pressed forward with business as usual, while some farmers tried to call attention to the billions of dollars in contracted funding they\u2019re still waiting for.<\/p>\n<p>At the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasda.org\/2025-winter-policy-conference\/\">NASDA Winter Policy Conference<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/general-information\/staff-offices\/office-chief-economist\/agricultural-outlook-forum\">USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum<\/a>, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/commodityclassic.com\/\">Commodity Classic<\/a>, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins talked about her priorities, including fixing a challenging farm economy, supporting a new generation of young farmers, and getting disaster aid out the door. Her announcements included an update that, on March 20, the USDA will begin accepting farmer applications to receive some of the $10 billion in economic hardship assistance that Congress authorized last December. Rollins added that the USDA will begin distributing $20 billion in disaster assistance after that.<\/p>\n<p>But just around the corner from NASDA, Kaitlyn Kimball was one of a group of farmers who traveled to Capitol Hill with the <a href=\"https:\/\/nffc.net\/\">National Family Farm Coalition<\/a> who said she can\u2019t access $30,000 in funding she already signed a contract for, to implement conservation practices that will make her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sunsetfarmct.com\/\">Connecticut fruit and vegetable farm<\/a> more self-sufficient. \u201cThese programs are a form of risk management,\u201d she said. \u201cAs a younger farmer, I\u2019ve only farmed with the weather changing. I\u2019m trying to adapt and make my business resilient, and I\u2019m being punished for that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rollins later announced she had released funds for those programs, but the USDA did not respond to a question as to whether that means all conservation program funding is now flowing, or if she was referring to the first sliver of <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#usda-unfreezes-20-million-in-conservation-funds\">$20 million released earlier<\/a>. (And farmers told Civil Eats this week they&#8217;re still having trouble accessing any USDA funds.)<\/p>\n<p>At the USDA Forum, Rollins gave a virtual keynote, during which participants rapidly upvoted an audience question about when more conservation funds might be released. \u201cThere are a lot of starting farmers that entered contracts (in a lengthy process) with the government that expect those partnerships and obligations to be met,\u201d the participant wrote. Rollins ended the session without addressing any audience questions.<\/p>\n<p>In another Forum session on hunger and nutrition, Artees Vannett, who works on economic development and regenerative agriculture for the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, raised his hand and asked about challenges his tribe was having accessing grant funds. The USDA employees appeared confused by the question and referred him to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fns.usda.gov\/rollins-statement-nutrition-programs\">Rollins\u2019 letter<\/a> outlining her vision for USDA\u2019s nutrition programs.<\/p>\n<p>Afterwards, Vannett told Civil Eats the USDA owes the tribe $250,000 in reimbursements through the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/26\/farmers-say-climate-smart-commodities-projects-are-crumbling\/\">Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Program<\/a> and is also waiting on payments through a Local Food Purchase Assistance grant (neither of which are part of the bucket of conservation funds Rollins said had been released). \u201cWe\u2019re fronting the bill, and it puts excessive risk on us,\u201d he said. \u201cHaving claims that are not being reimbursed means we can\u2019t give food to our elders, give food to our people.\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#continuing-usda-funding-freeze-hangs-over-farm-policy-events\">Link to this post.)<\/a><\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"61885\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/doge\/' title='DOGE' class='pt-cv-tax-doge'>DOGE<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/noaa\/' title='NOAA' class='pt-cv-tax-noaa'>NOAA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/seafood\/' title='Seafood' class='pt-cv-tax-seafood'>Seafood<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Experts and Lawmakers Sound Alarms Over Impacts of NOAA Cuts on Fisheries<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p>After several hundred employees were fired from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) last week as part of DOGE\u2019s workforce cuts, reporting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/weather\/2025\/03\/01\/trump-firings-noaa-nws-weather-forecast-impacts\/\">has focused on<\/a> how those cuts might threaten critical weather modeling and systems that help predict and warn the public about severe weather events such as hurricanes and tsunamis.<\/p>\n<p>In response to a question asking for more details on the staff cuts, a NOAA spokesperson told Civil Eats that \u201cper long-standing practice, we are not discussing internal personnel and management matters.\u201d But <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/policy\/energy-environment\/5170268-trump-noaa-staff-cuts-concerns\/\">reports suggest<\/a> staff cuts have happened across all six offices within NOAA, including the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).<\/p>\n<p>As the primary <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fisheries.noaa.gov\/topic\/laws-policies\/magnuson-stevens-act\">regulator<\/a> of American fisheries, NMFS sets restrictions and enforces laws that prevent overfishing, ensures the safety of the seafood supply, and is involved in permitting for aquaculture systems. It also provides <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fisheries.noaa.gov\/science-and-data\">a wealth of data<\/a> the American seafood industry relies on, including maps, assessments, and research on the state of the oceans and marine life.<\/p>\n<p>As a result, experts and lawmakers are concerned. One former NOAA administrator <a href=\"https:\/\/www.maritime-executive.com\/article\/after-noaa-layoffs-experts-warn-of-impacts-on-shipping-and-fisheries\">told a trade publication<\/a> the impacts on fisheries could be serious. Representative Seth Magaziner (D-Rhode Island) is <a href=\"https:\/\/turnto10.com\/news\/local\/magaziner-discusses-white-houses-devastating-cuts-to-noaa\">holding a roundtable discussion today<\/a> to discuss impacts on his state\u2019s fishing and aquaculture industries, and Representatives from <a href=\"https:\/\/democrats-naturalresources.house.gov\/imo\/media\/doc\/Letter%20to%20Chair%20Westerman%20re%20NOAA_02.07.25.pdf\">California<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/neguse.house.gov\/sites\/evo-subsites\/neguse.house.gov\/files\/evo-media-document\/neguse_doge-at-noaa-2.27.25.pdf\">Colorado<\/a> have sent letters calling for investigations into the cuts. Representative Jared Huffman (D-California) <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/policy\/energy-environment\/5170268-trump-noaa-staff-cuts-concerns\/\">told The Hill <\/a>that he\u2019s been speaking to fisherman and individuals from the shellfish industry who are distressed by the cuts.<\/p>\n<p>Huffman has also <a href=\"https:\/\/huffman.house.gov\/media-center\/press-releases\/ranking-member-huffman-decries-mass-layoffs-at-noaa\">expressed concern<\/a> over NOAA\u2019s climate work, since <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/02\/10\/climate\/noaa-trump-executive-orders.html\">staff were reportedly directed<\/a> to make lists of grants that reference the climate crisis and other related terms. NOAA is a premier provider of climate science, and the crisis has profound impacts on fisheries, with warming ocean temperatures and shifting currents <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msc.org\/en-us\/what-we-are-doing\/oceans-at-risk\/climate-change-and-fishing\">affecting marine life in profound ways<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Asked whether and how the cuts might impact the work NMFS does, the NOAA spokesperson said the agency does not do speculative interviews. \u201cNOAA remains dedicated to its mission, providing timely information, research, and resources that serve the American public and ensure our nation\u2019s environmental and economic resilience,\u201d he added. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#experts-and-lawmakers-sound-alarms-over-impacts-of-noaa-cuts-on-fisheries\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"61786\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/food-and-farm-workers\/' title='Food and farm workers' class='pt-cv-tax-food-and-farm-workers'>Food and farm workers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hunger\/' title='Hunger' class='pt-cv-tax-hunger'>Hunger<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/immigration\/' title='Immigration' class='pt-cv-tax-immigration'>Immigration<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >USDA Moves to Prevent Undocumented People From Using SNAP, Which Is Already Not&nbsp;Legal<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>February 27, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> Although undocumented immigrants <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fns.usda.gov\/snap\/recipient\/eligibility\/non-citizen\">are not eligible for benefits<\/a> within the USDA\u2019s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced this week that the agency would \u201ctake action to prevent illegal aliens from accessing food stamps.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her announcement directs the division of USDA that runs SNAP to \u201cimmediately clarify and enforce all rules restricting its beneficiaries to U.S. citizens and legal residents only&#8221; and to make sure the department&#8217;s messaging does not encourage undocumented immigrants to utilize SNAP. USDA did not respond to questions asking for clarification around whether data exists showing undocumented immigrants are somehow accessing SNAP benefits or whether Secretary Rollins is pointing to current messaging she wants changed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe days in which taxpayer dollars are used to subsidize illegal immigration are over,\u201d she said in a statement. \u201cToday&#8217;s directive affirms that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will follow the law\u2014full stop.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Many immigrants, including those that do not have legal authorization to work in the United States, pay taxes but don\u2019t have access to the programs those taxes pay for. <a href=\"https:\/\/itep.org\/undocumented-immigrants-taxes-2024\/\">According to estimates <\/a>from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, undocumented immigrants paid $96.7 billion in federal, state, and local taxes in 2022, with an average of close to $9,000 per person. Undocumented immigrants are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.migrationpolicy.org\/content\/essential-role-immigrants-us-food-supply-chain\">overrepresented in jobs that feed Americans<\/a>, on <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/11\/25\/a-new-report-emphasizes-farmworker-challenges-and-solidarity-but-the-threat-of-mass-deportations-looms\/\">farms<\/a>, in <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2021\/08\/27\/concerns-about-workplace-safety-as-meatpacking-plants-recruit-foreign-visa-workers\/\">meatpacking plants<\/a>, and<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2020\/05\/28\/undocumented-restaurant-workers-have-held-the-industry-together-now-they-stand-to-lose-the-most\/\"> in restaurants<\/a>, and food workers <a href=\"https:\/\/foodchainworkers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Food-Worker-Data-Update-2025-FCWA-3.pdf\">have higher rates of food insecurity<\/a> compared to workers in other sectors. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#usda-moves-to-prevent-undocumented-people-from-using-snap-which-is-already-not-legal\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"61714\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/animal-agriculture\/' title='Animal agriculture' class='pt-cv-tax-animal-agriculture'>Animal agriculture<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >USDA Announces a Plan to Combat Bird&nbsp;Flu<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong><i>March 11, 2025 Update:<\/i><\/strong><i> Yesterday, Secretary Rollins <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/politics\/2025\/03\/06\/exclusive-usda-secretary-gives-update-on-egg-prices-all-in-on-chicken-repopulation-and-biosecurity-but-vaccines-for-chickens-off-the-table\/\"><i>said<\/i><\/a><i> that she has decided to pull vaccines for poultry \u201coff the table\u201d and they are no longer part of USDA\u2019s plan to combat bird flu.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><strong>February 26, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> Days after she visited a poultry operation run by Cal-Maine, the country\u2019s largest egg producer, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins revealed a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/news\/press-releases\/2025\/02\/26\/usda-invests-1-billion-combat-avian-flu-and-reduce-egg-prices\">new, five-pronged plan<\/a> for the USDA to \u201ccombat avian flu and reduce egg prices\u201d and said she planned to discuss the situation with President Trump during the administration&#8217;s first cabinet meeting.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe will not solve this issue overnight, but we are confident that our comprehensive strategy will help to stabilize the market in the next three to six months, if not sooner,\u201d she told state agriculture officials at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasda.org\/\">National Association for State Department of Agriculture&#8217;s<\/a> (NASDA) Winter Policy conference, where she made the announcement.<\/p>\n<p>The plan involves an investment of up to $1 billion. It\u2019s not clear whether that money is in addition to the $800 million investment the agency <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/news\/press-releases\/2024\/05\/30\/usda-announces-824-million-new-funding-protect-livestock-health-launches-voluntary-h5n1-dairy-herd\">announced last year<\/a>. Rollins plans to put the biggest chunk of money, $500 million, into expanding Wildlife Biosecurity Assessments, an approach that Biden\u2019s USDA had successfully piloted at a smaller scale, assigning USDA staff to help farms identify ways to prevent infected wildlife from making contact with farm chickens.<\/p>\n<p>Another $400 million will go toward helping farmers who have had to kill their flocks recover and more quickly bring in a new flock. And $100 million will fund research and strategies for vaccines.\u00a0In early January, the USDA began <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/healthcare-pharmaceuticals\/us-build-new-stockpile-bird-flu-vaccine-poultry-2025-01-08\/\">building a new stockpile of vaccines<\/a>, but agriculture groups have been hesitant to deploy them because of impacts on trade.<\/p>\n<p>Rollins&#8217; new plan barely mentions dairy, although the virus has affected <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/bird-flu\/situation-summary\/mammals.html\">nearly 1,000 herds in 17 states<\/a> and most human cases of the virus <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discovermagazine.com\/health\/bird-flus-spread-among-dairy-cows-appears-to-be-picking-up-its-pace\">have been in dairy workers<\/a>. The plan also includes temporarily increasing egg imports from Turkey and other countries to bring down prices, and removing \u201cunnecessary regulatory burdens\u201d on poultry farmers. Previous reporting has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/health\/how-america-lost-control-of-the-bird-flu-and-raised-the-risk-of-another-pandemic\">pointed to a lack of USDA regulatory oversight<\/a> as one reason the virus has spread so much to date.<\/p>\n<p>NASDA leaders applauded the plan, particularly the push for a vaccine strategy and compensating producers for losses, as did Agriculture Committee Chairs John Boozman (R-Arkansas) and G.T. Thompson (R-Pennsylvania). Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota), the top Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee, called it an \u201cimportant step\u201d but also called on Rollins to make sure staff and funding cuts at USDA don\u2019t disrupt the agency\u2019s response.\u00a0 In a press release, animal rights group Animal Wellness Action criticized the plan for not quickly implementing vaccinations, among other things, and said the \u201cplan is a deep disappointment and won\u2019t allow us to turn around this problem.