Natural, Organic Food Sales on the Rise

Once was a niche product category, natural and organic foods have now become a thriving sector.

Column: Meat Producers Will Bounce Back – Eventually

If anyone needed a reminder that meat producers are cyclical businesses, fourth quarter results provided it. Across the space, profits deteriorated at a shocking pace. For Brazil’s JBS SA, the world’s largest food company by …

Major Cultivated Meat Innovation Unveiled

The cultivated meat category may have just become considerably more viable. Consider: Foodtech innovator Ever After Foods has launched a bioreactor platform that it said increases the pace of production 700% compared with other cultivated …

Avocado Volumes Rebound in First Weeks of 2023

Volumes of Hass avocados in the U.S. were up 16.5% year-to-date as of Feb. 19, according to the Hass Avocado Board.

Resurgence of Avian Influenza Predicted in Spring

The USDA predicted a resurgence of avian influenza in spring as wild birds begin their semiannual migration.

Weakened Chicken Demand Pummels Tyson

Tyson Foods’ first quarter earnings missed Wall Street estimates as improved beef and pork supplies weakened demand for chicken, the company said. And chief financial officer John R. Tyson said the next quarter also will …

Breakfast Costs Continue to Climb

Americans may have to start rethinking breakfast as eggs flirt with $5 a dozen and with orange juice prices set to jump because of a poor Florida citrus crop and low cold storage stocks. “Even …

2023 Cattle Prices Could Reach Records

Fed cattle prices are expected to range from $150 to $172 per hundredweight, averaging $158 for the year, up $14 from last year.

COLUMN: Why Vertical Farming Is the Future of Produce

Vertical farming can play a pivotal role to reduce the carbon footprint and provide a sustainable alternative for consumers.

Chicken or the Egg? HPAI’s Impact on Pricing

On the surface, the appearance of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in 2022 should have pushed prices up for both chicken and eggs at an equal level. But anyone keeping an eye on supermarket shelves …

Shortages of Potatoes, Onions Send Industry Scrambling

Bad potato and onion crops, coupled with cost and availability issues, may have consumers hearing, “You want zucchini sticks with that burger?” Portillo’s CEO Michael Osanloo said supplies of onion rings and French fries have …

Atmospheric Rivers Deluge California, Yet Drought Persists

Atmospheric rivers have deluged California in recent weeks, dumping 8.61 inches on the San Francisco area since December 26, yet drought persists.

Analyst: U.S. Egg Industry in ‘Unprecedented Times’

The U.S. egg industry is in “unprecedented times” as the threat of avian influenza continues to impact prices and availability. That’s according to Eggs Unlimited Global Trade Strategist Brian Moscogiuri, who told The Food Institute …

Survey Shows Farmers Optimistic at 2023’s Outset

The latest Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer Index finds farmers turned more optimistic as 2022 drew to a close.

The Zero-e Pineapple Has Arrived

Produce is a low-margin, high-risk industry. Hans Sauter would know – he’s been in the produce game for over 35 years. He’s not only Senior Vice President of Research and Development for Fresh Del Monte, …

Storms Ease California Drought, for the Moment

California officials fear the recent spate of storms that eased the area’s severe drought conditions may, actually, simply be a prelude to drier weather, the Los Angeles Times reported. David Rizzardo, hydrology section manager for …

Meet the Two Biggest Enemies of Indoor Farming

Getting the vertical farming industry to reach its objectives will require much collaboration and benchmarking, industry insiders note.

Ag Roundup: Brazil’s Record Grain Crop, Inflation Impacts Organic

Brazilian officials said the country’s grain crop is expected to hit a record 312.2 million tons, up 15% from last year, Reuters reported. The estimate, however, was lower than previous projections. The government food and …

American Aquaculture Catching On

The new year represents a key juncture for American aquaculture. Kai Sato has observed the evolving industry long enough to know that. “Each year the U.S. becomes a more viable market for aquaculture entrepreneurs to …

Analysis: Coffee Prices to Level Out Amid Inflation Setbacks

With inflation remaining steady, many companies currently face dilemmas. Some are doing everything in their power to absorb the higher operating costs and to keep their prices down. Others, however, have been able to pass …

Understanding the Snow Crab Crisis

The cancelation of the Alaskan snow crab season has upended an entire chain of fishing, restaurant, grocery, and wholesale industries with one of its seasonal (and most delicious) mainstays.

Bird Flu Cull Surpasses 2015

More than 52 million birds in 46 states have been culled so far this year due to highly pathogenic avian influenza, topping the record set in 2015, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service …

Experts: Weather-Related Disasters Increasing, Taking Toll on Food Industry

As of October 11, the U.S. has experienced a total of 15 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters this year, making 2022 the eighth consecutive year with 10 or more billion-dollar weather and climate-related disasters.

Column: Why Vertical Farming Stocks are Struggling

Few sectors have been more impacted by the boom/bust cycle than vertical farming stocks in recent years.

Infarm Grows Wheat Indoors in Food Security Breakthrough

Amsterdam-based startup Infarm has become the first vertical farming company to successfully grow wheat indoors.

Diesel Shortage Chokes Transportation from the Farm Gate

The well-documented diesel shortage in America is understandably causing concern across the country. But to what extent is the shortage cause for alarm for farmers and consumers alike? Opinions vary. From the pandemic, to the …

Experts: Huge Opportunities Exist in Tech-enabled Ag

As agriculture moves towards automation, what technologies and best practices will lead the way? In a recent FI webinar, Agritecture founder and CEO Henry Gordon-Smith and Tortuga AgTech CEO Eric Adamson outlined the current state of ag tech.

Talking Turkey: Inflation Altering Thanksgiving Spending

The effects of the COVID pandemic, continuing labor shortages and higher transportation costs, as well as drought and outbreaks of avian influenza, will impact Thanksgiving spending, sending turkey prices up more than 70% compared with …

Modular, Climate-Controlled Farming Hits Ohio

Square Roots and Gordon Food Service partnered to open a climate-controlled farming facility inside a Springfield, Ohio, distribution center.

Florida Citrus Industry Faces Uphill Battle after Hurricane Ian

The impacts of Hurricane Ian are still being analyzed, but one thing is certain: the Florida citrus industry’s losses will be staggering. That’s according to The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, …

‘Never Seen Anything Like This’: HPAI Has Affected 47M Birds So Far

One university research scientist said the bird flu outbreak of 2022 is unprecedented, and the outbreak shows no signs of stopping any time soon.

WATCH: Extreme Weather Continues to Threaten Supplies

Extreme weather events are making their impact felt across the globe, and that’s putting a strain on global food production and distribution.

Hurricane Ian Takes Toll on Florida Agriculture

Florida’s citrus industry appears to have borne the brunt of Hurricane Ian. Reports from the region indicate that the damage could potentially be worse than after Hurricane Irma, which cut Florida citrus production by a …

Texas’s First Vertical Farm Company Unveils New Facility

In the Dallas exurb of Cleburne, Eden Green Technology today unveiled a nearly $50 million farming facility that’s unique to the area – a facility with leafy greens stacked from floor to ceiling. Eden Green …

WEEKEND UPDATE: Hurricane Ian’s Impacts on Food Industry Likely Far-Reaching

Editor’s note: Article updated on 9/30: Hurricane Ian regained strength as it reached the Atlantic Ocean as the weekend approached, and the storm began moving toward the Carolinas as a Category 1 storm. Meanwhile, recovery …

Second Wave of Bird Flu Hitting US, Canada

Highly pathogenic avian influenza was reported in five turkey flocks in the U.S. in September, among eight outbreaks reported in the U.S. and Canada.