Each week, Food Tank is rounding up a few news stories that inspire excitement, infuriation, or curiosity.
USDA Releases Final Report Assessing Food Insecurity
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released its Household Food Security Report, finding that 47.9 million people lived in food-insecure households in 2024, an increase of about 500,000 people from the prior year. The report shows that roughly one in seven U.S. households experienced food insecurity, including more than 14 million children.
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the findings represent the highest prevalence of food insecurity in the U.S. in nearly a decade.
The Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) warns that the situation is “a crisis that is set to deepen” as households face the impacts of reductions to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The annual report is the “gold standard” for assessing U.S. food insecurity and constitutes the most comprehensive tool available for nationally representative and state-level food insecurity data, according to FRAC President Crystal FitzSimons.
But the Trump–Vance Administration has announced that this will be the USDA’s final annual Household Food Security Report. Joseph Llobrera of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities says the decision means losing a “one of a kind data source.”
High Urban Costs Push Young Senegalese Toward Farming
Africa, the world’s fastest-urbanizing region, is seeing cities expand at an average rate of 3.5 percent per year, according to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies. But a recent PBS article reports that rising living costs and limited job opportunities are pushing more young Senegalese to leave cities and return to farming.
Filly Mangassa, a Senegalese farmer, said his family initially viewed his decision to return to the countryside as “a step back,” reflecting long-standing perceptions of agriculture. PBS reports that those views are shifting as new technologies and support programs make farming more viable. After presenting a business plan, Mangassa gained family support, secured land, and now grows peanuts, corn, vegetables, and fruit.
The World Food Programme launched a program in 2023 that has helped more than 61,000 people in Senegal start farms and diversify crops. One participant, 24-year-old Adama Sane, left Dakar after struggling as a construction worker and now raises poultry and peppers. “Discovering agriculture saved my life,” Sane says.
Senegal’s Agriculture Minister has said agriculture and livestock are the only sectors capable of creating jobs at the scale young people need.
A New Initiative in Nigeria Could Help Young People Scale Agroecology
The Enugu State government in Nigeria has launched a new initiative to strengthen agroecology among young people. The program will be led by 75 young people from various agricultural organizations, who will work to build networks and improve access to the state’s agricultural resources.
The initiative was announced during a capacity-building workshop organized by the state government in partnership with the South Saharan Social Development Organisation (SSDO) and ActionAid Nigeria. SSDO Head of Programme Udochukwu Egwim says that many agriculture groups in Enugu are “operating in silos,” limiting coordination and awareness of existing programs.
The new effort aims to improve collaboration among agroecology groups, civil society organizations, development partners, and government agencies to help scale practices that support farmers and the environment, Egwim says.
Peruvian Pollinators Are First Insects to Gain Legal Rights
Stingless bees in the Peruvian Amazon have become the first insects in the world to gain legal rights after two municipalities passed new ordinances recognizing their protection. The bees help sustain biodiversity and ecosystem health, with more than 175 species found in Peru, many long cultivated by Indigenous communities.
Rosa Vásquez Espinoza, founder of Amazon Research International, calls stingless bees “key to life in the Amazon,” citing their role in supporting crops and forest regeneration. But the insects face mounting threats from climate change, deforestation, pesticide use, and competition from European and African honeybees.
The ordinances, adopted in Satipo and Nauta, recognize the bees’ right to exist and flourish in a healthy environment and allow humans to file lawsuits on their behalf.
Constanza Prieto, Latin American director at the Earth Law Center, says the laws mark “a turning point in our relationship with nature” by recognizing stingless bees as rights-bearing subjects. Indigenous groups, conservationists, and researchers are now working to expand similar protections nationwide.
New Dietary Guidelines for Americans Unveiled
The Trump–Vance administration has released the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, urging people to cut back on highly processed foods with added sugar and sodium while emphasizing whole foods, including full-fat dairy and red meat.
Updated every five years, the Guidelines shape school meals, medical advice, and federal nutrition programs. At the Guidelines’ unveiling, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said, “My message is clear: Eat real food.”
The Guidelines continue to prioritize fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and call for limits on processed foods, sugars, artificial flavors, and dyes linked to diet-related disease. They mark a shift from past advice by encouraging full-fat dairy and calling for “ending the war on healthy fats,” while still recommending limits on saturated fat.
The update also promotes higher protein intake, including red meat, drawing concern from experts including Dariush Mozaffarian of Tufts University, who says Americans already consume enough red meat. Dr. Walter Willett of Harvard University has warned the guidance could promote diets that are less healthy for people and the planet.
How We’ll Eat in 2026, According to Kim Severson
In a New York Times article on food trends for the year ahead, national food correspondent Kim Severson writes that “the game has changed.” Drawing on interviews with market researchers, food executives, restaurateurs, and cooks, Severson says 2026 will be defined by strategic consumption. Eaters are turning to protein shakes and superfood bowls to meet nutrition goals while also returning to traditional, home-cooked foods.
Severson names vinegar the ingredient of the year and “value” the word of the year, noting that consumers are becoming more selective and want spending to feel worthwhile in quality and experience. The article also points to a growing emphasis on sensory dining, as chefs focus on color, aroma, texture, and lighting to counteract automation and constant digital engagement.
She also reports increased interest in locally sourced foods, including backyard and regional ingredients such as pawpaws, juneberries, and bison.
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Photo courtesy of Cícero R. C. Omena, Wikimedia