\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#usda-announces-a-plan-to-combat-bird-flu\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"61700\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/doge\/' title='DOGE' class='pt-cv-tax-doge'>DOGE<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >USDA Has Begun Canceling Contracts Based on Trump\u2019s DEI&nbsp;Order<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>February 26, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> While payments to many USDA grant recipients remain paused, on February 14, USDA sent official cancellation letters to many nonprofits with contracts across multiple programs. The cancellations were based on President Trump\u2019s executive order on eliminating DEI, and the letter stated that the contract was \u201cterminated as of the date of this notice\u201d because \u201cit no longer effectuates agency priorities regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and activities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In Colorado, Mancos Conservation District received a letter canceling a $630,000 Equity in Conservation Outreach Program grant intended to support beginning farmers and ranchers, small farms that were grossing less than $170,000 a year, and the local tribal community, the Ute Mountain Ute. In a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/michael.nolan.33865854\/posts\/pfbid02UM8sCecxjtNMPnFNpFeSTzSFGtpU9AxmP9wj8oPDuEy3E6LXKsFuv4xYaAUdUj1Al\">Facebook post<\/a>, president Michael Nolan explained that his team had planned to distribute a rural living guidebook, host an educational water festival, and produce 12 land-stewardship workshops.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m sad about not being able to support this outreach,\u201d he wrote, \u201cbut I\u2019m most pissed about the fact that I spent hours today going over staff positions that we thought were secure for a few years and starting to make a plan for who will be let go,\u201d in addition to other cuts to staff time.<\/p>\n<p>In Kansas City, local community organization the <a href=\"https:\/\/incthrives.org\/\">Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council<\/a> received a letter canceling its $165,000 Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) grant. (Ivanhoe was required to come up with 25 percent of the grant, so the government portion totaled about $133,000.) Director Alana Henry said Ivanhoe had contributed to a \u201cboom in urban farming\u201d in the area and her team planned to expand their farmers\u2019 market to offer low-income residents more options. Henry had just finished the interview process for an assistant market manager position the grant would help fund and had been working on other planning.<\/p>\n<p>After the cancellation, she stopped the hiring process and is now figuring out how her small staff can take on the extra labor of expanding the market. She is also trying not to cancel farmer trainings on expanding production that were planned, but she said she\u2019ll have to see if she can get volunteer growers to do the trainings without compensation. \u201cUltimately what we want to do is help get healthy food on the plate and help small business owners here in our agroeconomy flourish,\u201d Henry said. \u201cOur program, I thought, really spoke to the beauty of both of those things working in tandem.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The USDA also canceled an FMPP grant to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.csacoalition.org\/\">Fairshare CSA Coalition<\/a> that enabled them to develop a national <a href=\"https:\/\/www.csainnovationnetwork.org\/\">CSA Innovation Network<\/a> to expand community-supported agriculture around the country. As a result, the organization has had to pause projects and let farmers know they can longer compensate them, Tess Romanski, the Coalition&#8217;s communications and development manager, told Civil Eats by email. \u201cThe termination of this funding has been devastating,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>On its website, <a href=\"https:\/\/doge.gov\/savings\">DOGE lists<\/a> various USDA agreements with private contractors it has canceled (for things like DEI trainings at the agency) but does not list cancelled grant projects. The letters came from a USDA administrator, not DOGE. It\u2019s unclear if cuts to grant funding will be added to DOGE\u2019s list or shared separately or at all. The USDA did not respond to an inquiry from Civil Eats. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#usda-has-begun-canceling-contracts-based-on-trumps-dei-order\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"61615\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/climate-and-environment\/' title='Climate and environment' class='pt-cv-tax-climate-and-environment'>Climate and environment<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >USDA Unfreezes $20 Million in Conservation&nbsp;Funds<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>February 24, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> On February 20, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the release of $20 million in conservation program funds already granted to farmers through the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP), the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), and the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP).<\/p>\n<p>The money represents a drop in a very large bucket of money <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/11\/trumps-funding-freeze-creates-chaos-and-financial-distress-for-farmers\/\">farmers are waiting on<\/a>, since a long list of additional USDA programs remain paused. USDA called it the \u201cfirst tranche\u201d of released funding and said additional announcements will be made soon.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfter careful review, it is clear that some of this funding went to programs that had nothing to do with agriculture\u2014that is why we are still reviewing\u2014whereas other funding was directed to farmers and ranchers who have since made investments in these programs,\u201d Rollins said in a statement. \u201cWe will honor our commitments to American farmers and ranchers, and we will ensure they have the support they need to be the most competitive in the world.\u201d Rollins added that the agency is continuing to review \u201cIRA [Inflation Reduction Act] funding\u201d to make sure USDA programs support farmers and ranchers, \u201cnot <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/10\/despite-cuts-to-dei-initiatives-food-and-farm-advocates-say-they-will-continue-to-fight-for-racial-justice\/\">DEIA programs<\/a> or far-left climate programs.\u201d However, the funds that have been frozen since President Trump took office extend far beyond money granted through <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/15\/how-four-years-of-biden-reshaped-food-and-farming\/\">Biden\u2019s IRA<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In a statement, National Farmers Union president Rob Larew said the pause has been exacerbating economic uncertainty among farmers and in rural communities and called the announcement \u201ca welcome first step. . . . Farmers are now making business decisions for the coming year and can\u2019t wait much longer. We urge USDA to quickly complete its review, release all remaining funds, and ensure continuity in these essential programs,\u201d he said. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#usda-unfreezes-20-million-in-conservation-funds\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"61568\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >USDA Suspends Scholarship Program for Food and Farming&nbsp;Students<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><em><strong>February\u00a0 25, 2025 Update:<\/strong> The USDA <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/general-information\/staff-offices\/office-partnerships-and-public-engagement\/minority-serving-higher-education-institutions\/1890-program\/usda-1890-national-scholars-program\"><em>ended the suspension<\/em><\/a> of the 1890 National Scholars Program and is now accepting applications through March 15.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>February 20, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/general-information\/staff-offices\/office-partnerships-and-public-engagement\/minority-serving-higher-education-institutions\/1890-program\/usda-1890-national-scholars-program\">added a note to its website<\/a> stating that the 1890 Scholars Program \u201chas been suspended pending further review.\u201d The agency has <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/10\/despite-cuts-to-dei-initiatives-food-and-farm-advocates-say-they-will-continue-to-fight-for-racial-justice\/\">been reviewing its programs<\/a> to determine if they violate President Trump\u2019s executive order ending what he deems \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/01\/ending-illegal-discrimination-and-restoring-merit-based-opportunity\/\">DEI policies<\/a>,&#8221; or those related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.<\/p>\n<p>1890 Land-Grant Institutions are historically Black colleges and universities that focus on agricultural education. They <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aplu.org\/about-us\/history-of-aplu\/what-is-a-land-grant-university\/\">were created<\/a> by segregated states after the second Morrill Act made funding for land-grants available only to states that allowed students of all races to access admissions.<\/p>\n<p>The scholarships, which started in 1992, \u201care intended to encourage outstanding students at 1890 institutions to pursue and complete baccalaureate degrees in the food and agricultural sciences and related fields that would lead to a highly skilled food and agricultural systems workforce,\u201d according to the USDA\u2019s website.<\/p>\n<p>Representative Alma Adams (D-North Carolina) released a statement calling for USDA to immediately reinstate the program. \u201cThis is a clear attack on an invaluable program that makes higher education accessible for everybody, and provides opportunities for students to work at USDA, especially in the critical fields of food safety, agriculture, and natural resources that Americans rely on every single day,\u201d she said. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#usda-suspends-scholarship-program-for-food-and-farming-students\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"61544\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/climate-and-environment\/' title='Climate and environment' class='pt-cv-tax-climate-and-environment'>Climate and environment<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/doge\/' title='DOGE' class='pt-cv-tax-doge'>DOGE<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Exclusive: DOGE Cancels Contract That Enables Farmer Payments, Despite $0&nbsp;Savings<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><em><strong>February 28, 2025 Update:<\/strong> After failing to respond, DOGE later updated the record, claiming that the Clark Group contract cancellation has saved the administration $2 million. Civil Eats is not able to verify this amount, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/02\/21\/upshot\/doge-musk-trump-errors.html\">other reporting has found<\/a> DOGE\u2019s accounting contains many mistakes.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>February 19, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> In <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/DOGE\/status\/1890593889314038216\">a post on X<\/a> on February 14, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced it had ended an $8.2 million USDA contract as a \u201cperfect Valentine\u2019s gift for all taxpayers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That contract, Civil Eats has learned, was a key piece of infrastructure in the Biden-era <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/15\/how-four-years-of-biden-reshaped-food-and-farming\/\">Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities<\/a> program, which set up projects to pay farmers for implementing conservation practices. USDA contracted with <a href=\"https:\/\/clarkgroupllc.com\/\">the Clark Group<\/a> to provide third-party review of certain practices.<\/p>\n<p>Now, even if the courts or the Trump administration were to end the<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/11\/trumps-funding-freeze-creates-chaos-and-financial-distress-for-farmers\/\"> current freeze on grant payment disbursements<\/a>, at least one farm group will not be able to make promised payments to farmers.<\/p>\n<p>Pennsylvania-based Pasa Sustainable Agriculture is running a project that includes thousands of farmers across more than a dozen states. Without the participation of the Clark Group, director Hannah Smith-Brubaker said, project staff are unable to get the most popular farm practices approved. Therefore, they can\u2019t make payments for things like fences and water lines, many of which farmers have already invested time and resources in.<\/p>\n<p>DOGE\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/doge.gov\/savings\">own accounting<\/a> shows that because the contractor had already been paid in full, canceling the contract resulted in $0 in taxpayer savings.<\/p>\n<p>Smith-Brubaker reached out to House Agriculture Chairman G.T. Thompson (R-Pennsylvania) today to share her concerns. &#8220;How will we look in the eyes of dairy farmers, providing the whole milk for which you\u2019ve advocated, and tell them that, to save the government $0, we have to cancel work that would have brought them more stability and more business?&#8221; she asked. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#exclusive-doge-cancels-contract-that-enables-farmer-payments-despite-0-savings\">Link to this post.<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p><i>This is a developing story with more reporting to follow. Was your organization working with the Clark Group? Email <\/i><a href=\"mailto:tracker@civileats.com\"><i>tracker@civileats.com<\/i><\/a><i> or message Lisa Held on Signal at @lisaelaineh.47.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"61530\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/doge\/' title='DOGE' class='pt-cv-tax-doge'>DOGE<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/fda\/' title='FDA' class='pt-cv-tax-fda'>FDA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/food-safety\/' title='Food safety' class='pt-cv-tax-food-safety'>Food safety<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Cuts at FDA Include Staff Working on Food&nbsp;Safety<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>February 19, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> The Trump administration\u2019s staff cuts hit the Department of Health and Human Services at the end of last week, impacting agencies that do food system work, especially the Food &amp; Drug Administration (FDA). According to <em>The Guardian<\/em>, 5,200 \u201cprobationary\u201d employees were cut across the larger agency, including members of FDA\u2019s staff working on the safety of food additives. As the cuts came down, Jim Jones, the director of the FDA\u2019s food division, <a href=\"https:\/\/foodfix.co\/jim-jones-resigns-as-fda-deputy-commissioner-for-human-foods\/\">resigned<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Jones was brought in from the EPA in 2023 to oversee <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/about-fda\/fda-organization\/fda-modernization-efforts-establishing-unified-human-foods-program-new-model-field-operations-and\">a restructuring of FDA\u2019s food programs <\/a>intended to prioritize food safety and elevate work on nutrition and diet-related disease. In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/02\/18\/us\/politics\/fda-food-safety-jim-jones-resignation.html\">his resignation letter<\/a>, he said had been looking forward to working with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/10\/09\/can-trump-and-robert-f-kennedy-jr-make-america-healthy-again\/\">whose stated goals<\/a> aligned with those priorities. But he noted he was upset by both the indiscriminate nature of layoffs and accusations that current staff were corrupt. He said 89 people on his team were fired, including those working on the safety of chemicals in food, and that it would be fruitless to try to continue the work.