The US pays crop farmers a record $13.8 billion for 2025, because 16 crops sold below the price floors a July law raised

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29 more stories on this beat.

Each with its own sources. None of these is a link to the story above.

1. 02

   PepsiCo raises chip prices again

   PepsiCo, the company behind Doritos, Lay's and Gatorade, told investors on Thursday it will raise prices on some chips. [4] It blamed higher energy and farm costs. [4] In February it had cut some prices by up to 15% to win back shoppers who were spending less. [4] It is also cutting costs, and now expects sales growth of about 3% this year. [4] North America, its weakest region, made about 56% of its $25.27 billion in sales last quarter. [4]

   • North America56%
   • Rest of the world44%

   Why it matters — Snack buyers in North America meet the higher prices first. [4] The reversal comes eight months after the cuts, because PepsiCo's own costs for energy and crops went up. [4]

2. 03

   Trust in US food safety hits a record low

   Only 65% of Americans are now confident that food sold in grocery shops is safe, a new Gallup poll found. [5] That is the lowest Gallup has recorded, down from 73% last year and 81% in 2019. [5] Confidence that the US government keeps food safe fell to 47%. [5] Gallup links the drop to this summer's Cyclospora outbreak, a stomach parasite carried on lettuce, which it calls the largest in US history. [5]

   201981%

   202573%

   202665%

   Why it matters — Seventy-three percent said they had avoided a brand or kind of food because of a recall, up from 53% in 2024. [5] A column on Food Safety News, a trade news site, reported the poll and asks the FDA, the US food safety agency, to name the companies behind outbreaks. [5]

3. 04

   US farm bill talks start again

   Leaders of the US House and Senate farm committees agreed to restart staff talks on a new farm bill, Agri-Pulse, a farm policy news service, reported. [8] The farm bill is the big US law that covers farm programmes and SNAP food aid. A deal could come after the November midterm elections. [8] The sticking point is SNAP, the US food-aid programme for low-income families. [8] Republicans offer states one year before they must pay part of its costs, and Democrats want at least two. [8]

   Why it matters — Without a deal, California's share of SNAP costs could rise to almost $1.9 billion in its 2027 budget year. [8] A source close to the talks said deadlines like that may push lawmakers to agree. [8]

4. 05

   McCormick's Unilever deal clears a US review

   McCormick, the US spice and hot-sauce company, is buying the food brands of Unilever, a big British consumer-goods company, including Hellmann's and Knorr, in a $44.8 billion deal. [6] The US Federal Trade Commission, which polices competition, ended its waiting period early on 5 October. [6] It does that when it judges a deal unlikely to cut competition much. [6] Britain's competition watchdog has until 11 November to decide whether to look deeper. [6]

   Why it matters — The same day, US senator Elizabeth Warren asked regulators to look hard at three food deals. [6] Besides this one, they are Kroger, a big US supermarket chain, buying Giant Eagle, and Sysco, a huge supplier to restaurants, buying Jetro Restaurant Depot. [6] She says fewer big suppliers would have more power over the prices shops pay. [6]

5. 06

   Court keeps Michigan's cage-free egg law

   A US federal judge, Jane Beckering, threw out the US government's lawsuit against Michigan's cage-free egg law. [9] Michigan bans the sale of eggs from hens kept in ways that do not meet its cage-free standards. [9] The US government sued in January, saying only it may regulate eggs sold between states, and that the ban raises prices. [9] The judge said the US government had not shown that Michigan harmed it. [9]

   Why it matters — A California judge threw out a nearly identical case in March. [9] Michigan egg farmers who spent hundreds of millions of dollars converting their barns keep the market they built for. [9]

6. 07

   UAE food sellers charter their own ships

   Food sellers in the United Arab Emirates have changed how they buy since the Strait of Hormuz, the sea route into the Gulf, was closed in the war with Iran. [12] About 80% of the UAE's food is imported. [12] Sea shipments can now take up to 70 days, an executive at the Lulu supermarket group said. [12] Lulu now charters whole ships from India, Thailand, Spain and other countries, and buys more from nearby suppliers. [12]

   Why it matters — Fresh food with a short shelf life suffers most from slow ships. [12] United Foods, which makes cooking oils and ghee, ordered its raw materials months ahead to hold its prices down. [12]

