5@5: Iowa farmers take on climate change, receive little support | New grocery shopping habits take hold

Iowa farmers face climate-fueled destruction, while industry says it's 'just weather'

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Purdue has maintained that Iowa's current erratic weather patterns are not driven by climate change. But despite the stark lack of government incentives, many of the state's smaller farmers are now switching to more sustainable growing methods in an effort to prevent soil erosion and increase biodiversity. Read more at Civil Eats…

7 ways the pandemic has changed how we shop for food

Food purchasing trends have gone from pantry hoarding to indulging in comfort food to embarking on culinary adventures like kombucha and sourdough. Amid these swings, there are a few key grocery store changes that experts believe are here for the long term, like more touchless checkout methods and the expansion of private-label brands. Read more at The New York Times…

Mapping Trump’s food boxes: More than 1,000 counties received no aid in May and June, while some organizations received 9 truckloads a day

USDA's food box program, in addition to overpaying contractors and failing to meet its initial goals, has been incredibly inconsistent in terms of deliveries. Over 1,000 counties were skipped over entirely in May and June while others received more food boxes than they could handle—sometimes up to nine deliveries a day. Read more at The Counter…

Investor interest in meat alternative biotech booms

There are more startups in the global alternative meat industry than ever before, and, surprisingly, there has been plenty of capital throughout the pandemic to fuel their growth. However, food biotech companies still face challenges with regard to pricing and public image. Read more at LabioTech…

Amazon bans sale of foreign seeds

Thousands of Americans received suspicious packages of seeds they didn't order over the past few months, and a USDA investigation has tentatively determined that they are part of a "brushing" scam and pose no immediate risk. But the scare did underscore how large and unregulated the e-commerce seed industry is. One major seller of such products, Amazon, has consequently announced it will ban the sale of all imported seeds on its marketplace. Read more at Modern Farmer…