<\/p>\n<p>Advocacy groups including the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cspinet.org\/statement\/trump-administration-firing-thousands-health-agency-employees-will-undermine-food-safety\">said the cuts<\/a> would undermine food safety. \u201cIf you go into surgery with a hatchet instead of a scalpel, the result is carnage,\u201d said CSPI President Peter Lurie, M.D. On the contrary, at a Politico Live event on Wednesday morning, Kennedy ally Del Bigtree, the founder of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mahaaction.com\/\">MAHA Action<\/a>, said that he wasn\u2019t sure if Kennedy was driving the cuts but that it\u2019s likely the government is spending too much money on employees who aren\u2019t improving the health of the country. \u201cI can\u2019t imagine what 80,000 employees are needed for when it comes to health,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>The FDA did not respond to a request for comment. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2025-02-18\/food-head-at-fda-resigns-citing-numerous-job-cuts-in-division\">told Bloomberg <\/a>that the cuts were part of President Trump\u2019s mandate to only employ \u201cthe best and most qualified people who are also willing to implement his America First Agenda on behalf of the American people.&#8221; (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#cuts-at-fda-include-staff-working-on-food-safety\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"61497\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/epa\/' title='EPA' class='pt-cv-tax-epa'>EPA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/the-white-house\/' title='The White House' class='pt-cv-tax-the-white-house'>The White House<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >So Far, USDA and EPA Fail to Share Details on Canceled Contracts<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong><em>February 19, 2025 Update:<\/em><\/strong> <em>On February 18, DOGE <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/doge.gov\/savings\"><em>published a website<\/em><\/a><em> that shows a running list of canceled contracts across the government. The list includes about 80 contracts at USDA and about 20 at EPA. To date, Civil Eats has not reviewed every record, but those available are primarily agreements with government contractors and media subscriptions. Grant programs that have been subject to funding pauses and contract cancellations are not represented.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Bloomberg <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2025-02-14\/agriculture-secretary-says-pending-farmer-payments-will-be-met?embedded-checkout=true\"><i>also reported<\/i><\/a><em> that USDA Secretary Rollins told White House reporters that farmers who are waiting for payments that have been committed \u201cwill come through.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>February 18, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> As farmers and nonprofits across the country <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/11\/trumps-funding-freeze-creates-chaos-and-financial-distress-for-farmers\/\">continue to wait for payments<\/a> that have been frozen across a wide spectrum of conservation, local food, and climate grants, the big question many are asking is: Will the pause be temporary, or are the contracts permanently canceled?<\/p>\n<p>So far, officials at the USDA and the EPA are not providing answers.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, both agencies sent out announcements celebrating the cancellation of multiple contracts but failed to provide any details on those cancellations, including which programs the contracts were related to or the organizations that lost funding.<\/p>\n<p>USDA said it ended 78 contracts totaling more than $132 million and that 1,000 more are still under review for termination. In its announcement, it included a list of 10 select examples\u2014such as \u201cDiversity Dialogue Workshops\u201d and \u201cNeighborhood Electric Vehicle Utility Van&#8221;\u2014but the titles, most of which were associated with small amounts of spending, didn&#8217;t provide much information on the contracts. The agency did not respond to two requests from Civil Eats for the full list of 78 contracts with specific details on the grantees, funding amounts, and project descriptions.<\/p>\n<p>At the EPA, Administrator Lee Zeldin said the agency canceled nine contracts totaling close to $60 million that were related to \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/10\/despite-cuts-to-dei-initiatives-food-and-farm-advocates-say-they-will-continue-to-fight-for-racial-justice\/\">wasteful DEI and environmental justice initiatives<\/a>.\u201d The EPA did not respond to two requests from Civil Eats for the full list of nine contracts with specific details.<\/p>\n<p>During a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=RC7I8urUirk\">White House press briefing<\/a> two days earlier, on February 12th, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters the administration is happy to provide receipts. \u201cThere\u2019s great transparency,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have contracts upon contracts that we can send and provide this information to you. Let me be very clear: We are not trying to hide anything. We have been incredibly transparent, and we will continue to be.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Earlier in the week, Zeldin did name one organization when he shared that he was cancelling a $50 million contract with the Climate Justice Alliance. He <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/epaleezeldin\/status\/1890080377940926637\">noted that the group<\/a> has linked climate justice to a \u201cfree Palestine,\u201d although the cancelled contract was for the organization\u2019s<a href=\"https:\/\/climatejusticealliance.org\/unite-ej\/\"> Unite-EJ program<\/a>, which distributed grants to community organizations and local governments to clean up environmental hazards like pesticide and air pollution and improve food access. The organization <a href=\"https:\/\/climatejusticealliance.org\/unite-ej-sunsets\/\">announced <\/a>it has now ended the program. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#so-far-usda-and-epa-fail-to-share-details-on-canceled-contracts\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"61442\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hhs\/' title='HHS' class='pt-cv-tax-hhs'>HHS<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/the-white-house\/' title='The White House' class='pt-cv-tax-the-white-house'>The White House<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Trump Creates \u2018Make America Healthy Again Commission\u2019<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>February 14, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> On the same day Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#senate-confirms-rfk-jr-and-brooke-rollins-to-lead-food-and-agriculture-agencies\">was sworn in<\/a> as Secretary of Health and Human Services, President Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/02\/establishing-the-presidents-make-america-healthy-again-commission\/\">issued an executive order<\/a> establishing a \u201cMake America Healthy Again Commission\u201d that will be chaired by Kennedy and include heads of other agencies, including the USDA and the EPA.<\/p>\n<p>Citing high rates of chronic disease and health conditions like obesity and autism in children, Trump said the government\u2019s policy will be \u201cto aggressively combat the critical health challenges facing our citizens, including the rising rates of mental health disorders, obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The order requires the Commission to deliver an assessment of childhood chronic disease within 100 days and a strategy based on that assessment within 180 days. It includes looking at basic issues such as nutrition and physical activity but also orders an assessment of the &#8220;threat posed by&#8221; medications including popular <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/11\/22\/health\/rfk-jr-ozempic-drugs-fda.html\">weight-loss drugs<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/shots-health-news\/2025\/01\/30\/nx-s1-5281164\/antidepressants-ssris-rfk-jr-heroin\">antidepressants<\/a>, both of which Kennedy has been critical of in the past.<\/p>\n<p>Trump stated the efforts would be done with methodological rigor and transparency, but it\u2019s unclear how agencies will be able to accomplish any of the work given the scale of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.statnews.com\/2025\/02\/14\/federal-employee-layoffs-at-hhs-cdc-on-first-day-robert-kennedy-health-secretary\/\">cuts to the workforce<\/a> that are happening at the same time. Since Trump took office, health agencies have also been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.salon.com\/2025\/02\/04\/as-the-admin-deletes-online-data-scientists-and-digital-librarians-rush-to-save-it\/\">deleting records of scientific data and studies<\/a>. The administration is also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/2025\/02\/13\/upshot\/nih-trump-funding-cuts.html\">trying to cut<\/a> National Institutes of Health research funding.<\/p>\n<p>In a broader sense, the order had several points in common with former President Biden\u2019s efforts to encourage cross-agency work connecting the dots between the food supply, nutrition, and health. For example, Biden\u2019s HHS hosted the first White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in 50 years, where it launched<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20250115144811\/https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/White-House-National-Strategy-on-Hunger-Nutrition-and-Health-FINAL.pdf\"> a national strategy <\/a>that called for the integration of nutrition and health and investments in \u201cfood is medicine\u201d initiatives.\u00a0 (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#trump-creates-make-america-healthy-again-commission\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"61428\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/doge\/' title='DOGE' class='pt-cv-tax-doge'>DOGE<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Secretary of Agriculture Signals More Cuts to Come at&nbsp;USDA<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>February 14, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> In her first address to USDA staff as Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins shared a list of things the agency will be doing differently under this administration: First on the list was more fully participating in efforts she said DOGE had already started. \u201cWe are proud to invite the Department of Government Efficiency [DOGE] here into USDA,\u201d she said. \u201cIt will make us stronger. It will make us faster, and it will make us more efficient. We will expect full access from all of our teams here at USDA to this effort.\u201d Her comments come just a day after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/02\/13\/forest-services-fires-3400-employees-00204213\">Politico reported<\/a> the agency is firing about 3,400 employees of its Forest Service.<\/p>\n<p>Second on her to-do list was to \u201cend identity politics, identity celebrations, and DEI.\u201d The USDA has <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/10\/despite-cuts-to-dei-initiatives-food-and-farm-advocates-say-they-will-continue-to-fight-for-racial-justice\/\">already begun purging language and efforts<\/a> focused on racial equity from its programming and has told employees they <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#usda-threatens-employees-with-consequences-for-disguising-equity-efforts\">are required to report staff<\/a> that may be disguising efforts that qualify as DEI.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, Rollins said all USDA personnel who currently work from home will be required to return to the office. Speaking to her broader vision, she said, \u201cWe will keep the trust handed us in our programs to fight disease, to feed the needy, to manage our land and our forests, and most of all, to work for all of American agriculture.\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#secretary-of-agriculture-signals-more-cuts-to-come-at-usda\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"61400\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/fda\/' title='FDA' class='pt-cv-tax-fda'>FDA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hhs\/' title='HHS' class='pt-cv-tax-hhs'>HHS<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Senate Confirms RFK, Jr. and Brooke Rollins to Lead Food and Agriculture&nbsp;Agencies<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>February 13, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> Today, the Senate confirmed Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)\u2014which includes the Food and Drug Administration\u2014and Brooke Rollins to lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), officially putting into place two of the individuals who will have the most power over American food and agriculture under President Trump.<\/p>\n<p>Kennedy was one of Trump&#8217;s most controversial picks because of his <a href=\"https:\/\/healthjournalism.org\/blog\/2024\/12\/what-to-know-about-robert-f-kennedy-jrs-anti-vaccine-advocacy\/\">anti-vaccine advocacy<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/article\/rfk-conspiracy-theories-fact-check.html\">history of spreading<\/a> (sometimes dangerous) conspiracy theories. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) was the only Republican who voted against his confirmation, along with all Democrats.\u00a0 Kennedy is an outspoken critic of ultra-processed foods and <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/10\/09\/can-trump-and-robert-f-kennedy-jr-make-america-healthy-again\/\">has vowed to &#8220;Make America Healthy Again&#8221;<\/a> by focusing health policy on how nutrition and chemical exposures impact chronic disease risk. He has also said he will root out pharmaceutical and food industry influence at HHS and is an advocate for <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/05\/california-decides-what-regenerative-agriculture-means-sort-of\/\">regenerative agriculture<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Rollins is a close Trump ally and the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/24\/what-you-need-to-know-about-trumps-picks-to-lead-usda-and-epa\/\">founder of a conservative think tank<\/a>, and despite her lack of professional experience in agriculture, she garnered bipartisan support. All Republicans voted for her confirmation, along with 19 Democrats. During <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/24\/what-you-need-to-know-about-trumps-picks-to-lead-usda-and-epa\/\">her confirmation hearing<\/a> last month, she said that as Secretary of Agriculture, she&#8217;d prioritize tackling bird flu, &#8220;modernizing&#8221; the USDA to align with Trump&#8217;s principles, and getting disaster aid for farmers out the door. Some of the first things on her desk will undoubtedly be addressing <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/11\/trumps-funding-freeze-creates-chaos-and-financial-distress-for-farmers\/\">the growing number of farmers and farm groups<\/a> seeking answers about USDA&#8217;s freeze in grant funding and how <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#new-tariffs-that-start-tomorrow-could-affect-farmers-and-food-prices\">Trump&#8217;s tariffs may impact farmers<\/a>. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#senate-confirms-rfk-jr-and-brooke-rollins-to-lead-food-and-agriculture-agencies\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"61394\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hunger\/' title='Hunger' class='pt-cv-tax-hunger'>Hunger<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Congress Considers SNAP Cuts as Budget Reconciliation&nbsp;Advances<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>February 13, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> As members of Congress advance the budget reconciliation process, cuts to the country\u2019s largest source of food aid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), are still on the table.<\/p>\n<p>Republican lawmakers are <a href=\"https:\/\/bipartisanpolicy.org\/explainer\/whats-in-the-fy2025-house-budget-resolution\/\">proposing deep cuts across the government <\/a>to pay for extending tax breaks and increasing spending on the military and immigration enforcement; the House <a href=\"https:\/\/assets.farmjournal.com\/71\/10\/6fef7a804d6a9b2f8838d9f1c4c1\/house-gop-budget-resolution.pdf?__hstc=246722523.613cbe8e1956b93425e4362321d09744.1739459705359.1739459705359.1739459705359.1&amp;__hssc=246722523.1.1739459705360&amp;__hsfp=2418976115\">resolution<\/a> released yesterday calls for the House Agriculture Committee to find $230 billion in savings. The resolution does not specify exactly where the cuts will come from, but Republicans on the committee have <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/08\/will-congress-pass-a-new-farm-bill-in-2025\/\">previously proposed rolling back<\/a> a Biden administration update to SNAP that increased benefits for participants by about $1 a day. And Politico reported earlier this week that Chair G.T. Thompson (R-Pennsylvania) was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/newsletters\/weekly-agriculture\/2025\/02\/10\/gop-plots-snips-to-snap-00203297\">eyeing changes to that update<\/a> in addition to updating SNAP work requirements and reducing error payment rates.