United States Department Of Agriculture
The Trump Administration Will Pay Farmers $16 Billion for Its Trade War
The announcement comes amid criticism of farm subsidies, which exceed revenue Trump has taken in from tariffs on Chinese imports.
The Trump Administration Admits Its Change to SNAP Eligibility Could Worsen Food Insecurity for Millions of People
The rule would slash benefits for those families that do not quite meet the program's poverty threshold, but are still food insecure.
The USDA Gives Fewer Loans to Women and Minority Farmers, a Government Watchdog Finds
Women and minority farmers and ranchers receive disproportionately less credit than their white male counterparts.
New Research Shows SNAP Recipients Are a Benefit to—Not a Drain on—Rural Economies
The roughly 40 million Americans who use food assistance programs are also helping to create jobs.
The Trump Administration Wants to Deny SNAP Benefits to Parents Who Don't Pay Child Support
Experts believe the change would result in more low-income families going without food assistance.
Are Meat Substitutes Meat? Several States Say No.
North Dakota is the latest state to restrict the use of the term in food labeling to protect its livestock industry.
African-American Farmers Make Up Less Than 2 Percent of All U.S. Farmers
A new report finds that racial discrimination within USDA programs is responsible for this decline.
Forty-Seven Senators Oppose the Trump Administration's Proposed SNAP Restrictions
In a letter, the lawmakers urge the USDA to reconsider a proposed rule that would make it harder for able-bodied adults without children to receive food assistance.
New York City Public Schools Will Go Meatless on Mondays
The Meatless Monday campaign has done what federal nutrition policy has not: ban meat—at least for a day.
Research Shows Alabama's Drug Testing Bill Would Harm Those SNAP Is Supposed to Help
SNAP has become more vulnerable under Trump. Alabama's law could test how far the administration is willing to go to destabilize the program.
Should the Federal Dietary Guidelines Consider Sustainability?
Four years ago, the meat industry killed efforts to include the environmental impact of the food we eat. New reports say the issue won't resurface in 2020.
Getting More Low-Income Americans to Breastfeed Would Lead to Health-Care Savings Down the Line
It would cost about $250 million to get an additional 650,000 low-income Americans to breastfeed as much as experts recommend, but it would save families and the health-care system $1.5 billion, a study finds.
Why the USDA Wants to Put Whole Milk Back in School Lunches
The fight between public-health concerns and the food industry's needs will play out on school lunch menus—again.
What Will the U.S. Government Do With 1.4 Billion Pounds of Cheese?
The USDA's support of the dairy industry has changed the American diet and welfare state forever.
The Trump Administration Wants to Restrict SNAP to Increase Employment. Research Says That Won't Work.
The vast majority of poor, able-bodied adults without dependents using SNAP are employed—and for those who aren't, cracking down on benefits is not likely to help.
Wisconsin Will Now Require Drug Tests for SNAP Recipients. What Does That Mean for the Program's Future?
A political scientist says restrictions on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program could see challenges in 2019.
The USDA Will Release a Final Rule on Labeling GMO Foods
A rule requiring companies to disclose genetically modified ingredients is being finalized this week.
Hurricane Michael Was the Most Devastating Disaster Florida's Farmers Have Seen in Decades
The storm wiped out nearly a million acres of crops and caused $158 million in agricultural losses.
Behind the Partisan Fight to Eliminate the Country's Largest Conservation Program
With Congress at an impasse, sustainability advocates worry the farm bill could cut funds for conservation and give more to agriculture's biggest polluters.
What Will Happen Now That the Farm Bill Has Expired?
The current farm bill expired on Sunday, putting the debate over key USDA programs that protect public health and the environment on hold.
Going Down the Rabbit Hole of Deceit
An advocacy group uncovers shocking conditions in the country’s largest rabbit processing plant, raising questions about why the USDA and its Humane Slaughter Act do nothing to protect a whole class of animals.