7. 08

   Refugee food aid in Burundi may run out

   The World Food Programme, the UN's food aid agency, is asking for more than $30 million to keep feeding refugees from Congo in Burundi. [16] Without it, supplies could run out as early as this month. [16] It needs about $5 million a month. [16] Each refugee gets about 38,000 Burundian francs a month, about $12. [16] Busuma camp, opened in December 2025, holds about 33,000 people. [16]

   Why it matters — Donors and Burundi's government avoided a sudden stop by paying part of the earlier request, but that covers only a few more months. [16] A refugee in the camp said the aid is not enough. [16]

8. 09

   France's groundwater keeps falling

   Two-thirds of France's groundwater monitoring points were below normal on 1 October, said the BRGM, France's geological survey, on Thursday. [13] A year earlier the share was 31%. [13] And 81% of levels are still falling. [13] After a hot, dry summer, the first autumn rain is soaking into parched topsoil or drying off before it reaches the water underground. [13]

   1 Oct 202531%

   1 Oct 202666%

   Why it matters — Groundwater supplies nearly two-thirds of France's drinking water and more than a third of the water its farms use. [13] The BRGM says the worst areas may need a wetter-than-normal winter to recover. [13]

9. 10

   Taylor Farms halts summer lettuce from Mexico

   Taylor Farms, a big US salad company, will stop harvesting iceberg lettuce in central Mexico for the US and Canada during the Cyclospora season, May to August. [14] Its lettuce was linked to this summer's outbreak of the stomach parasite, which made almost 13,000 people ill and killed two. [14] The FDA had found the parasite in water at its processing plant. [14]

   Why it matters — It is the company's first public statement after months of near silence. [14] It will also test more irrigation water and join a task force with the FDA. [14]

10. 11

    Starbucks weighs a bid for Chipotle

    Starbucks has worked with advisers on a possible takeover of Chipotle, a US burrito chain, the British newspaper the Financial Times reported on Thursday. [7] Starbucks is the second-biggest US restaurant chain by sales, at about $31 billion a year. [7] Chipotle is seventh, at more than $11 billion. [7] Starbucks's boss, Brian Niccol, ran Chipotle for more than six years before 2024. [7] Chipotle's shares rose about 6% on the report. [7]

    Why it matters — One analyst put the chance of a deal at about 20%, and Starbucks would not comment. [7] A deal would put two of the biggest US restaurant chains under one owner. [7]

11. 12

    Tesco raises its profit forecast

    Tesco, Britain's biggest supermarket, raised its forecast for this year's profit to between 3.15 and 3.3 billion pounds on Thursday. [10] Sales rose 2% to 33.8 billion pounds in the six months to 29 August. [10] Its boss, Ken Murphy, expects more low- and no-alcohol drinks at Christmas. [10] He said he does not expect this summer's drought to hit food supplies. [10]

    Why it matters — Britain's competition watchdog rules this month on whether Aldi and Lidl now count as large supermarkets. [11] Industry watchers say that could make it easier for rivals such as Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons to merge. [11]

12. 13

    Coca-Cola tries again to sell Costa

    Coca-Cola is again exploring a sale of Costa Coffee, a British coffee-shop chain, the news site Semafor reported. [15] It bought Costa for $5.1 billion in 2018. [15] It called off an earlier sale this year after a weak response from private-equity buyers. [15] Costa has 2,700 shops in the UK and Ireland and employs 20,000 people. [15] It lost nearly 20 million pounds across 2023 and 2024. [15]

    Why it matters — Coca-Cola may again choose to wait, Semafor said. [15] Costa's staff and its new headquarters, due to open in January 2027, depend on who ends up owning it. [15]

13. 14

    USDA pays $1.8 billion to keep land in grass

    The USDA is paying about $1.8 billion this year to farmers and landowners in the Conservation Reserve Program, it said on 8 October. [17] The programme pays rent to keep land under grass or other cover instead of crops, which cuts soil loss. [17] This year it accepted nearly 1 million new acres of grazing land. [17] In all, 26.8 million acres will be enrolled for 2027. [17]

    Why it matters — The USDA says the grazing land is part of its plan to rebuild the US cattle herd. [17] Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, South Dakota and Missouri get the most money. [17]

14. 15

    The US egg glut may be easing

    Cal-Maine Foods, the biggest US egg producer, says egg supply and demand may be coming back into balance. [18] A year ago bird flu killed more than 145 million US birds and eggs ran short. [18] Now there are too many: its sales of ordinary shell eggs fell 59.5% to $201.7 million last quarter. [18] Fewer chicks are hatching, and the laying flock is about 4 million hens smaller than estimated. [18]