<\/p>\n<p>In response to questions from Civil Eats, Representative Thompson\u2019s staff said the $230 billion number is far from final, and that reports so far on where he plans to find the savings are speculation. They noted that Thompson \u201chas long supported federal food assistance programs like SNAP.\u201d But they also confirmed that Thompson opposes the update the Biden administration made to SNAP benefits and sees it as \u201cegregious Executive overreach,\u201d signaling an openness to rolling it back.<\/p>\n<p>Hunger groups like the Food Research &amp; Action Center (FRAC) see that as slashing benefits they believe are needed to tackle food insecurity and have been <a href=\"https:\/\/frac.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Share-Your-Love-for-SNAP-Toolkit.pdf?eType=EmailBlastContent&amp;eId=a0aec15e-a9c5-41e1-a311-3a7fd3746ea8&amp;eType=EmailBlastContent&amp;eId=e66ec148-53e0-4e14-b863-ae350753f648\">mobilizing Americans <\/a>to oppose the cuts, while Democrats in the House and Senate are calling attention to potential impacts.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese proposed cuts come at a time when we should be focused on helping our farmers and ranchers, children, seniors, and rural Americans tackle rising costs, not giving a tax giveaway to billionaires,\u201d Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota), the top Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee, said in a statement. Thompson\u2019s team also noted that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ers.usda.gov\/amber-waves\/2024\/march\/farm-households-face-larger-tax-liabilities-when-provisions-of-the-tax-cuts-and-jobs-act-of-2017-expire\">USDA data<\/a> shows the extension of Trump-era tax cuts will lower tax liabilities for most farms. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#congress-considers-snap-cuts-as-budget-reconciliation-advances\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"61351\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >During House Hearing, Lawmakers Trade Blame For Farmers&#8217;&nbsp;Woes<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>February 11, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> During the House Agriculture Committee\u2019s first hearing of the new Congress today, dubbed \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/agriculture.house.gov\/calendar\/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=7839\">Examining the Economic Crisis in Farm Country<\/a>,\u201d Republican lawmakers mainly focused on asking the witnesses about improving the parts of <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/08\/will-congress-pass-a-new-farm-bill-in-2025\/\">the farm bill<\/a> that impact large, commodity growers, like <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/09\/20\/how-crop-insurance-prevents-some-farmers-from-adapting-to-climate-change\/\">crop insurance<\/a> and row crop subsidies. Throughout, they blamed Biden-era policies for a recent decline in commodity prices and the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/09\/17\/can-lawmakers-really-tackle-high-food-prices\/\">inflation that raised costs<\/a> of inputs like fertilizer.<\/p>\n<p>On the other side of the aisle, Democrats focused on how the Trump administration\u2019s actions over the past three weeks have impacted farmers. They called out the potential consequences of tariffs that have been both enacted and proposed, the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#usaid-dismantling-raises-questions-about-food-aid-purchased-from-american-farmers\">dismantling of USAID<\/a> that threatens $2 billion in commodity crop purchases and could cause food intended for hungry people <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2025\/feb\/10\/usaid-trump-elon-musk-cuts\">to rot in warehouses<\/a>, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/11\/trumps-funding-freeze-creates-chaos-and-financial-distress-for-farmers\/\">freeze on USDA grant payments to farmers<\/a> that continues to cause distress across the country.<\/p>\n<p>A dozen young, Mid-Atlantic farmers growing vegetables, flowers, and other crops for direct sale in the region also attended the hearing to represent their concerns about that freeze, at the invitation of the Democratic leadership. But after they spoke with the press prior to the start, their small-farm perspective was mostly absent from the conversation, since the witnesses all represented larger, commodity-scale interests. (Still, farms of all sizes and types <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/11\/trumps-funding-freeze-creates-chaos-and-financial-distress-for-farmers\/\">have been impacted<\/a> by USDA funding pauses.)<\/p>\n<p>Lawmakers from both parties repeatedly called for a bipartisan farm bill to pass this year and blamed each other for partisanship that has <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/08\/will-congress-pass-a-new-farm-bill-in-2025\/\">held up the process since 2023<\/a>. \u201cWe cannot let this year be a repeat of the last,\u201d said committee Chair GT Thompson (R-Pennsylvania). (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#during-house-hearing-lawmakers-trade-blame-for-farmers-woes\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"61318\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/climate-and-environment\/' title='Climate and environment' class='pt-cv-tax-climate-and-environment'>Climate and environment<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/epa\/' title='EPA' class='pt-cv-tax-epa'>EPA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >EPA Places Nearly 200 Employees on Leave in Response to Trump DEI&nbsp;Order<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>February 11, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> The EPA <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/newsreleases\/epa-places-171-deia-and-environmental-justice-employees-administrative-leave\">announced<\/a> this morning that it placed 171 employees on administrative leave as a result of <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/02\/10\/despite-cuts-to-dei-initiatives-food-and-farm-advocates-say-they-will-continue-to-fight-for-racial-justice\/\">President Trump&#8217;s order<\/a> to end federal government programs that prioritize diversity and equity.<\/p>\n<p>In the announcement, the agency said 11 of the employees were working &#8220;in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility&#8221; and 160 were working on environmental justice initiatives. In the past, the agency included environmental justice considerations in various efforts that touch the food system, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/newsreleases\/epa-proposes-rule-protect-farmworkers-and-pesticide-handlers-exposures\">rules that protect farmworkers<\/a> and rural residents from pesticide spray drift and a<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/02\/05\/should-a-plan-to-curb-meat-industry-water-pollution-consider-the-business-costs\/\"> proposal to reduce water pollution<\/a> from slaughterhouses and meatpacking plants.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The previous Administration used DEI and Environmental Justice to advance ideological priorities, distributing billions of dollars to organizations in the name of climate equity. This ends now,&#8221; EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a statement. &#8220;We will be good stewards of tax dollars and do everything in our power to deliver clean air, land, and water to every American, regardless of race, religion, background, and creed.&#8221; (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#epa-places-nearly-200-employees-on-leave-in-response-to-trump-dei-order\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"61230\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Senators Reintroduce Bill to Label Meat With Its Country of&nbsp;Origin<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>February 7, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> On February 5, a bipartisan group of senators led by John Thune (R-South Dakota) and Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thune.senate.gov\/public\/index.cfm\/press-releases?ID=C6A6D479-24EF-4A07-8B3A-3272DDE148AB\">reintroduced a bill<\/a> to require mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) on meat.<\/p>\n<p>Groups that represent the interests of American farmers and ranchers have been<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2020\/04\/16\/with-their-livelihoods-under-threat-livestock-producers-pin-their-hopes-on-labeling\/\"> pushing for truth in labeling on meat products<\/a> for years because they say cheaper, unlabeled imports put domestic producers at a disadvantage. Last year, the Biden administration\u2019s USDA <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/15\/how-four-years-of-biden-reshaped-food-and-farming\/\">closed a loophole <\/a>that enabled importers to use the \u201cProduct of USA\u201d label even when animals were born and raised outside of the country. The American Beef Labeling Act would also require importers to label meat with the country it comes from.<\/p>\n<p>Senators could attempt to attach the bill to an upcoming reconciliation package or farm bill. However, powerful meat companies have<a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizen.org\/litigation\/american-meat-institute-v-u-s-department-of-agriculture\/\"> fought against country-of-origin labeling<\/a> in the past. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#senators-reintroduce-bill-to-label-meat-with-its-country-of-origin\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"61201\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/food-and-farm-workers\/' title='Food and farm workers' class='pt-cv-tax-food-and-farm-workers'>Food and farm workers<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Senators Zero in on Tariffs, Labor, and the Farm Bill in First Ag Committee&nbsp;Hearing<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>February 6, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> For its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.agriculture.senate.gov\/hearings\/perspectives-from-the-field-farmer-and-rancher-views-on-the-agricultural-economy-part-1-02-05-2025\">first hearing of the new Congress<\/a>, the Senate Agriculture Committee invited the leaders of the country\u2019s biggest farm groups to Capitol Hill to share their perspectives on the state of the U.S. farm economy.<\/p>\n<p>During the main panel, National Farmers Union president Rob Larew and American Farm Bureau Federation president Zippy Duvall painted a picture of struggling American farmers facing a multitude of challenges. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ers.usda.gov\/topics\/farm-economy\/farm-sector-income-finances\/farm-sector-income-forecast\">Net farm income<\/a> hit a high in 2022 and then dropped significantly in 2023 and 2024, but it is still far above average compared to previous years.<\/p>\n<p>Senators on both sides of the aisle asked repeatedly about the impact President Trump\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#new-tariffs-that-start-tomorrow-could-affect-farmers-and-food-prices\">proposed tariffs<\/a> might have on farmers. Larew said farmers are already seeing suppliers of goods like fertilizer raise costs in anticipation of tariffs (although tariffs on Mexico and Canada <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#new-tariffs-that-start-tomorrow-could-affect-farmers-and-food-prices\">have been paused<\/a>). Duvall said he trusted Trump to pay farmers if they were hurt by the tariffs but that farmers would prefer to make the money through trade. \u201cOne of the concerns we\u2019ve expressed is the potential of shrinking markets,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>But in his opening statement, Duvall said the number one worry he hears from farmers is about finding workers. \u201cIt&#8217;s important that the committee recognize that the greatest domestic policy threat to American agriculture is an <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2019\/07\/16\/the-h-2a-guest-worker-program-has-ballooned-in-size-but-both-farmers-and-workers-want-it-fixed\/\">outdated guestworker program <\/a>and the labor crisis farmers are facing across the country,\u201d he said. Several Democrats then made connections between Trump\u2019s promises of mass deportations and the large number of <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/11\/25\/a-new-report-emphasizes-farmworker-challenges-and-solidarity-but-the-threat-of-mass-deportations-looms\/\">undocumented immigrants working<\/a> on American farms.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat happens if 40 percent of the workforce for farmers and ranchers disappears?\u201d asked Senator Ben Ray Luj\u00e1n (D-New Mexico). \u201cIt would be devastating to agriculture,&#8221; Duvall answered. &#8220;You would see farms go out of business and we could see interruptions in our food system.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Both Larew and Duvall also expressed worries over the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/02\/21\/what-latest-farm-census-says-about-changing-ag-landscape\/\">still-rising age<\/a> of the American farmer and said <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/08\/will-congress-pass-a-new-farm-bill-in-2025\/\">a modernized farm bill passed this year<\/a> could lay the groundwork for stability that appeals to younger growers. They asked for expansions of crop insurance and higher subsidy payments for commodity growers. Committee Chair John Boozman (R-Arkansas) said his \u201chighest priority for the next farm bill is to improve the farm safety net,\u201d but while that\u2019s a popular plan in the Committee, other Republican lawmakers <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/07\/22\/republican-plans-for-ag-policy-may-bring-big-changes-to-farm-country\/\">have proposed cuts to farm programs<\/a> in order to slash spending. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#senators-zero-in-on-tariffs-labor-and-the-farm-bill-in-first-ag-committee-hearing\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"61182\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/climate-and-environment\/' title='Climate and environment' class='pt-cv-tax-climate-and-environment'>Climate and environment<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/epa\/' title='EPA' class='pt-cv-tax-epa'>EPA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >EPA Says It Will Protect Gulf Fishery With &#8216;Nonregulatory Actions&#8217;<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>February 5, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> In accordance with President Trump\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/01\/restoring-names-that-honor-american-greatness\/\">recent executive order<\/a>, the EPA <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/newsreleases\/epa-renames-its-gulf-division-honor-gulf-america\">announced<\/a> it has renamed the EPA\u2019s Gulf of Mexico division to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/gulfofamerica\">Gulf of America division<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In the announcement, newly confirmed EPA administrator Lee Zeldin first emphasized the Gulf as a source of oil and gas. Then, he said the agency is &#8220;ready to protect&#8221; one of the most productive fisheries in the world by \u201chelping develop voluntary, nonregulatory actions and public-private solutions to improve water and habitat quality.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The EPA is the country\u2019s primary regulator of water pollution, but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/01\/unleashing-prosperity-through-deregulation\/\">another executive order<\/a> issued by Trump directs all agencies to deregulate. (It requires them to repeal 10 regulations, for example, for every new one proposed.)<\/p>\n<p>Every year,<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/05\/01\/across-farm-country-fertilizer-pollution-impacts-not-just-health-but-water-costs-too\/\"> runoff from agricultural fields<\/a> that makes its way down the Mississippi River is the main contributor <a href=\"https:\/\/lailluminator.com\/2025\/02\/03\/gulf-dead-zone-2\/\">to a dead zone<\/a> that kills aquatic organisms,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ucsusa.org\/about\/news\/nitrogen-farms-cause-24-billion-gulf-dead-zone-damage\"> harming fisheries<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S221462962100102X\">Oil spills<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenewlede.org\/2023\/09\/booming-natural-gas-exports-threatening-gulf-coast-fishing-communities\/\">natural gas infrastructure<\/a> also cause damage that threatens the fishery. It&#8217;s unclear what a new, &#8220;nonregulatory&#8221; approach might entail. