FILE PHOTO: U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack speaks during an interview with Reuters reporters in Washington, U.S., November 29, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

US agriculture secretary sees ‘chaos’ in meat market without congressional action on Prop 12

Canadian sector worried state-specific regulations will cause severe complications for producers selling into U.S.

There will be chaos in the U.S. meat marketplace without congressional action on California's Prop 12 law that tightened animal welfare requirements for pork products sold in the state, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said during a congressional hearing on Wednesday.



The Big River Resources ethanol plant at West Burlington, Iowa, about 120 km southwest of Davenport. (Steven Vaughn photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Biden backs ethanol industry on low-emission aviation fuel tax credits

Aviation is seen as one of the few routes to increase ethanol demand amid rising electric vehicle sales

Reuters - The Biden administration said on Friday it will recognize a methodology favored by the ethanol industry in guidance to companies looking to claim tax credits for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a pivotal win for the politically powerful U.S. corn lobby.

A chicken salad featuring Upside Foods’ cell-cultivated meat. (UpsideFoods.com)

Lab-grown meat can be kosher and halal, experts say

Opinions seen as guidance for future products

Reuters — Lab-grown meat can be labeled kosher and halal as long as its cells are derived in methods compliant with religious standards, according to two panels of experts commissioned by the nascent industry. The opinions are a win for cell-cultivated meat companies, executives said, because it means observant followers of Judaism and Islam could […] Read more


Real estate apps are already big business in residential markets. If they cut transaction costs, why not in agriculture too?
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U.S. Lawmakers seek to limit corporate, foreign ownership of farmland

Farm groups, lawmakers are concerned that foreign, investor ownership is driving up prices and threatening national security

Washington | Reuters – U.S. lawmakers from both parties are pushing legislation that would limit who can own American farmland, with a latest effort from Democratic Senator Cory Booker aimed at curbing corporate ownership. Farm groups and lawmakers are concerned that land buys by investors and foreign countries are driving up farmland prices and threatening […] Read more

A chicken salad featuring Upside Foods’ cell-cultivated meat. (UpsideFoods.com)

U.S. regulator allows first sales of lab-grown meat

Products to go first to high-end restaurants

Washington | Reuters — Two companies, Upside Foods and Good Meat, said on Wednesday they have received final U.S. Department of Agriculture approval to sell lab-grown meat, paving the way for the nation’s first-ever sales of the product. With the approvals, the U.S. will become the second country after Singapore to allow the sale of […] Read more


(TysonFoods.com)

Tyson Foods plant closure raises antitrust concerns among US farmers, experts

Reuters – Tyson Foods Inc TSN.N gave its chicken suppliers two months’ notice of its plan to shut a Virginia processing plant in May, raising concerns among farmers and legal experts about the company’s compliance with antitrust regulations requiring it to give 90 days’ notice before ending a contract. The planned closure of the plant has left […] Read more

File photo of Upside Foods’ chicken product. (Upsidefoods.com)

Lab-grown meat cleared for human consumption by U.S. regulator

FDA's review not technically approval

Washington | Reuters — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the first time cleared a meat product grown from animal cells for human consumption, the agency announced on Wednesday. Upside Foods, a company that makes cell-cultured chicken by harvesting cells from live animals and using the cells to grow meat in stainless-steel tanks, […] Read more