News & Commentary

Funding the Government for FY2024, Part 1: The State of Play

August 29, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, Washington, D.C.Kyle T. Jones

In part 1, I summarize the overarching state of the federal appropriations process right now.

Funding the Government for FY2024, Part 2: Calamity in the House

August 29, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, Washington, D.C.Kyle T. Jones

In part 2, I review the shoddy work of the House of Representatives.

Funding the Government for FY2024, Part 3: The Senate to the Rescue?

August 29, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, Washington, D.C.Kyle T. Jones

In part 3, I examine the more respectable work of the Senate and conclude with potential next steps.

CDFA Soil Biodiversity Report: A Path to Protecting Our Living Soils

August 17, 2023 Expert BlogWashington, D.C.Dr. Daniel Rath, Arohi Sharma

Soil biodiversity is both vital to our farms and under threat, and a new California report outlines paths forward for protecting it.

Lessons from the Field: Milan’s Food Waste Hubs

August 8, 2023 Expert BlogWashington, D.C.Madeline Keating, Andrea Collins

Replicating international solutions for food waste reduction across cities

A Farm Bill Worth Fighting For

August 2, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, Washington, D.C.Allison Johnson, Valerie Baron, Matthew Kaplan

We need a good Farm Bill – that advances climate, health, and worker protections – not one that turns back the clock.

Poll Shows 82% of People Support Incentives to Farmers for Soil Health

July 18, 2023 Expert BlogWashington, D.C.Lara Bryant, Matthew Kaplan, Dr. Daniel Rath, Claire O'Connor

 Most Americans agree that global warming is a crisis that deserves our attention and action. 

Organic Needs a Boost in the Farm Bill

July 12, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, California, Iowa, Washington, D.C.Allison Johnson

Our public investments in organic food production have not kept pace with the organic sector’s growth – and that’s a missed opportunity for domestic economic development. The Opportunities in Organic Act would help U.S. farms meet consumer demand by reducing…

COVER Act Will Modernize Crop Insurance

May 18, 2023 Expert BlogWashington, D.C.Lara Bryant

The COVER Act, led by Senator Brown (D-OH) and Representative Sean Casten (D-IL), is a bipartisan bill that offers farmers a $5 per acre good stewardship discount on crop insurance if they plant cover crops to improve their soil health.

EPA: Neonics Likely Driving 200+ Species Toward Extinction

May 15, 2023 Expert BlogWashington, D.C.Lucas Rhoads

U.S. EPA's unprecedented findings confirm that widespread neonic pesticide use threatens critical pollinators, other wildlife, and whole ecosystems. 

NWF Poll: 78% of Farmers Support Crop Insurance Incentives for Cover Crops

May 4, 2023 Expert BlogWashington, D.C.Dr. Daniel Rath, Claire O'Connor, Lara Bryant

Public Land Grab: Senate Bill Gifts Miners Pass to Pollute

April 28, 2023 Expert BlogWest, Nevada, Idaho, United StatesJosh Axelrod

Senators Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-NV) and Jim Risch (R-ID) have introduced legislation that makes it easier for mining companies and others to acquire rights to federal land and to be able to use them as dumping grounds and worse. The legislation…

2023 Farm Bill Can Help Address Climate Crisis

March 28, 2023 Expert BlogWashington, D.C.Dr. Daniel Rath, Nina Sevilla, Allison Johnson

With the upcoming Farm Bill, Congress has the chance to make the economy-wide investments in our food system that the IPCC report states are necessary if we are to combat climate change.

Cover Crops for Every Climate

February 17, 2023 Expert BlogWest, Midwest, East, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Idaho, New Mexico, TexasLara Bryant, Dr. Daniel Rath

Cover crops are adaptable, valuable, and effective enough that farmers can benefit from them in every region of the United States—even cold or dry areas.

Celebrating Mid-Atlantic and Southeast Food Matters Cohorts

December 9, 2022 Expert BlogBaltimore, Jersey City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C.Madeline Keating, Darby Hoover

This month, we mark the successful completion of our two-year partnerships with the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast cohorts. Our work with Great Lakes cities will continue in 2023.

Dispatch from South America: MUFPP and C40 Conferences

November 15, 2022 Expert BlogBrazil, Argentina, Chicago, Cincinnati, Washington, D.C.Yvette Cabrera, Madeline Keating

Why Congress Must Pass the Climate Bill

July 29, 2022 Expert BlogUnited States, Washington, D.C.Manish Bapna

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 is the strongest congressional climate action yet—in the moment we need it most.

Top Climate Elements in Senate Budget Reconciliation

July 29, 2022 Expert BlogUnited States, Washington, D.C.Derek Murrow, Amanda Levin

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 will reduce greenhouse gas and other pollutants by giving people clean energy choices at low cost reduce household and business energy bills.

FDA's New Report on Animal Antibiotics Ignores Public Health

July 13, 2022 Expert BlogWashington, D.C., United StatesDavid Wallinga, MD

Amid a decades-long concern about widespread U.S. antibiotic overuse in livestock, the FDA continues ignoring the public health need to track and make that use visible.

Celebrating Year One of the Food Matters Regional Initiative

August 30, 2021 Expert BlogChicago, Cincinnati, Detroit, Madison, Ohio, Baltimore, Jersey City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, North Carolina, Memphis, OrlandoMadeline Keating, Darby Hoover

A year after the launch of the Food Matters Regional Initiative, we are pleased to report considerable progress and accomplishments from the 15 regional initiative participants.