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#EPA-says-it-will-protect-gulf-fishery-with-nonregulatory-actions\">Link to this post.<\/a>)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"61148\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/doge\/' title='DOGE' class='pt-cv-tax-doge'>DOGE<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hunger\/' title='Hunger' class='pt-cv-tax-hunger'>Hunger<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/the-white-house\/' title='The White House' class='pt-cv-tax-the-white-house'>The White House<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >USAID Dismantling Raises Questions About Food Aid Purchased from American&nbsp;Farmers<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><em><strong>February 7, 2025 Update: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/02\/06\/us\/politics\/usaid-job-cuts.html\">According to<\/a> the New York Times, the Trump administration plans to reduce USAID&#8217;s staff from more than 10,000 workers to under 300. However, the largest union representing government workers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us\/trump-administration-sued-by-government-workers-over-slashing-usaid-2025-02-07\/\">has sued<\/a> to stop the gutting of the agency.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>February 4, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> Over the last several days, Elon Musk has <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-musk-usaid-c0c7799be0b2fa7cad4c806565985fe2\">taken steps to dismantle<\/a> the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The agency\u2019s headquarters have been shuttered, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usaid.gov\/\">website disappeared<\/a>, and employees were locked out of systems.<\/p>\n<p>At a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=stI7ZIb9FDg\">press conference and protest<\/a> outside the headquarters on Monday, February 3, Congressional Democrats said the actions would put children around the world at risk of starvation, since USAID is a primary supplier of global humanitarian food aid.\u00a0USAID purchases that food aid\u2014about $2 billion a year of rice, wheat, lentils, and peas, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dtnpf.com\/agriculture\/web\/ag\/blogs\/ag-policy-blog\/blog-post\/2025\/02\/03\/usaid-tie-agriculture-usda\">according to DTN<\/a>\u2014from American farmers, prompting questions about how the agency\u2019s shuttering might also impact rural America.<\/p>\n<p>The White House <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/uncategorized\/2025\/02\/at-usaid-waste-and-abuse-runs-deep\/\">put out a statement<\/a> that included a list of USAID programs it said represented waste and abuse at the agency, but it did not mention humanitarian food aid. \u201cFor decades, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been unaccountable to taxpayers as it funnels massive sums of money to the ridiculous\u2014and, in many cases, malicious\u2014pet projects of entrenched bureaucrats, with next-to-no oversight,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n<p>At the press conference, Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland) said the agency\u2019s shuttering was \u201cplain illegal\u201d and that lawmakers <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/administration\/5123663-democrats-blocked-entry-usaid\/\">are working to get an injunction<\/a> to stop it. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#usaid-dismantling-raises-questions-about-food-aid-purchased-from-american-farmers\">Link to this post<\/a>)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"61059\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/climate-and-environment\/' title='Climate and environment' class='pt-cv-tax-climate-and-environment'>Climate and environment<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >USDA Begins Deleting Website Pages on Climate&nbsp;Change<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><b><i>May 13, 2025 Update: <\/i><\/b><i>As <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/05\/12\/climate\/trump-deleted-climate-website-farmers-lawsuit.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&amp;amp;referringSource=articleShare\"><i>a result of a lawsuit<\/i><\/a><i> f<\/i><i>iled by farmer and environmental groups, the USDA will begin restoring some pages related to climate change on its website.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><strong>February 3, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/01\/31\/usda-climate-change-websites-00201826\">According to<\/a> emails obtained by <i>Politico<\/i>, officials at the USDA have ordered employees to create a spreadsheet documenting all references to climate change on the agency\u2019s website and to delete landing pages dedicated to climate change. Some pages have already <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/general-information\/priorities\/climate-solutions\">been deleted<\/a>. In addition, <em>Politico<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/newsletters\/weekly-agriculture\/2025\/02\/03\/ag-industry-preps-for-tariff-fallout-00202003\">reported<\/a> that President Trump&#8217;s nominee to lead the agency denied that there is established science showing climate change is caused by human action in her written responses to Senate Agriculture Committee questions.<\/p>\n<p>During Trump\u2019s first term, he scrubbed the term \u201cclimate change\u201d from the USDA vocabulary and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/story\/2019\/06\/23\/agriculture-department-climate-change-1376413\">withheld releasing the agency\u2019s own studies<\/a> on potential dangers climate change could cause farmers and the American food supply.<\/p>\n<p>The new directive follows his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/01\/unleashing-american-energy\/\">earlier executive order<\/a> pausing disbursement of Inflation Reduction Act funds, which includes <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/15\/how-four-years-of-biden-reshaped-food-and-farming\/\">billions of dollars <\/a>in USDA grant funding allocated to farmers and rural communities for climate-smart <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/01\/10\/can-this-beef-cooperative-become-the-wests-largest-climate-smart-ranching-program\/\">practices<\/a> and projects.<\/p>\n<p>In recent years, American farmers have increasingly grappled with climate-related disasters, including <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/11\/27\/will-disaster-relief-come-through-for-north-carolinas-small-farms\/\">hurricanes<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2022\/08\/10\/as-drought-hits-farms-investors-lay-claim-to-colorado-water\/\">drought<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/01\/15\/as-saltwater-encroaches-on-farms-solutions-emerge-from-the-marshes\/\">rising sea levels<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2020\/10\/13\/what-impacts-do-the-west-coast-wildfires-smoke-have-on-crops\/\">wildfires<\/a>. In <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/03\/20\/the-ipccs-latest-climate-report-is-a-final-alarm-for-food-systems-too\/\">their most recent global report<\/a>, the world\u2019s leading climate scientists found those impacts will get worse. They also found solutions in food and agriculture could significantly contribute to slowing warming\u2014but that the window for action is rapidly closing. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#usda-begins-deleting-website-pages-on-climate-change\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"61068\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/climate-and-environment\/' title='Climate and environment' class='pt-cv-tax-climate-and-environment'>Climate and environment<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/epa\/' title='EPA' class='pt-cv-tax-epa'>EPA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >EPA Tells Employees Working on Climate Change They May be&nbsp;Fired<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>February 3, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> More than a thousand EPA employees, most of them working on climate change, may be fired, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/02\/03\/climate\/trump-epa-workers-zeldin.html\">according to<\/a> an email obtained by the<i> New York Times<\/i>.<\/p>\n<p>Employees that received the email were hired within the past year, and the message said the agency has the right to immediately terminate them. An EPA spokesperson declined to confirm to the<i> Times<\/i> whether or not EPA administrator Lee Zeldin would fire the employees but added, \u201cUltimately, the goal is to create a more effective and efficient federal government that serves all Americans.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The EPA provides crucial data on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/ghgemissions\/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions\">greenhouse gas emissions<\/a> from agriculture, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/climateimpacts\/climate-change-impacts-agriculture-and-food-supply\">impact of climate change on farms<\/a> and the broader food system, and has been working on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/land-research\/farm-kitchen-environmental-impacts-us-food-waste\">data and solutions to food waste<\/a>, a major driver of emissions. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#epa-tells-employees-working-on-climate-change-they-may-be-fired\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"61045\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/the-white-house\/' title='The White House' class='pt-cv-tax-the-white-house'>The White House<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >New Tariffs That Start Tomorrow Could Affect Farmers and Food&nbsp;Prices<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><em><strong>February 3, 2025 update:<\/strong> Both Mexico and Canada <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/live\/2025\/02\/03\/us\/trump-tariffs\">reached deals<\/a> with the Trump administration to pause tariffs for 30 days.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>January 31, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> The White House press secretary <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/live\/2025\/01\/30\/us\/president-trump-news#trump-tariffs-canada-mexico-china\">announced this afternoon<\/a> that starting Saturday, February 1, 2025, the Trump administration will impose a 25 percent tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico and a 10 percent tariff on goods from China.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ers.usda.gov\/data-products\/chart-gallery\/chart-detail?chartId=58394\">According to the USDA<\/a>, Canada is the number one supplier of agricultural products to the U.S., including produce, grains, and meat. Mexico is the third largest supplier and accounts more than 30 percent of horticultural products, including fruits and vegetables.<\/p>\n<p>President Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/donald-trump\/trump-impose-tariffs-canada-mexico-china-saturday-white-house-says-rcna190221\">said the tariffs<\/a> would benefit the U.S. economy. However, many economists predict tariffs <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/live\/2025\/01\/30\/us\/president-trump-news#trump-tariffs-canada-mexico-china\">will lead to food price increases<\/a>. Experts also say the tariffs could impact farmers, since countries often respond by placing tariffs on American agricultural exports. During his last term, President Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2020\/07\/14\/donald-trump-coronavirus-farmer-bailouts-359932\">paid farmers tens of billions of dollars<\/a> to offset losses they accrued due to tariffs. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#new-tariffs-that-start-tomorrow-could-affect-farmers-and-food-prices\">Link to this post.<\/a>)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"61017\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/cdc\/' title='CDC' class='pt-cv-tax-cdc'>CDC<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/fda\/' title='FDA' class='pt-cv-tax-fda'>FDA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hhs\/' title='HHS' class='pt-cv-tax-hhs'>HHS<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >During Day 2 of His Hearings, RFK Jr. Emphasizes &#8216;Toxins&#8217; in&nbsp;Food<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>January 30, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. was on Capitol Hill again today for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.help.senate.gov\/hearings\/nomination-of-robert-f-kennedy-jr-to-serve-as-secretary-of-health-and-human-services\">second part of his confirmation hearing<\/a> to lead the sprawling Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Today&#8217;s hearing was with the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, which Senator Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) kicked off by saying he agreed with Kennedy on \u201cthe need to address <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2020\/09\/17\/op-ed-the-rise-of-ultra-processed-foods-is-bad-news-for-our-health\/\">ultra-processed food<\/a> and to reduce obesity, the leading cause of chronic disease, and therefore shorter life spans. This will be a priority in this committee, and I look forward to collaborating with you if you are confirmed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Cassidy then quickly pivoted to his concerns about Kennedy\u2019s past and current beliefs on the science, safety, and efficacy of vaccines. That conversation, and the high stakes associated with it, dominated the rest of the hearing.<\/p>\n<p>In the few other moments where food and disease prevention were mentioned, Kennedy repeatedly focused his answers on chemical additives in the food supply.\u00a0He skewered the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/food\/food-ingredients-packaging\/generally-recognized-safe-gras\">GRAS<\/a> (\u201cgenerally recognized as safe\u201d) standard, which the FDA uses to allow certain additives into food without the rigorous safety testing other ingredients face, and said food companies shouldn\u2019t have different ingredient lists for foods they sell in the U.S. vs. Europe.<\/p>\n<p>Later, Kennedy said, \u201cNIH, CDC, and FDA should identify the toxins that are contributing to chronic disease and eliminate them.\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#during-day-2-of-his-hearings-rfk-jr-emphasizes-toxins-in-food\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"60994\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/climate-and-environment\/' title='Climate and environment' class='pt-cv-tax-climate-and-environment'>Climate and environment<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/epa\/' title='EPA' class='pt-cv-tax-epa'>EPA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Senate Confirms Lee Zeldin to Lead the&nbsp;EPA<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>January 30, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> Yesterday, the Senate voted 56 to 42 to confirm Lee Zeldin as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the federal agency tasked with regulating pesticides and other farm chemicals, <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/03\/05\/california-farm-counties-are-not-even-close-to-meeting-the-epas-new-clean-air-quality-standard\/\">air<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/02\/05\/should-a-plan-to-curb-meat-industry-water-pollution-consider-the-business-costs\/\">water pollutants<\/a> from agriculture and food processing plants, and the greenhouse gas emissions that drive <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/11\/27\/will-disaster-relief-come-through-for-north-carolinas-small-farms\/\">increasing climate challenges<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2021\/04\/22\/farming-through-the-climate-emergency\/\">on farms<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Republican Senators unanimously <a href=\"https:\/\/www.senate.gov\/legislative\/LIS\/roll_call_votes\/vote1191\/vote_119_1_00024.htm\">voted<\/a> to confirm him. Democrats voted against Zeldin, with the exception of three who voted in support: John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania), Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona), and Senator Mark Kelly (D-Arizona). Senators Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) and Jon Ossoff (D-Georgia) did not cast votes.<\/p>\n<p>Civil Eats covered Zeldin&#8217;s background and confirmation hearing in detail <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/24\/what-you-need-to-know-about-trumps-picks-to-lead-usda-and-epa\/\">here<\/a>. