Each week, Food Tank is rounding up a few news stories that inspire excitement, infuriation, or curiosity.
The Rise of Raw Milk
A recent piece in ProPublica looks at the rise of raw milk despite the health risks linked to its consumption.
Promoted by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and others, weekly sales of raw milk in the U.S. jumped as much as 65 percent between 2023 and 2024, according to NielsenIQ. Supporters say it can cure allergies, asthma, and lactose intolerance or deliver special probiotics.
Brown University Health and other experts state that there’s no evidence for these claims and instead point to the harm it can cause. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note that unpasteurized milk can expose people to dangerous bacteria including E. coli, Listeria, Brucella, and Salmonella. All these can pose a serious risk to eaters—especially children under 5, adults over 65, as well as those who are pregnant or have weakened immune systems. Just last week, Idaho’s Department of Health and Welfare reported that 60 people became sick after consuming raw milk.
But these concerns haven’t stopped farmers like Mark McAfee, the focus of ProPublica’s story. In the early 2000s, McAfee was a producer of pasteurized milk who didn’t think twice about offering a raw alternative. But when he connected with a community looking for a consistent source of unpasteurized milk, McAfee realized the demand that existed. In the years since then, McAfee converted his dairy to raw milk, and in 2011 he established a nonprofit to promote claims in support of raw milk’s benefits.
When asked about the risks, McAfee largely denied them or brushed them off. But his own farm has been linked to illnesses. “I’ve put a couple kids in the hospital, and they have been sick, but they recovered,” he admits.
ProPublica, however, reports that it’s not just a few cases: according to regulators, more than 230 people have been sickened in eight outbreaks linked to his farm since 2006. At least 40 have been hospitalized, and this total is likely much lower than the reality.
Still, people continue seeking out raw milk. Melanie Copeland in Huntington Beach has doubts that the outbreaks ever truly happened, stating that the possibility is “slim to none.” And Alyssa Wolfer in Bakersfield calls drinking raw milk a “true American freedom.” Even more concerning: the government isn’t stepping in to protect consumers. Instead, government officials have championed the industry’s expansion.
New Paper Challenges Necessity of Synthetic Pesticides
A new briefing from the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) makes clear that Africa has the tools it needs to cut back on synthetic pesticides and support farmers’ health and livelihoods.
Across the continent, a wide range of biological and agroecological approaches are helping farmers control pests, boost yields, and improve the environment. Despite this, the authors state that solutions often don’t evolve beyond pilot or experimental settings due to limited investment and labor, regulatory shortcomings and lacking institutional support. This contributes to the predominating idea that pesticides are indispensable.
But ACB’s analysis of 90 studies from the last 15 years challenges the idea of pesticide-dependent food systems. They argue that if integrated, systems-level solutions are put into place to help farmers restore ecological functioning and reduce pest pressure over time, the transition away from these chemical inputs is possible.
According to the Centre’s Director Mariam Mayet, “Productive and resilient food systems do not require escalating chemical use. They require ecological integrity, functional biodiversity, and policies that support farmers to work with nature rather than against it.”
Marine Biologist Offers Solution to Help Fishers, Save Endangered Species
In Ghana, marine biologist Issah Seidu is fighting to save the guitarfish, a family of rays under growing threat. Today, more than half of its species are critically endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The Guardian reports that Seidu launched a grassroots campaign to protect the guitarfish, whose meat is seen as a local delicacy, by encouraging fishers to raise the African land snail. In 2019, he and his team began meeting with fishers to understand what they would do if they didn’t catch guitarfish.
Initially, the conversations were difficult. Fishers worried for their livelihoods.But education and training helped the community understand the extinction risk, convincing around 200 to stop or scale back their guitarfish operations.
Discussions with fishers also helped them settle on the harvesting of land snails—a popular source of protein that’s in demand—as a viable alternative. Seidu explains that farming giant snails makes financial sense: it’s lucrative and the investment needed upfront is minimal. And he’s seen success in the community.
Now Seidu setting his sights on a longer term goal: helping to establish Ghana’s first locally-managed marine protected area.
IUCN’s Chair calls this work “exactly the kind of effort needed.”
USDA Confirms Cases of Flesh-Eating Parasite in the U.S.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently confirmed the presence of NWS, a parasitic fly, in the United States. At least nine cases have been detected in Texas and New Mexico, according the to USDA.
The larvae, which feed on warm-blooded animals, can lead to “severe, potentially fatal infestations, according to the agency. This can cause “serious damage to livestock and economic losses” for farmers.
Joint federal-state field teams are now working to expand surveillance and response efforts to control the spread. Canada is also taking precautionary measures, temporarily restricting the import of livestock, including horses, from affected areas in the U.S.
Although the spread is alarming to farmers, the USDA has confirmed that NWS doesn’t infect meat, fruits, vegetables, or other food products, and the country’s food supply is still safe.
“Groundswell” Debuts for Global Audiences
“Groundswell,” the final film in a documentary trilogy celebrating the potential of regenerative agriculture, recently debuted on Amazon Prime. The release follows its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.
Directed by award-winning Filmmakers, Josh and Rebecca Harrell Tickell and narrated by Woody Harrelson and Demi Moore, the film is the final chapter in a series that includes “Kiss the Ground,” released in 2020, and “Common Ground” from 2023.
“Groundswell” follows food systems experts including farmers, scientists, and Indigenous leaders across five continents who are proving that regenerative farming is viable and already delivering real results for communities.
Tied to the film’s release, the Tickells also launched One Billion Acres, a global campaign to accelerate the transition to regenerative agriculture.
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Photo courtesy of James Baltz, Unsplash
