The Aggregate Aggregation V8
Agroecology in the News (Week of March 24, 2025)
Welcome back to The Aggregate Aggregation, our weekly roundup of news and publications that caught our eyes over the last week or so. You can read Volume 7 here.
Another week, another deluge of headlines in the agriculture and food world. In this week’s Digging Deep, we’re encouraged by Civil Eats’ new series, Debates, to open our comments section for civil agroecological debate and conversation. Surface Level explores a variety of research breakthroughs while sharing contemplations on the importance of and threats to agriculture research itself. All that and more, scroll to keep reading!
Digging Deep: civil conversation
This week, Civil Eats announced a new series called Debates, “where two writers express differing views on the same issue.” Their first diptych debates the role of the American Farm Bureau from the perspective of former New York Farm Bureau CEO Deanna Fox and sustainable agriculture journalist Nolan Monaghan.
In times that seem more divisive than ever, conversations like these present opportunities to hear each other and learn where we can build on similarities - similar interests, similar goals, similar aspirations. Here at The Aggregate, we welcome commentary and conversation as pathways towards collaboration and change.
Over to you - Think you have an unpopular opinion or hot take? We’d love to hear. Whether about the Farm Bureau, or other hot-button items like the sustainability of meat consumption, the threats and opportunities of sewage sludge application, or something else, our comments section is open. Let’s get the conversation started.
Leave us a comment to get the conversation started.
Surface Level
👩🌾Women in agriculture
The Growing Number of Female Farmers in the US (Morning Ag Clips). “...The number of male producers has been declining since 2007, when it peaked at 2.3 million. By 2022, that number had fallen to 2.15 million, continuing a downward trajectory. Meanwhile, the share of female producers has grown consistently across every Census—from 30.0% in 2007 to 30.5% in 2012…”
Organic Valley Makes History with First Female CEO, Shawna Nelson (Dairy Herd Management). “Organic Valley, the nation’s largest organic, farmer-owned cooperative, has named Shawna Nelson as its next CEO, effective March 28. Nelson, a Wisconsin native with nearly two decades of experience within the co-op, has grown from intern to executive, demonstrating a deep commitment to Organic Valley’s farmers-first mission.”
Per Food Fix, Nelson is also the first woman to hold this role.
🇺🇸Federal agriculture and food policy updates, and reactions
Keeping up with U.S. food politics (Food Politics). A news round up of DC-level policy headlines from food politics maven Marion Nestle.
USDA’S LATEST RECRUITS (Politico). “USDA chief Brooke Rollins announced a slew of department appointments Friday, many in farmer-facing roles who are responsible for doling out federal resources to producers.”
Also: “The Senate Ag Committee is gearing up to move on confirming Stephen Vaden, Trump’s nominee for deputy USDA secretary.”
Farmers are reeling from Trump’s attacks on agricultural research (Grist). “The government currently allocates approximately $5 billion annually to ag research and development, a figure that grew less than 1 percent annually from 1970 to 2000 before leveling off. Adding at least $2.2 billion per year to that tally would offset the climate-induced slowdown, the paper found. If the current investment trend doesn’t change, the costly impacts of warming, including higher inputs, reduced yields, and supply chain shocks, will result in lower productivity, leading to more government bailouts and increased U.S. reliance on other countries for food, said Cornell University climate and agricultural economist Ariel Ortiz-Bobea. Without action, agricultural productivity is estimated to drop up to 12 percent with each passing year by 2050. This will cost the U.S. economy billions annually… Most of the foundational agricultural research that happens in the United States is through some kind of USDA funding mechanism.”
H-2A Guestworker Program Impacted by Stalled USDA Payments, Cuts to USAID (Civil Eats). “Farmers who received USDA labor grants say they can’t get funding or answers. And, USAID cuts threaten guest worker recruitment more broadly.”
Could Checkoff Programs Be Next on DOGE’s Chopping Block? (Sentient Media). “Today, checkoffs promote a wide range of foods — eggs and pork, and also watermelon and Hass avocados — but a growing number of critics, including farmers, are raising objections to the mandatory payment scheme. Some critics have even called for Elon Musk’s DOGE to curb checkoff programs, yet that kind of cut may not be popular, or legal.”
USDA Delivers on Rural Energy Commitments, Provides Path for Applicants to Support U.S. Energy Independence (USDA Press Release). “U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will release previously obligated funding under the Rural Energy For America Program (REAP), Empowering Rural America (New ERA) and Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) programs… Recipients will have 30 days to review and voluntarily revise their project plans to align with President Trump’s Unleashing American Energy Executive Order issued on January 20, 2025.”
‘It Is Hard to Imagine a More Sweeping Agenda to Make Americans Less Healthy’ (New York Times). “In combination, the steps the administration is taking to slow or even reverse the transition from fossil energy to renewable energy will not only increase the frequency and severity of extreme weather but will also increase pollution that will results in tens of thousands of preventable deaths. No one can claim to be ‘making American [sic] healthier’ while simultaneously increasing the toxins in our air, food and water.” And “Duke University provides a case study of the problems facing higher education institutions that are struggling to maintain research budgets under the Trump administration.”
Does the public trust the food industry? Not so much. (Food Politics).
Navigating Agriculture in Challenging Times (Empire Report Sponsored Content). New York Farm Bureau President David Fisher outlines state and national legislative priorities, expounding specifically on the Farm Bureau’s opposition to tariffs. “As of 2023, the United States is a net agricultural importer. There are many reasons for this sea change, not the least of which is the loss of about 150,000 farms in the past 10 years, including several thousand farms here in New York. That means American farmers cannot always meet demand, which in turn affects food availability and accessibility.”
