Food Could Upend Upcoming Elections

Voters will be listening closely to what candidates say in addressing inflation and food supply challenges in upcoming elections worldwide.

Sugar Production Isn’t Looking So Sweet

Global sugar prices are up, and sugar production isn’t looking so sweet as we move into a new crop year starting Oct. 1.

Is the Greenwashing Wave Crashing?

In the age of transparency, nearly half (45%) of shoppers have heard of greenwashing and one-third (33%) are skeptical of green labels and sustainability claims.

The Slow, Rewarding, Delicious Business of Branded Apples

The American apple harvest could reach 250 million bushels this year, a 1.5% increase from 2022. Branded apple varieties account for 15% to 20% of apple sales.

Beef Prices Hitting New Highs at Retail and Restaurants

Domestic beef prices continue to reach new highs. Retail beef prices hit another record high in August, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting a price of $8.31 per lb., according to Wells Fargo analysis …

Drought Sending Pasta Prices Soaring

Pasta, that quick, go-to meal for hungry and cash-strapped college students and busy parents, is no longer the inexpensive choice it once was, with prices for noodles up 8% in the U.S. and 12% in …

More Diners Looking for Sushi Fix at Grocery Stores

Consumers are turning toward grocery store sushi when looking for a healthier snack or quick meal but don’t want to pay restaurant prices.

FI First Look: Revolutionary New Tech in Egg Production; Midwest Farms Endure Heatwave

In-ovo sexing, a technology that promises to make egg production more efficient, has been rolled out in Europe and Innovate Animal Ag is pushing for its adoption in the U.S. Innovate Animal Ag, a nonprofit …

Growing Up – CEA & The Future of Indoor Farming

What’s next for the controlled environment agriculture (CEA) space after a spate of bankruptcies and rising inflation?

Will the Government’s New Farm Relief Bill Function?

In the past, the sheer bureaucracy of requesting emergency relief has led to several administrative changes, causing delays, confusion, and more than a little fiscal frustration for those providing many of the common produce staples in grocery and retail.

The High-Tech Future of Food Production

The world is getting hotter, impacting every aspect of food production. Animals are overheating. Extreme temperatures are scorching crops. Does the future of food depend on high-tech solutions? How sows and cows stay cool Livestock …

Scientists Fear Next Pandemic Could Come from Pigs, Hogs

Americans may think the dangers of a COVID-like pandemic originating in the U.S. are remote, but scientists warn that may not be the case since the U.S. boasts the largest number of human cases of …

What’s Up with Watermelon? Prices, for Starters

While food inflation seems to be cooling in the aggregate, watermelon prices remain red hot. That’s according to Mintec, a market intelligence company, which recently reported prices had surged 49% in mid-July when compared to …

Sugarflation Frustration

The term “sugarflation” could soon become part of the global lexicon. Everything from candy and soft drinks to baked goods are likely to become more expensive in the second half of 2023 – sugar prices …

Analyzing the Dairy Industry’s Imbalance Issue

Demand for fluid milk continues to drop, forcing dairy farmers to dump milk, some of it winding up in the Milwaukee sewer system. Food Processing recently reported truckloads of milk were dumped into the Milwaukee …

EVs Can Galvanize Farming and Agriculture

Today’s smart vehicles and robotics can do everything from operate autonomous implements in the field to monitor crucial silo volume and quality data, make precision adjustments to spraying and irrigation, and even assess crop and animal health. And that’s just scratching the surface.

Innovative Agrifoodtech Startups Abound in Latin America

Latin America is known for being one of the most biodiverse regions in the world and, therefore, the main supplier of all kinds of F&B items, such as meat, coffee, soy, and cacao. At present, …

Experts: El Nino (and Food Industry Upheaval) is Coming

Everyone knows “El Nino” by now – hot weather. Big winds. And once again in 2023, much of the world will gain a better grasp of this unpredictable meteorological phenomenon. El Nino generally refers to …

Analysis: Why Coffee Remains Inflation-proof

Inflation is causing consumers to rethink spending in numerous ways. Coffee, however, is one category that remains untouchable. Coffee, after all, is an affordable luxury. “Despite cutting down on dining out or travel, you can …

Meat Producers Look For A Bottom — And For Answers

The cycle has turned against meat producers with a perhaps unprecedented vengeance. In response, investors and industry participants face two key questions. First, when does the cycle turn? More importantly, what can meat producers do …

Beef Prices Expected to Stay High

A quick trip to the grocery store’s meat aisle confirms beef prices are at record highs as packers scramble to find higher grade cattle.

Meet the Hottest New Vegetable: the Zucchiolo

The zucchiolo, a cross between a cucumber and a zucchini, is the hottest new vegetable in Europe. Is a North American invasion of the zucchiolo next?

Salmon Has Become the ‘Ground Beef of the Seafood Department’

How important is salmon to the seafood case? 210 Analytics principal Anne-Marie Roerink answered that question via an interesting analogy in an e-mail to The Food Institute: “salmon has become the ground beef of the …

Shrimp: The New Seafood Value Proposition

When it comes to seafood, shrimp is, well, no shrimp. While other seafood prices have been on the upswing since the pandemic era, shrimp prices have remained affordable and stable, providing value opportunities for savvy …

The State of Wagyu in America

Wagyu often tops restaurateurs’ dinner menus as the cut de la creme, the luxurious and bougie beef, the apex protein for the apex predator armed with a sharp knife, a crisp vegetable, and an appetite for the sublime.

Analysts: Global Rice Shortage Likely to Last for Months

The ramifications of weather and war have resulted in a global rice shortage, which could be among the worst in nearly a quarter century. Rice production for 2023 appears destined for a severe shortfall. “The …

Free-Range Eggs to Return Soon

Free-range eggs returned to store shelves in the U.K., a sign that the bird flu outbreak has abated enough for the government to reduce the risk level to medium.

California Strawberry Crop “at the Mercy of Mother Nature”

The California strawberry crop is “at the mercy of Mother Nature” this year, but production should reach normal levels by the summer. That’s according to Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute Sector Manager Brad Rubin, who noted …

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.