Each week, Food Tank is rounding up a few news stories that inspire excitement, infuriation, or curiosity.
Agricultural Leaders Warn of Collapse Without Congressional Action
A bipartisan coalition of former U.S. Department of Agriculture officials and agricultural leaders is warning of a potential “widespread collapse of American agriculture,” citing policy failures and economic stressors, the New York Times reports. In a letter sent to Congressional agriculture committee leaders, the authors point to mounting farm bankruptcies, rising production costs, labor shortages, and declining profits.
The letter argues that the current administration’s actions and Congressional inaction have “increased costs for farm inputs, disrupted overseas and domestic markets, denied agriculture its reliable labor pool, and defunded critical ag research and staffing.”
It urges lawmakers to pass a new Farm Bill, expand international market access, restore research funding, and relax trade tariffs.
Jon Doggett, former CEO of the National Corn Growers Association, says that farmers are deeply concerned but that “we’re not having this discussion in an open and meaningful way.”
Mozambique Expands Farmer-Led Seed Systems with ICRISAT, FAO Support
The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) are expanding support for farmer-led pigeonpea seed enterprises in Mozambique. The effort aims to strengthen food security, boost rural incomes, and improve soil fertility through the distribution of improved pigeonpea and groundnut varieties via local cooperatives.
“Farmers are becoming seed entrepreneurs and reliable suppliers within their own communities,” says James Mwololo, ICRISAT legume breeder. Though 70 percent of Mozambicans rely on agriculture, only 10 percent of arable land is cultivated, presenting an opportunity for farmers to expand production.
The initiative comes as Mozambique experiences historic flooding. More than 60,000 hectares of farmland and over 58,000 livestock have been lost, according to Mozambique’s disaster agency, highlighting the urgency of resilient seed systems and sustainable production models.
Farmers in Karnataka Pivot to Pulses Amid Climate Shifts
Farmers in Karnataka, India, are shifting away from traditional cereal and commercial crops due to climate variability and labor shortages, turning instead to pulses and horticulture.
Between 2020 and 2025, crop area for cereals like rice and maize declined by 4 percent, while the area under pulses rose 10 percent, the Times of India reports. Farmers also doubled their cultivation of minor millets and increased spice production by 19 percent.
Erratic rainfall patterns have led to crop losses for approximately 1.5 million farmers annually, with Rs₹4,401 crore (US$48.58 million) in insurance claims between 2023 and 2025. Dr. M.N. Thimmegowda of the University of Agricultural Sciences in Bengaluru explains that “increased pre-monsoon showers in April-May allow short-duration crops like pulses” to thrive.
Officials including C.B. Balareddy, Director of the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare say the shift toward horticulture, particularly arecanut and spices, reflects an effort to adapt to changing climate conditions and labor dynamics.
Study Flags Methane Blind Spot Among Global Investors
A new report by the Changing Markets Foundation and Planet Tracker finds that most of the world’s largest asset managers are failing to address methane emissions from agriculture in their climate strategies. The analysis reviewed 25 major investors, including Vanguard, BlackRock, and Fidelity, and found that only four explicitly recognized methane’s climate impact or mitigation potential.
Methane is over 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period and is responsible for roughly 0.5°C of global warming, yet most investors treat it as a secondary concern with no standalone targets or agriculture-specific policies, according to the report.
Only Norges Bank Investment Management includes agriculture-related methane in its climate strategy and references the Global Methane Pledge. Others, like J.P. Morgan and State Street, focus solely on oil and gas.
Without immediate action, the report warns, investors face mounting risks, including falling productivity and disrupted supply chains. It calls on investors to “act decisively” to address this blind spot, offering recommendations that include adopting methane policies and frameworks, and redirecting capital toward sustainable proteins and resilient food systems.
Deadly Nipah Virus Detected in India, But Risk of Spread Remains Low
Two cases of the Nipah virus have been confirmed in Barasat, West Bengal, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Both cases were identified in healthcare workers from the same hospital.
Nipah is a zoonotic virus with a fatality rate between 40 and 75 percent. Humans can contract it through direct contact with infected animals, such as fruit bats, pigs, or horses, or by consuming contaminated fruit products. While human-to-human transmission is possible, it is uncommon, according to the WHO.
The WHO emphasized that there is no evidence of increased transmissibility and assessed the risk of spread beyond India as low. Nevertheless, airports across Asia, including those in Thailand, Nepal, and Vietnam, have heightened screenings.
India’s health ministry reported that the cases were contained quickly. The source of the current outbreak is still under investigation.
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Photo courtesy of Yogesh Pedamkar, Unsplash