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#senate-confirms-lee-zeldin-to-lead-the-epa\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"60978\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/cdc\/' title='CDC' class='pt-cv-tax-cdc'>CDC<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/fda\/' title='FDA' class='pt-cv-tax-fda'>FDA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hhs\/' title='HHS' class='pt-cv-tax-hhs'>HHS<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/nutrition\/' title='Nutrition' class='pt-cv-tax-nutrition'>Nutrition<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >In a Tense First Hearing, RFK Jr. Got More Questions About Farmers Than&nbsp;Food<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>January 29, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> During a raucous <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finance.senate.gov\/hearings\/hearingto-consider-the-nomination-of-robert-f-kennedy-jr-of-california-to-be-secretary-of-health-and-human-services\">hearing<\/a> before the Senate Finance Committee today that included both heckling and applause (neither of which are standard), Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) asked Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., President Trump\u2019s nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to explain his <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/10\/09\/can-trump-and-robert-f-kennedy-jr-make-america-healthy-again\/\">Make America Healthy Again<\/a> vision.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSomething is poisoning the American people and we know that the primary culprits are the changing food supply, the switch to highly chemical-intensive processed foods,\u201d Kennedy said. \u201cWe need to fix our food supply, and that\u2019s the number one.\u201d In his opening statement, he also said he \u201cwill scrutinize the chemical additives in our food supply.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Despite those comments, Kennedy\u2019s potential oversight of the FDA\u2014which regulates food additives, food safety recalls, and antibiotic use in agriculture\u2014was barely mentioned throughout the hearing. Instead, Republican senators generally praised his overall commitment to investigating the root causes of chronic diseases, while Democrats hammered him on his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.statnews.com\/2025\/01\/28\/kennedy-confirmation-hearing-niece-releases-emails-vaccine-criticism-conspiracy-theories\/\">past false statements on vaccines<\/a> and anti-vaccine advocacy, his actions tied to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=KMed0kxM6as\">a deadly measles outbreak<\/a>, and his recent about-face on the issue of abortion and how that might impact access to the medication mifepristone. Medicare and Medicaid were also popular topics.<\/p>\n<p>And while no one asked him much of anything about the FDA, the USDA\u2014an agency he will not oversee\u2014came up several times, with several farm-state Republicans asking Kennedy to commit to working in collaboration with farmers and the agency that supports and regulates them. Kennedy said President Trump \u201chas specifically instructed me that he wants farmers involved in every policy and that he wants me to work with <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/24\/what-you-need-to-know-about-trumps-picks-to-lead-usda-and-epa\/\">Brooke Rollins at USDA<\/a> to make sure that we preserve American farmers, that all of our policies support them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Later, he said that while he won\u2019t have regulatory power over farms, he thinks the government should incentivize a transition to what he called \u201cregenerative agriculture, no-till agriculture, and to less chemically intensive. And by the way,\u201d he added, \u201cI&#8217;ve also met with the chemical industry and the fertilizer and herbicide companies, and they want to do the same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>(In our investigative reporting last year, we extensively documented the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/chemical-capture\/\">pesticide industry\u2019s tactics<\/a> for keeping chemicals in use despite documented health and environmental risks. Just this month, Bayer, one of the world\u2019s largest agrichemical companies, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/01\/29\/lobbying-trump-k-street-ballard-00201263\">hired Ballard Partners<\/a>, a D.C. lobby firm with multiple ties to Trump\u2019s inner circle.)<\/p>\n<p>Kennedy also said he believes SNAP should not pay for unhealthy foods and that processed foods should not be served in school meals. Both of those programs fall under the USDA.<\/p>\n<p>At the very end of the hearing, as Senators rushed through final questions, Senator Tina Smith (D-Minnesota) asked him about how he would approach the CDC\u2019s response to bird flu, which so far is not a serious health risk for everyday Americans but is spreading quickly on farms and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfchronicle.com\/california\/article\/h5n9-bird-flu-northern-california-20059331.php\">changing in alarming ways<\/a>. Kennedy said he would devote \u201cthe appropriate resources\u201d to preventing pandemics. Earlier in the hearing, he was grilled <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/01\/17\/health\/rfk-jr-covid-vaccines.html\">on a petition he submitted in 2021<\/a> to stop the rollout of COVID vaccines for children.<\/p>\n<p>Tomorrow, Kennedy will face a second hearing in front of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#in-a-tense-first-hearing-rfk-got-more-questions-about-farmers-than-food\">Link to this story<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"60935\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hunger\/' title='Hunger' class='pt-cv-tax-hunger'>Hunger<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/the-white-house\/' title='The White House' class='pt-cv-tax-the-white-house'>The White House<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Trump Freezes Federal Grant and Loan Payments, Creating Confusion Among Food and Farm&nbsp;Groups<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><em><b>Update:<\/b> A federal judge <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/donald-trump-pause-federal-grants-aid-f9948b9996c0ca971f0065fac85737ce\">blocked the funding freeze<\/a> minutes before it went into effect, pausing it until Monday, February 3.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>January 28, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/business\/2025\/01\/27\/white-house-pauses-federal-grants\/\">According to a memo<\/a> released yesterday, a federal freeze of all grant and loan payments will go into effect at 5:00p.m. EST today, January 28, 2025. Since the news dropped, fear and confusion has been spreading among groups that have received federal grants to pay and <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/28\/for-small-dairy-farms-an-apprentice-can-make-all-the-difference\/\">support farmers<\/a>,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/entry\/meals-on-wheels-trump-budget-pause_n_67990748e4b0f8946ae2883c\"> feed communities<\/a>, and strengthen rural infrastructure.<\/p>\n<p>The White House<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/business\/2025\/01\/28\/trump-spending-freeze-upends-washington-triggering-legal-threats-delays\/\"> later clarified<\/a> that the pause is temporary and is meant to align federal spending with President Trump\u2019s recent executive orders on ending DEI and climate-focused programming, but that did little to clear up what would happen to ongoing grant funding that has been allocated to food and farm groups for initiatives such as climate-smart farming and community hunger solutions but has not yet been fully distributed.<\/p>\n<p>A diverse range of groups reacted to the decision throughout the day. The Prairie Rivers Network, based in the Midwest, said the pause \u201cjeopardizes critical funding streams and threatens key <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/08\/29\/can-agroforestry-breathe-new-life-into-carbon-markets\/\">investments in rural communities<\/a>, small towns, and local economies across Illinois and the country.\u201d In D.C., the Food Research &amp; Action Center (FRAC), an influential hunger policy organization, said the freeze was a violation of the law and that \u201cFRAC is especially concerned about the grave potential ramifications any disruption to vital nutrition and other essential programs will have in increasing hunger and hardship in America.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At least one lawsuit<a href=\"https:\/\/apha.org\/news-and-media\/news-releases\/apha-news-releases\/2025\/omb-grants-pause\"> has already been filed<\/a> to challenge the freeze. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#trump-freezes-federal-grant-and-loan-payments-creating-confusion-among-food-and-farm-groups\">Link to this post<\/a>)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"60880\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/epa\/' title='EPA' class='pt-cv-tax-epa'>EPA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hhs\/' title='HHS' class='pt-cv-tax-hhs'>HHS<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Trump Fires Inspectors General Who Oversee Food and Farm&nbsp;Agencies<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>January 27, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> Without warning, President Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/01\/24\/us\/politics\/trump-fires-inspectors-general.html\">fired at least a dozen inspectors general<\/a> late Friday night, several of whom oversee agencies that implement food and farm policies. Inspectors general <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ignet.gov\/content\/frequently-asked-questions\">run independent offices<\/a> tasked with promoting efficiency and preventing waste, fraud, and abuse. Federal law requires Presidents to give Congress 30 days notice and an explanation of reasoning when firing them.<\/p>\n<p>Those fired included <a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/Politics\/trump-administration-cites-changing-priorities-emails-fired-inspectors\/story?id=118123086\">HHS Inspector Christi Grimm<\/a>, who was appointed by President Biden, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epaoig.gov\/meet-inspector-general\">EPA Inspector Sean O\u2019Donnell,<\/a> who was appointed by Trump during his first term, and <a href=\"https:\/\/usdaoig.oversight.gov\/about\/inspector-general-biography\">USDA inspector Phyllis Fong,<\/a> who was nominated by President George W. Bush and had been on the job for more than two decades.<\/p>\n<p>Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/2025\/01\/24\/trump-fire-inspectors-general-federal-agencies\/\">defended the decision<\/a>, while top Democrats in Congress sent him a letter pointing to the law\u2019s requirements and \u201curging him to withdraw your unlawful action and comply with your obligations to the American people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The top Democrats on the House and Senate Agriculture Committees also sent out statements pointing specifically to potential impacts at the USDA. \u201cWhile the president has the right to replace inspector generals, the late-night firing of these independent watchdogs not only violates the law but also hampers our ability to combat waste, fraud, and abuse and ensure programs are run as Congress intended,\u201d said Representative Angie Craig (D-Minnesota), \u201cwhether it&#8217;s disaster assistance for farmers or nutrition programs.\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#trump-fires-inspectors-general-who-oversee-food-and-farm-agencies\">Link to this post<\/a>)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"60862\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hunger\/' title='Hunger' class='pt-cv-tax-hunger'>Hunger<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >House Agriculture Leaders Say Farm Bill Is Top Priority This Year, but Path Remains&nbsp;Rocky<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>January 24, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> \u201cThis committee\u2019s number one priority for this Congress will be the passage of a bipartisan, five-year Farm Bill,\u201d said G.T. Thompson (R-Pennsylvania), the chair of the House Agriculture Committee, at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=O4BiLm3M3Wc\">an organizing meeting<\/a> held yesterday to kick off the committee\u2019s work in the 119th Congress. In her opening remarks, top Democrat Angie Craig (D-Minnesota), echoed the sentiment but pointed to roadblocks ahead.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLast year\u2019s bill had some really strong provisions, and others that needed work. It didn\u2019t have the votes to pass then; and it doesn\u2019t now,\u201d Craig said. \u201cI want a different result this Congress.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So far, <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/08\/will-congress-pass-a-new-farm-bill-in-2025\/\">the same fights <\/a>over cuts to hunger programs and the farm safety net are likely to surface, both across the aisle and between Republican lawmakers who face tension between spending more money on farmer subsidies and tightening purse strings across the board. Craig also referenced the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#lawmakers-consider-cuts-to-food-aid-and-farm-programs\">menu of cuts<\/a> Republicans started circulating last week that could be included in an upcoming reconciliation bill, which, she said, will jeopardize \u201cthe bipartisan support we all know a farm bill needs in order to pass.\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#house-agriculture-leaders-say-farm-bill-is-top-priority-this-year-but-path-remains-rocky\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"60826\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/climate-and-environment\/' title='Climate and environment' class='pt-cv-tax-climate-and-environment'>Climate and environment<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hunger\/' title='Hunger' class='pt-cv-tax-hunger'>Hunger<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Trade, Biofuels, and SNAP Dominate Hearing for Agriculture Secretary&nbsp;Nominee<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>January 24, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> Members of the Senate Agriculture Committee <a href=\"https:\/\/www.agriculture.senate.gov\/hearings\/nomination-hearing-01-23-2025\">met yesterday<\/a> to consider the nomination of Brooke Rollins to lead the USDA as Secretary of Agriculture. Over nearly four hours, Republicans praised her childhood upbringing in a Texas farm town, where she raised livestock with Future Farmers of America and later studied agriculture at Texas A&amp;M University. Her career, however, has not been in food or agriculture, but in broader conservative policy making.<\/p>\n<p>Senators on both sides of the aisle asked about her support for ethanol (which she confirmed) and whether she\u2019d ensure farmers are not negatively impacted by Trump\u2019s proposed tariffs. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the country&#8217;s largest safety net <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/04\/04\/former-snap-recipient-calls-for-expanded-benefits-in-next-farm-bill\/\">for food-insecure families<\/a>, also came up often. Rollins said she supports work requirements and would not rule out overall cuts to benefits. She also said she supports overturning California\u2019s animal welfare law <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2022\/10\/05\/supreme-court-docket-farm-animal-welfare-prop-12-california-gestation-crates-pork-industry\/\">Proposition 12<\/a>. See our <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/24\/what-you-need-to-know-about-trumps-picks-to-lead-usda-and-epa\/\">more in-depth coverage here<\/a> of Rollins\u2019 background and hearing and that of her counterpart Lee Zeldin, tapped to lead the EPA. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker#trade-biofuels-and-snap-dominate-hearing-for-agriculture-secretary-nominee\">Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"60796\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/food-and-farm-workers\/' title='Food and farm workers' class='pt-cv-tax-food-and-farm-workers'>Food and farm workers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >USDA Threatens Employees With Consequences for &#8216;Disguising&#8217; Equity&nbsp;Efforts<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>January 22, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> USDA officials sent an email to all agency staff today announcing they are taking steps to close \u201call DEIA [Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility] offices&#8221; and end \u201call DEIA-related contracts\u201d as a result of Trump\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/01\/ending-radical-and-wasteful-government-dei-programs-and-preferencing\/\">executive order<\/a> directing all agencies to dismantle President Biden\u2019s equity directives.