States move to ban or restrict use of synthetic dyes used in candies and cereal (Associated Press). “West Virginia, which ranks at the bottom in the U.S. for many health metrics, became the first to sign a sweeping statewide ban on seven such dyes this week. Lawmakers in more than 20 states — from deep red West Virginia to heavily Democratic California — are making a bipartisan push to restrict access to the dyes, which have been tied to neurobehavioral problems in some children and of which U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been an outspoken critic.”
🐓As usual: bird flu and eggs
The Bird-Flu Tipping Point (The Atlantic). “There was a moment last year when bird flu was detected in a small number of cattle herds and could have been contained more easily, but the U.S. government basically missed that moment. Now birds, cows, and the rest of us could be at the mercy of government officials who are suspicious of mainstream science… In this episode of Radio Atlantic, we talk with Greg Herbruck, an egg farmer who’s already dealt with millions of deaths in his flocks, and the Atlantic science writer Katie Wu.”
More egg product seizures than fentanyl seizures at the border so far this year (CBS News). “The rise in egg interceptions comes as the U.S. continues to battle an outbreak of avian flu that has devastated the poultry industry and caused a surge in egg prices and shortages in some stores. CBP has said most of the egg product interceptions that have occurred were because people were unaware that they couldn't bring those products across the border.”
Thinking of Raising Backyard Chickens? (Morning Ag Clips). “We warmly invite you to explore an exciting opportunity to learn about raising backyard chickens with the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County… Free class will take place on April 10th from 6 - 7pm on Zoom.”
🔄Everything else that caught our eyes
WEST VIRGINIA’S FOOD DYE BAN (Politico). “The Mountain State’s legislature passed a first-in-the-nation law that, if Republican Gov. Patrick Morrisey signs it, will ban virtually all artificial food dyes as well as preservatives in the state. The ban would take effect Jan. 1, 2028…”
Our Toxic Relationship with Herbicides (Undark Opinion). “Herbicides pose environmental and human health risks but are also an essential tool for controlling invasive plants… This dichotomy puts people dedicated to protecting their local biodiversity in an impossible spot: Do they risk their own health and that of their local ecosystem to effectively control invasive plants using herbicides, or do they let invasive plants smother the native organisms they hold dear? Many managers feel the same way I do; we don’t want to use them, but we feel that there aren’t better options. Even after herbicides are used, invasive plants still dominate many landscapes. Without herbicides, we will be admitting defeat, and invasive plants will spread unchecked far beyond their current boundaries.”
Do Sheep Under Solar Panels Count as Clean Energy? (Ambrook Research). “The Silicon Ranch solar company has plans to install droves of sheep on sites across the country. Do the ecological and community benefits outweigh the methane output?”
The Growing Allure of Insect Poop (Ambrook Research). “We throw out approximately 30 to 40 percent of all the food grown in the U.S. Insects, meanwhile, are happy to munch on our food waste. In turn, their waste can fertilize the soils that grow tomorrow’s tomatoes. This idea — that insects can round the circle of our food supply system — has gone from a dubious proposition to a valued addition in the agriculture community over the last decade.”
Bee Experts Hunt for Cause of Massive Honeybee Die-Offs (Morning Ag Clips). “Cornell University bee experts are analyzing samples of bees and related material to help identify the cause of unprecedented managed honeybee losses this winter. The colony die-offs became apparent as U.S. commercial beekeepers geared up to transport colonies to California, where approximately 70% of the nation’s managed honeybees are trucked to pollinate almonds each year. Average recent losses have been upward of 60% of honeybee colonies, leading to combined financial losses of at least $139 million… due to government staffing cuts and the high expense involved with testing samples for pesticides, USDA staff and commercial beekeepers approached McArt to see if Cornell could handle pesticide analyses.”
How frozen foods can help fight climate change (Food Dive). “Frozen produce could play an important role in helping consumers cut food waste at home. Typically, produce is frozen at its peak ripeness, meaning consumers don’t need to sacrifice quality or flavor.”
A follow up from last week’s announcement that “Tuberville, Colleagues Push for Healthier Food Options for SNAP Participants… The SHOPP Act would give local GusNIP providers the ability to provide frozen fruits and vegetables, which work better for SNAP participants who may live in rural or urban food deserts.”
What Is New World Screwworm? (Morning Ag Clips). “New World Screwworm is a parasitic insect originating from South America, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Cuba. Recently, it has been impacting cattle markets in the U.S. Know the facts and who to contact with concerns.”
Biochar and Microbe Synergy: A Path to Climate-Smart Farming (Morning Ag Clips). “Biochar is a charcoal-like substance made by burning organic waste, such as, generated by forestry and agriculture. Biochar has recently emerged as a “Climate-Smart Agriculture” practice given its potential to improve soil health, nutrient and available water holding capacity, resilience, and agricultural sustainability without the negative environmental consequences associated with traditional fertilizers… Their recent publication in Biochar highlights how biochar supports soil microbes.”
Maps show wildfires burning in the Carolinas as evacuations and emergency declarations prompted (CBS news). “Wildfires that broke out in one North Carolina county have exploded in size, prompting mandatory evacuations as emergency crews fought separate fires in an area still recovering from Hurricane Helene. Meanwhile, in South Carolina, the governor declared an emergency in response to a growing blaze in the Blue Ridge Mountains.” Polk County is an agricultural area near Asheville, NC, and home to almost 300 farms.
What did we miss? Drop a link to your favorite story of the week (or month, or year) in the comments. Tell us why it resonated with you!
What we’re reading
A list of sources the editors at The Aggregate check regularly for our agroecology+ news.