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The key to reducing the growing U.S. dependence on imported fruit and vegetables is greater investment in controlled environment agriculture – a form of high-tech, glass-enclosed hydroponic production – according to witnesses who testified on Capitol Hill Thursday.

Some of the largest and most influential American farm groups are uniting to make their voices heard on reforming trade rules of the World Trade Organization as the institution prepares for its upcoming 12th Ministerial Conference.

President Joe Biden is pushing new rail regulations that lower rates for ag shippers, but the railroads say the rules designed to spur competition among major railroads would increase their costs and ultimately backfire on customers.

U.S. poultry has only regained access to the Chinese chicken market for about a year and a half, but trade is booming and the U.S. was the number-one supplier to China in the last two months of 2020.

The U.S. needs to take enforcement action under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement to address Mexico’s continued refusal to approve genetically modified crop traits and counter Mexico’s threat to ban GMO corn from the human food supply, Biotechnology Innovation Organization President and CEO Michelle McMurry-Heath told lawmakers Tuesday.

Senate negotiators look to finalize and advance a bipartisan infrastructure bill this week, while the House debates a package of appropriations that would sharply increase funding for USDA, EPA and other departments and agencies important to agriculture.

The American Farm Bureau Federation is sounding the alarm over potential duties on fertilizer imports from Russia and Trinidad and Tobago, two major suppliers being investigated by the U.S. government over claims of market-distorting subsidies.

The next leader of the Agriculture Department’s Foreign Agricultural Service was among a handful of staff announcements from Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack Wednesday morning.

The leader of the UN Food Systems Summit says the initiative aims to get countries to reform their own food systems in ways that address climate change, hunger and other pressing challenges, rather than enabling countries to impose their practices on other nations.

Senate Democrats are proposing a tariff on carbon-intensive imports that critics say could increase farm production costs and invite retaliation by countries that would see the tax as unfairly protectionist.