News
Why Capitalism Relies on Nature and Care Work It Does Not Pay For
9+ hour, 11+ min ago (1429+ words) Modern economies depend on unpriced ecosystem functions and undervalued care and reproductive labor'essential inputs that are difficult to commodify. This tension helps explain environmental degradation, social strain, and the limits of market systems. This article was produced for the Observatory…...
'Product of USA' becomes a real standard enforced by USDA
1+ day, 12+ hour ago (292+ words) A new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) rule has officially transformed "Product of USA" into a verifiable, high-integrity standard. As of Jan. 1, the label, "Product of USA," is now a real standard for meat, poultry, and egg products, closing a policy…...
The next frontier of climate accountability: Making Big Food pay its ecological bill
2+ mon, 2+ week ago (308+ words) The "polluter pays" principle transformed the energy industry half a century ago. Now, as industrial agriculture drives climate breakdown, deforestation, and water scarcity, experts say it's time to apply the same rule to our food systems'and make corporations, not consumers,…...
Instacart algorithms drive secret grocery price hikes
3+ mon, 3+ week ago (974+ words) New report finds algorithm driven tests can charge shoppers up to 23 percent more for the same cart. A new investigation has revealed that Instacart, one of the largest grocery delivery platforms in the United States, is quietly running algorithm driven…...
Starbucks ignores worker demands at its peril
3+ mon, 4+ week ago (729+ words) Baristas have launched the largest strike in their company's history and are standing firm until their demands are met. Thousands of baristas at nearly 100 Starbucks locations are on strike this holiday season, picketing outside the iconic cafes for a contract....
Shutdown deal buries federal food safety rules amid rising outbreaks
4+ mon, 2+ week ago (814+ words) A funding bill to avert a government shutdown includes industry backed provisions that halt key FDA protections even as foodborne illnesses surge across the United States. A new emergency spending bill passed by the Senate contains provisions that block or…...
Federal court invalidates 'loopholes' in GMO labeling lawsuit
4+ mon, 3+ week ago (237+ words) The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals invalidated the "loophole" in the U.S. National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard that left out foods like oils and sugars from mandatory labeling. The court rulings also upheld a prior 2022 district court decision that found that…...
USDA warning to grocers deepens SNAP crisis as Trump defies court orders
4+ mon, 4+ week ago (286+ words) As federal judges order the administration to pay out frozen food benefits, the USDA warns grocery stores not to offer discounts to millions of hungry Americans caught in the shutdown, citing the "Equal Treatment Rule." More than 42 million Americans rely…...
California to phase out ultra-processed food in schools by 2035
5+ mon, 1+ week ago (200+ words) California will become the first state to phase out some ultra-processed food at school. The new law was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom last week at Belvedere Middle School in Los Angeles and prohibits public schools from serving this type…...
Agriculture’s emissions from fertilizing ‘continuous corn’ crops fueling climate crisis
5+ mon, 3+ week ago (377+ words) The new report, which focused on four Corn Belt states, found corn to be "the most nitrogen-fertilizer-intensive crop in the U.S. and accounts for more than two-thirds of all nitrogen fertilizer use nationwide." A new Environmental Working Group analysis shows the…...