<\/p>\n<p>The email, reviewed by Civil Eats, also \u00a0said officials are aware of \u201cefforts by some in government to disguise these programs by using coded or imprecise language.\u201d In addition, all employees are now responsible for reporting any knowledge they have of changes to personnel or contract language made since November 5, 2024, \u201cto obscure the connection between the contract and DEIA or similar ideologies\u201d within 10 days. Failure to report the information within 10 days \u201cmay result in adverse consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/news\/press-releases\/2022\/01\/20\/us-agriculture-secretary-tom-vilsack-highlights-key-work-2021-advance-equity\">Under Biden,<\/a> former Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack aspired (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2021\/02\/10\/will-bidens-food-and-agriculture-appointees-live-up-to-his-promises-on-racial-justice\/\">at Biden&#8217;s behest<\/a>) to infuse equity efforts <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/15\/how-four-years-of-biden-reshaped-food-and-farming\/\">across the department<\/a>. He hired the agency\u2019s first senior advisor for racial justice and equity, launched an Equity Commission, worked on <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2022\/07\/27\/black-farmers-arkansas-seek-justice-elaine-massacre-systemic-racism-heirs-property\/\">heirs property<\/a> issues for Black landowners, and directed many grant funds to disadvantaged communities through Biden\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov\/environmentaljustice\/justice40\/\">Justice40 plan<\/a>. As a result, it\u2019s unclear exactly which of those efforts may now be ended because they meet Trump&#8217;s definition of &#8220;DEIA&#8221;\u2014and which employees may be let go. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#usda-threatens-employees-with-consequences-for-disguising-equity-efforts\">Link to this post<\/a>)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"60772\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/cdc\/' title='CDC' class='pt-cv-tax-cdc'>CDC<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/fda\/' title='FDA' class='pt-cv-tax-fda'>FDA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/food-safety\/' title='Food safety' class='pt-cv-tax-food-safety'>Food safety<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hhs\/' title='HHS' class='pt-cv-tax-hhs'>HHS<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Pause in Health Communications Raises Questions About Food Safety&nbsp;Alerts<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><em><strong>Update:<\/strong> In an email, an HHS spokesperson said the pause applies to &#8220;mass communications and public appearances that are not directly related to emergencies or critical to preserving health. This is a short pause to allow the new team to set up a process for review and prioritization. There are exceptions for announcements that HHS divisions believe are mission critical, but they will be made on a case-by-case basis.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>January 22, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> Officials inside the Department of Health &amp; Human Services (HHS), the agency that oversees both the CDC and the FDA, have halted external communications, according to<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/health\/2025\/01\/21\/trump-hhs-cdc-fda-communication-pause\/\"> the <i>Washington Post<\/i><\/a>. The length and full scope of the directive is not clear, but the CDC manages updates on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/bird-flu\/situation-summary\/index.html\">bird flu in humans<\/a>, and the FDA is responsible for sending alerts related to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/safety\/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts\">food safety outbreaks and recalls.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Stefanie Spear, an HHS deputy chief of staff and longtime ally of Robert F. Kennedy, Trump\u2019s nominee to lead HHS, delivered the instructions. While cabinet member hearings have been moving at a steady clip, RFK\u2019s hearing has still not been scheduled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAmericans depend on timely information from the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and other agencies to avoid foodborne illnesses like <i>E. coli<\/i> and <i>Salmonella<\/i>, and to navigate other health concerns,\u201d the government watchdog group Center for Science in the Public Interest wrote in a press statement. \u201cWhen it comes to stopping outbreaks, every second counts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In response to the question of whether food safety alerts would be impacted, FDA directed Civil Eats to HHS. HHS has not yet responded. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#pause-in-health-communications-raises-questions-about-food-safety-alerts\">Link to this post.<\/a>)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"60696\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/climate-and-environment\/' title='Climate and environment' class='pt-cv-tax-climate-and-environment'>Climate and environment<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/food-and-farm-workers\/' title='Food and farm workers' class='pt-cv-tax-food-and-farm-workers'>Food and farm workers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/the-white-house\/' title='The White House' class='pt-cv-tax-the-white-house'>The White House<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Trump\u2019s Day 1 Orders Have Profound Implications for the Food&nbsp;System<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>January 21, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> Shortly after he was sworn into office, President Trump signed more than two dozen executive orders, several of which will impact farms, food workers, and the broader food system.<\/p>\n<p>After pledging to \u201cdrill, baby, drill\u201d in his inauguration speech, Trump declared a national energy emergency to<a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/01\/unleashing-alaskas-extraordinary-resource-potential\/\"> boost fossil fuel production<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/01\/putting-america-first-in-international-environmental-agreements\/\">withdrew<\/a> the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/01\/temporary-withdrawal-of-all-areas-on-the-outer-continental-shelf-from-offshore-wind-leasing-and-review-of-the-federal-governments-leasing-and-permitting-practices-for-wind-projects\/\">halted leasing<\/a> for offshore wind power. In the past few years, farmers <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/10\/19\/new-orleans-urban-farmers-prepare-for-overlapping-climate-disasters\/\">have been reeling<\/a> from the effects of <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2020\/09\/09\/iowa-farmers-face-climate-fueled-destruction-while-the-industry-says-its-just-weather\/\">climate-related disasters<\/a>. In <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/03\/20\/the-ipccs-latest-climate-report-is-a-final-alarm-for-food-systems-too\/\">the last global assessment,<\/a> the world\u2019s top climate experts found the crisis is already affecting the world\u2019s food supply and that without a rapid transition away from fossil fuels, a \u201clivable and sustainable future for all\u201d is in jeopardy.<\/p>\n<p>He also declared a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/01\/protecting-the-american-people-against-invasion\/\">issued several directives <\/a>to crack down on immigration. To speed deportations, he said the administration would created \u200b\u200bHomeland Security Task Forces in all states and wrote that the Secretary of Homeland Security, \u201cshall promptly take appropriate action to use all other provisions of the immigration laws or any other Federal law . . . to ensure the efficient and expedited removal of aliens from the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/immigration\/2025\/01\/20\/trump-immigration-executive-orders\/\">attempted to end birthright citizenship<\/a>, although that move is likely to be challenged in court. Accurate estimates are hard to come by, but <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/10\/02\/immigrant-workers-are-the-backbone-of-our-food-system\/\">millions of immigrants work <\/a>on farms, in food processing plants, and in restaurants without legal authorization.<\/p>\n<p>Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/01\/ending-radical-and-wasteful-government-dei-programs-and-preferencing\/\">issued a sweeping order<\/a> to unravel the Biden administration\u2019s equity and environmental justice initiatives, such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/03\/08\/how-the-long-shadow-of-racism-at-usda-impacts-black-farmers-in-arkansas-and-beyond\/\">USDA\u2019s Equity Commission<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/environmentaljustice\/environmental-justice-small-grants-program#GrantRecipients\">EPA grants<\/a> that supported community solutions to environmental justice challenges.<\/p>\n<p>He also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/01\/withdrawing-the-united-states-from-the-worldhealth-organization\/\">withdrew the U.S. from the World Health Organization (WHO)<\/a> at a time when <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/05\/15\/bird-flu-may-be-driven-by-this-overlooked-factor\/\">avian influenza<\/a> is surging on U.S. farms and could pose a greater risk to humans in the future. Finally, his order to freeze government hiring and require federal agencies to end work-from-home policies will also likely lead to staff shake-ups at agencies including the USDA, where many established employees have been working almost entirely remotely. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#trumps-day-1-orders-have-profound-implications-for-the-food-system\">Link to this post<\/a>)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"60675\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/dol\/' title='DOL' class='pt-cv-tax-dol'>DOL<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/food-and-farm-workers\/' title='Food and farm workers' class='pt-cv-tax-food-and-farm-workers'>Food and farm workers<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Department of Labor Says JBS Will Pay for Child&nbsp;Labor<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>January 16, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> The Department of Labor (DOL) today <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dol.gov\/newsroom\/releases\/whd\/whd20250113\">announced<\/a> that the country\u2019s largest meatpacker, JBS USA (whose parent company, JBS, is the largest global meat company), has agreed to pay $4 million to \u201cassist individuals and communities affected by unlawful child labor practices nationwide.\u201d The company also agreed to a list of other actions, including hiring a child labor compliance specialist and requiring child labor violation training to all of its third-party providers. The agreement comes after a DOL investigation started in 2022 found more than 4,000 children had been hired by those providers and were working overnight shifts at JBS facilities in four states, in violation of child labor laws. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#department-of-labor-says-jbs-will-pay-for-child-labor\">Link to this post<\/a>)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"60670\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >New Lawmakers Could Help Shape Farm&nbsp;Bill<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>January 16, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> Representative Angie Craig (D-Minnesota), who is now the lead Democrat\u2014called the ranking member\u2014on the House Agriculture Committee, <a href=\"https:\/\/democrats-agriculture.house.gov\/news\/email\/show.aspx?ID=VXNTP5VWLRH4IDW3QVLDAIZSCI\">announced the committee\u2019s<\/a> roster of Democrats for 2025. There are 15 returning members and eight new Democrats on the committee, almost all of whom are newly elected. Several senior members of the committee who have <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2017\/10\/31\/chellie-pingree-has-a-farm-bill-plan-to-serve-all-farmers\/\">led on agricultural issues in the past <\/a>were not on the list, including organic farmer Chellie Pingree (D-Maine). (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#new-lawmakers-could-help-shape-farm-bill\">Link to this post<\/a>)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"60666\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/epa\/' title='EPA' class='pt-cv-tax-epa'>EPA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >EPA Administrator Hearing Barely Touches&nbsp;Farming<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>January 16, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> The EPA is responsible for approving and regulating pesticides used on farms and regulating air and <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/02\/05\/should-a-plan-to-curb-meat-industry-water-pollution-consider-the-business-costs\/\">water pollution<\/a> from meatpacking plants and other food processing facilities, but the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epw.senate.gov\/public\/index.cfm\/hearings?ID=2A6B7804-B26D-4F76-AF8F-0819571891DF\">hearing to consider Trump\u2019s nominee<\/a> to lead the agency barely touched on those issues. Zeldin presented himself as a practical administrator who would follow the law and safeguard \u201cclean air and water.\u201d Zeldin acknowledged the reality of climate change but sidestepped specific questions around how his EPA would regulate planet-warming emissions. Other food and agriculture issues that came up briefly included the long-controversial <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2017\/03\/01\/wotus-rollback-rollback-signals-livestock-industrys-bullish-approach-under-trump\/\">Waters of the U.S. rule<\/a> that regulates farm runoff, <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/12\/18\/why-are-pesticide-companies-fighting-state-laws-to-address-pfas\/\">PFAS contamination<\/a>, and air quality in California\u2019s Central Valley. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#epa-administrator-hearing-barely-touches-farming\">Link to this post<\/a>)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"60610\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/ftc\/' title='FTC' class='pt-cv-tax-ftc'>FTC<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >FTC Fights for Farmers\u2019 Right to&nbsp;Repair<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>January 15, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> Along with the states of Illinois and Minnesota, the Federal Trade Commission <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ftc.gov\/system\/files\/ftc_gov\/pdf\/DeereCoREDACTEDComplaintCaseNo325-cv-50017.pdf\">sued John Deere<\/a>, the country\u2019s most prominent farm equipment manufacturer and seller, alleging that \u201cunlawful business practices have inflated farmers\u2019 repair costs and degraded farmers\u2019 ability to obtain timely repairs, which is especially critical in times of planting and harvesting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Farmers <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2022\/03\/03\/right-to-repair-advocates-petition-the-ftc-to-investigate-john-deere\/\">have been fighting for the right to repair<\/a> their own John Deere tractors and combines for several years, and the issue of John Deere\u2019s repair monopoly has united farm groups across a broad ideological spectrum. Under Chair Lina Khan, the FTC has taken a more aggressive approach to antitrust policy across the board, but it\u2019s unclear how the change in leadership will affect the outcome of the case. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#ftc-fights-for-farmers-right-to-repair\">Link to this post<\/a>)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"60607\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/fda\/' title='FDA' class='pt-cv-tax-fda'>FDA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/food-safety\/' title='Food safety' class='pt-cv-tax-food-safety'>Food safety<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Goodbye to Red&nbsp;Dye<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>January 15, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> In response to a 2022 petition filed by the Center for Science in the Public Interest and 23 allied organizations, the FDA <a href=\"https:\/\/public-inspection.federalregister.gov\/2025-00830.pdf\">banned the use of Red Dye No. 3<\/a> starting January 15, 2027. The FDA made the decision based on animal studies showing a link to cancer, and the popular food dye will no longer be permitted for use in candy, other processed foods, supplements, or medicines. California <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2023\/10\/10\/1204839281\/california-ban-food-additives-red-dye-3-propylparaben-candy\">became the first state<\/a> to ban Red Dye No. 3 last October. