U.S. Department of Agriculture Archives

FDA approves no-kill, lab-grown meat created from animal cells

November 17, 2022

For the first time, the FDA has given the green light for a U.S. company to produce lab-grown meat, or meat created from animal cells without slaughtering the actual animal. Upside Foods, a food technology start-up based out of California, sought the FDA’s approval.

There’s a specific process to creating this type of meat. First, scientists extract a biopsy from a living animal. They place those cells into tanks where the cells are fed nutrients, like fats sugars and vitamins, which help them multiply. When the cells grow big enough, they can be moved into larger reactors and eventually harvested like normal raw meat.

The FDA said the world is experiencing a food revolution and that it is committed to supporting innovation in the food supply. Americans are the largest consumers of meat on the planet. Each American eats more than 220 pounds of it each year, according to the latest USDA forecast.

Advocates believe cultured meat will reduce the need to slaughter animals at a time where livestock accounts for about 14.5% of total greenhouse gas emissions, according to experts.

Upside Foods will only be able to start selling its products, made from cultured meat cells, after its facilities get inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Midwest drought drying up Mississippi and supply chain

October 31, 2022

The mighty Mississippi River is bottoming out. Barges are grounding on sandbars or getting stuck in dry ports that are usually flowing with water. Now, workers are dredging the river to make it deeper for shipping vessels all to try and keep goods flowing.

Nearly 82 percent of the country is facing at least abnormally dry conditions. And the midwest drought is drying up the Mississippi’s tributary which serves as a critical freight artery for the country.

“The water levels will slowly decrease along most of the Mississippi River because we haven’t had any substantial rain in a large portion of the basin for a fair amount of time.”

Jonathan Remo is the associate professor and program director of Environmental Resource and Policy PH. D. program at Southern Illinois University. He’s been studying the Mississippi for twenty years. He said the Mississippi has now broken the record low, at negative 10.75 feet, beating the previous record set in 1988.

“What is novel about this year is it happening earlier so we’re in October these lows usually happen in November, December, January is when we usually see the lowest lows”, Remo said.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s weekly transportation report, southbound barge tonnage, or the weight of their cargo, was reduced on the river by more than 20%. The move was an effort to keep America’s vital waterway active.

Remo said this is important because, “We move 500 million tons of commodities down the Mississippi River, primarily agricultural commodities. Number one being soybeans. Number two being corn. There’s also a lot of fuel that moves up and down the river.”

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, commodities moved by barge down the Mississippi include 47% of all U.S. grain, 35% of its thermal coal, and 5.4 million barrels of crude oil.

The cost of sending goods is also increasing. According to the USDA, one ton of corn, soybeans or other grains from St. Louis to southern Louisiana, has more than tripled in the last year. And in just the last month, it’s doubled. The price went from $50 a ton to over $100 a ton.

Experts have said those supply chain costs will be passed on to consumers.

“There would be large economic impacts, especially to the central portion of the country. But it wouldn’t shut down the total country, because we still have rail and trucks. But it does make it more expensive to move these commodities…which would probably increase prices”, Remo said.
Federal debt relief for farmers draws comparisons to student loan forgiveness

October 19, 2022

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it will provide $1.3 billion in debt relief for about 36,000 farmers across the country. The relief will be funded by the Inflation Reduction Act that Congress passed back in August. USDA officials said farmers and ranchers have faced incredibly tough circumstances over the past few years and that this move will provide a fresh start.

“The funding included in today’s announcement helps keep our farmers farming and provides a fresh start for producers in challenging positions,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said.

The announcement came just weeks after the Biden administration enacted its own plan to cancel the debt of millions of student borrowers, a move the right has continued to criticize.

However, some Republican politicians who have previously criticized Biden’s student loan program would not respond to questions about whether they support the farm loan help, according to the Associated Press.

While many on social media have drawn the comparison between the two relief plans, there is one key distinction: The USDA debt relief for farmers is backed by $3.1 billion set aside by Congress, while the student debt relief signed into law by President Biden was approved with the stroke of a pen.

The USDA said this relief plan for farmers is just a first step and that it will provide further assistance to those hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Midwest drought drying up Mississippi and supply chain

Certified unbiased reporting

Transparent and credible

Newsletter

Stay connected

FDA approves no-kill, lab-grown meat created from animal cells

Midwest drought drying up Mississippi and supply chain

Federal debt relief for farmers draws comparisons to student loan forgiveness