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#goodbye-to-red-dye\">Link to this post<\/a>)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"60660\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/epa\/' title='EPA' class='pt-cv-tax-epa'>EPA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/farmers\/' title='Farmers' class='pt-cv-tax-farmers'>Farmers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/health\/' title='Health' class='pt-cv-tax-health'>Health<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >EPA: Sewage Sludge Poses Serious Risks for&nbsp;Farmers<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>January 14, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> In <a href=\"https:\/\/public-inspection.federalregister.gov\/2025-00734.pdf\">a new report<\/a>, the EPA confirmed for the first time that even at extremely low levels, PFAS, or \u201cforever chemicals,\u201d in <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/02\/28\/rural-oklahoma-treated-sewage-sludge-biosolids-farmland-wastewater-health-pollution-livestock-farms\/\">sewage sludge applied to farmland<\/a> could result in \u201chuman health risks exceeding the agency\u2019s acceptable thresholds for cancer and non-cancer effects.\u201d While its research found the risks vary based on many factors including the climate and geology of a farm, farm practices, and how often sludge is spread, the agency found safety risks after even a single application of the contaminated material in some scenarios.<\/p>\n<p>Over the past few years, PFAS contamination has <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2022\/02\/02\/field-report-pfas-pollution-farmworker-overtime-unions-urban-ag\/\">increasingly been discovered<\/a> on farms due to the historic spreading of sludge. The impacts have been <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/10\/02\/pfas-shut-maine-farms-down-now-some-are-rebounding\/\">most pronounced in Maine,<\/a> and the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association is currently suing the EPA for failing to regulate the chemicals in sludge. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#epa-sewage-sludge-poses-serious-risks-for-farmers\">Link to this post<\/a>)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"60604\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/fda\/' title='FDA' class='pt-cv-tax-fda'>FDA<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hunger\/' title='Hunger' class='pt-cv-tax-hunger'>Hunger<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/nutrition\/' title='Nutrition' class='pt-cv-tax-nutrition'>Nutrition<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Nutrition Facts Up&nbsp;Front<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>January 14, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> Biden\u2019s Food and Drug Administration pushed a major priority of public health and nutrition advocacy groups forward at the last minute, <a href=\"https:\/\/public-inspection.federalregister.gov\/2025-00778.pdf\">proposing a rule <\/a>for \u201cfront-of-pack labeling.\u201d If finalized, the rule would add a new nutrition facts box to the front of packaged foods \u201cwith standardized, interpretive nutrition information that can help them quickly and easily identify how foods can be part of a healthy diet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For instance, the box might just\u00a0 show levels of added sugar, sodium, and saturated fat and clearly state if those levels are low, medium, or high. In other countries, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cspinet.org\/resource\/food-industrys-false-claims-about-front-package-nutrition-labeling-fact-sheet\">some research<\/a> has shown front-of-pack labels lead to healthier choices and may push companies to improve the nutritional profile of foods. Public health groups including the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the American Heart Association celebrated the news.<\/p>\n<p>Whether the rule advances will now be up to the incoming Trump administration. Last time he was in office, President Trump generally sided with industry and was hostile to nutrition regulations, but with <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/10\/09\/can-trump-and-robert-f-kennedy-jr-make-america-healthy-again\/\">MAHA supporter Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.<\/a> likely coming in to lead FDA\u2019s parent agency, it\u2019s unclear how the administration will treat new regulations like this one in the future.(<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#nutrition-facts-up-front\">Link to this post<\/a>)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"60601\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/animal-agriculture\/' title='Animal agriculture' class='pt-cv-tax-animal-agriculture'>Animal agriculture<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/food-and-farm-workers\/' title='Food and farm workers' class='pt-cv-tax-food-and-farm-workers'>Food and farm workers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >New Protections for Chicken&nbsp;Farmers<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>January 14, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> During the administration\u2019s 11th hour, President Biden\u2019s USDA wrapped up its historic push to finalize Packers &amp; Stockyards Act regulations that have been <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2019\/07\/19\/farmers-and-ranchers-head-to-dc-to-level-the-playing-field\/\">a century in the making<\/a>. After finishing two earlier rules that improve transparency in grower contracts and bar retaliation against growers, Secretary Tom Vilsack finalized a third rule that will significantly change the poultry industry\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/10\/08\/for-contract-farmers-the-election-could-change-everything-or-nothing-at-all\/\">notorious \u201ctournament system.\u201d<\/a> For example, companies will no longer be able to reduce base pay based on competitive metrics and will have to provide upfront details on costly barn and equipment upgrades that may be required. \u201cIt is USDA\u2019s job to advocate for farmers, and these regulatory improvements give us the strongest tools we\u2019ve ever had,\u201d Vilsack said after the rule\u2019s release.<\/p>\n<p>USDA withdrew a fourth rule that would have changed the definition of \u201cunfair practices\u201d in favor of farmers because the agency ran out of time to finalize it. Farm Action, a group that has been at the forefront of pushing for the rules, said farmers would suffer due to the \u201cunfinished business\u201d but also praised the agency for progress made. \u201cWe applaud the USDA for its efforts in proposing and now finalizing this critical rule that will improve its ability to hold monopolistic poultry integrators accountable for unfair and deceptive payment and capital improvement systems for poultry growers,\u201d said Angela Huffman, Farm Action\u2019s President, in a press release. (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#new-protections-for-chicken-farmers\">Link to this post<\/a>)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"60595\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/animal-agriculture\/' title='Animal agriculture' class='pt-cv-tax-animal-agriculture'>Animal agriculture<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/food-and-farm-workers\/' title='Food and farm workers' class='pt-cv-tax-food-and-farm-workers'>Food and farm workers<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/food-safety\/' title='Food safety' class='pt-cv-tax-food-safety'>Food safety<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Reports: High Rates of Meatpacking Worker&nbsp;Injuries<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>January 13, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> USDA\u2019s Food Safety and Inspection Service <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fsis.usda.gov\/news-events\/news-press-releases\/constituent-update-january-10-2025\">released the results<\/a> of a pair of third-party studies commissioned in 2022 to evaluate the impact of faster line speeds at poultry and pork processing plants on worker injuries. The debate over line speeds heated up after the USDA <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2020\/08\/31\/usda-seeks-to-permanently-speed-up-poultry-plant-line-speeds\/\">took steps to speed them up<\/a> during Trump\u2019s first presidential term.<\/p>\n<p>The studies compared worker outcomes at plants with varied line speeds and did not find a clear correlation between the slaughter line speed and worker injuries. However, the studies found 81 percent of poultry workers and 46 percent of pork workers had increased risk of musculoskeletal disorders across the board and reported high rates of moderate to severe upper extremity pain. Workers who had a higher \u201cpiece rate,\u201d a measure of individual job pace, did have increased risk of injury. In other words, working faster did have an impact, but line speeds weren\u2019t always associated with faster work.<\/p>\n<p>In response, the Republican Agriculture Committee chairs released a joint statement that characterized the studies as a Biden administration attempt to villainize the chicken and pork industries and as proof that faster line speeds are safe. \u201cWe look forward to working with the incoming Trump administration to develop a long-term solution to ensure meat and poultry companies have the ability to operate at higher line speeds, while maintaining rigorous food safety and worker safety standards,\u201d they wrote.<\/p>\n<p>Worker groups, on the other hand, said the studies emphasized the increased risks revealed in the reports. \u201cWe call upon OSHA and the USDA in the incoming administration to make worker safety a priority, and mitigate risk at poultry plants to address the dangerous conditions outlined in the reports,\u201d Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which counts 15,000 poultry workers among its members, said in a press release.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe need to mandate job modifications that reduce ergonomic stressors and additional staffing to decrease repetitive motion and work speed; increase workers\u2019 access to early and adequate medical treatment; and create better tool-sharpening programs to reduce the impact of cutting jobs.\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#reports-high-rates-of-meatpacking-worker-injuries\">Link to this post<\/a>)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\" pt-cv-content-item pt-cv-2-col\"  data-pid=\"60589\"><div class=\"pt-cv-meta-fields\"><span class=\"terms\"> <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/congress\/' title='Congress' class='pt-cv-tax-congress'>Congress<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/hunger\/' title='Hunger' class='pt-cv-tax-hunger'>Hunger<\/a>, <a href='https:\/\/civileats.com\/tag\/usda\/' title='USDA' class='pt-cv-tax-usda'>USDA<\/a><\/span><span> \/ <\/span><span class=\"author\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\" rel=\"author\">Lisa Held<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-cv-title\"><a href=\"\" class=\"pt-cv-none cvplbd\" target=\"pt-cv-none\" >Lawmakers Consider Cuts to Food Aid and Farm&nbsp;Programs<\/a><\/h2>\n<div class=\"pt-cv-content\"><p><strong>January 13, 2025 \u2013<\/strong> House GOP Representatives circulated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/f\/?id=00000194-5115-d639-a395-7db5d6b70000\">a pick list<\/a> of spending cuts they\u2019re considering for inclusion in an upcoming reconciliation bill, many of which could speed cuts previously proposed <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/08\/will-congress-pass-a-new-farm-bill-in-2025\/\">for inclusion in a new farm bill<\/a>. The list includes $347 billion in cuts to food aid through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), $356 billion in rolling back Biden climate investments, which could include on-farm conservation and renewable energy dollars, and $151 billion in spending on the Affordable Care Act, which millions of farmers and families in rural communities <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/11\/12\/farmers-and-rural-communities-disproportionately-depend-on-obamacare-whats-next\/\">now depend on<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In response, House Agriculture Ranking Member Angie Craig (D-Minnesota) released a statement condemning the proposed cuts. \u201cWe are happy to work with Republicans on a bipartisan basis when it&#8217;s on behalf of the American people and family farmers,\u201d she said. \u201cBut instead of increasing investments in our rural communities and supporting the next generation of family farmers, Republicans are starting the new year by workshopping a plan to take money from America\u2019s farmers in order to pay for tax breaks for billionaires.\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/food-policy-tracker\/#lawmakers-consider-cuts-to-food-aid-and-farm-programs\">Link to this post<\/a>)<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\" id=\"pt-cv-inline-style-739af53fnp\">\n#pt-cv-view-283aa14bvc .pt-cv-thumb-wrapper:not(.miniwrap) { width: 40%; }#pt-cv-view-283aa14bvc .pt-cv-thumbnail:not(.pt-cv-thumbnailsm) { height: 300px; }#pt-cv-view-283aa14bvc > .pt-cv-page {grid-template-columns: repeat(1, 1fr);grid-gap: 30px;}\n@media all and (max-width: 1024px) { \n#pt-cv-view-283aa14bvc > .pt-cv-page {grid-template-columns: repeat(1, 1fr);}\n} \n@media all and (max-width: 767px) { \n#pt-cv-view-283aa14bvc > .pt-cv-page {grid-template-columns: repeat(1, 1fr);}\n} <\/style>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\" id=\"pt-cv-inline-style-898004elox\">#pt-cv-view-283aa14bvc .pt-cv-title a, #pt-cv-view-283aa14bvc  .panel-title { font-weight: 600 !important; }\n#pt-cv-view-283aa14bvc .pt-cv-readmore  { color: #ffffff !important; background-color: #f24e1b !important; }\n#pt-cv-view-283aa14bvc .pt-cv-readmore:hover  { color: #ffffff !important; background-color: #feece0 !important; }\n \r\n                                    .cvp-live-filter[data-sid='283aa14bvc'].cvp-customized input:hover,\r\n                                    .cvp-live-filter[data-sid='283aa14bvc'].cvp-customized input:focus,\r\n                                    .cvp-live-filter[data-sid='283aa14bvc'].cvp-customized select:hover,\r\n                                    .cvp-live-filter[data-sid='283aa14bvc'].cvp-customized select:focus,\r\n                                    .cvp-live-filter[data-sid='283aa14bvc'].cvp-customized input~div:hover,\r\n                                    .cvp-live-filter[data-sid='283aa14bvc'].cvp-customized input~div:focus {border-color: #f24e1b; box-shadow: 0 0 0 1px #f24e1b !important;}\r\n                                    .cvp-live-filter[data-sid='283aa14bvc'].cvp-customized input[type='checkbox']:checked {background-color: #f24e1b;}\r\n                                    .cvp-live-filter[data-sid='283aa14bvc'].cvp-customized input[type='radio']:checked {border-color: #f24e1b;}\r\n                                    .cvp-live-filter[data-sid='283aa14bvc'].cvp-customized input[type='radio']:checked::before {border-color: #f24e1b; background: #f24e1b;}\r\n                                    <\/style>\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div><span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Every day, decisions are made in Washington, D.C. that have profound consequences for how we grow, process, transport, and consume food in this country. We\u2019re keeping track: Consider this your go-to source for actions taken by the president, federal agencies, and Congress that directly relate to or have significant implications for the food system. Lisa [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":208,"featured_media":60584,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-page-nodropcaps.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"coauthors":[3675],"class_list":["post-60628","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.6 (Yoast SEO v25.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Food Policy Tracker | Civil Eats<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Civil Eats Food Policy Tracker is your daily, go-to source for actions taken by the President, federal agencies, and Congress that directly relate to or have significant implications for the food system.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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