    Why it matters — The average shop price per dozen was about 27% lower in the four weeks to 29 August, Cal-Maine said. [18] Cal-Maine says it cannot predict when the glut will end. [18]

15. 16

    Arkansas rice breaks in the mill

    Arkansas, the biggest US rice-growing state, is finishing a disappointing harvest. [19] Jarrod Hardke, a University of Arkansas crop expert, puts the average yield at 167 bushels an acre, a little under target. [19] Late-August heat and badly timed rain dried the grain and made it brittle. [19] Brittle rice breaks when it is milled, and broken rice sells for less. [19]

    Why it matters — Hardke says the lower profit makes next year's rice planting look weak. [19] He warns that could have serious effects on the businesses built around rice in the state. [19]

16. 17

    Drought cuts Kansas soybeans

    The soybean harvest in central Kansas has started slowly, with yields well below normal after this year's drought, farmer Rick Schlender told Brownfield, a farm news service. [20] Heat hurt the plants while their pods were forming and filling. [20] He would be glad to see yields in the 20s of bushels an acre. [20] Last week's rain was more than he got all growing season. [20]

    Why it matters — Schlender says the rain will help refill the soil for next year. [20] For this year's beans it came after the damage was done. [20]

17. 18

    Alfalfa sprouts recalled in two states

    LEASA Industries, a Miami company, recalled more than 15,000 cups of alfalfa sprouts sold in Florida and New Hampshire over possible E. coli. [21] The seeds they were grown from may have been contaminated. [21] The recall began on 4 September, but the FDA only classified it on 2 October. [21] It appeared in a little-read FDA enforcement report, not on the agency's main recall page. [21]

    Why it matters — A separate outbreak linked to alfalfa sprouts has made 76 people ill in 16 states. [21] The FDA has not said whether these sprouts are part of it, or named the seed supplier. [21]

18. 19

    Most Americans find food advice confusing

    Nearly eight in ten Americans say nutrition advice keeps changing, so they do not know what to believe, the International Food Information Council found. [22] That is up from 71% in 2022. [22] Only 13% trust the main US food and health agencies. [22] The group surveyed 3,005 Americans in March and published the results on 7 October. [22] Only 40% rated their own health excellent or very good, down from 49% last year. [22]

    Why it matters — The survey follows new US dietary guidelines in January, which many health experts called self-contradictory. [22] Trust in food companies rose 4 points but is still negative overall. [22]

19. 20

    Fishers tell the EU about forced labour

    Fishers who say they were forced to work at sea spoke at a European Parliament fisheries committee meeting on 30 September. [23] Fredi Seprizal, from Indonesia, said he worked 16 to 20 hours a day for 16 months on a Chinese boat, drinking filtered seawater. [23] A study of 121 fishers from the Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia and Fiji found 94% had at some time not been paid their wages. [23]

    94 of 100

    fishers in the study who had wages withheld

    Why it matters — An association of large tuna boat owners wants access to the EU market tied to the labour standards EU boats must meet. [23] An EU rule against forced labour phases in until December 2027. [23]

20. 21

    US beef exports rise, pork falls

    US beef exports in August were 4% higher than a year earlier, and pork exports 6% lower, the US Meat Export Federation said. [8] Beef sold abroad was worth $785.9 million, up 13%. [8] Strong buying in Taiwan and South Korea drove the gain. [8] Pork fell mainly because Mexico now raises more of its own pigs. [8] From January to August, beef exports were 7% lower, mostly because China bought less. [8]

    Why it matters — Without China, US beef exports this year are down only 1%. [8] Taiwan has been the star market for US beef this year, the federation's head said. [8]

21. 22

    UK funds 54 million pounds of vaccine research

    The UK government and UKRI, its research funding body, are putting 54 million pounds into 18 projects on vaccines and disease threats. [24] Projects include mRNA vaccines for farm animals and work on germs that resist antibiotics. [24] One in six lab-confirmed bacterial infections in 2023 resisted antibiotics, UKRI says. [24] Part of the money comes from Defra, the UK's farm and environment ministry. [24]

    Why it matters — Agriland, an Irish and UK farm news site, says farm diseases are spreading while vaccines run short. [24] The UK's chief vet, Christine Middlemiss, said the research will help the country respond fast to new threats. [24]

22. 23

    Using less fertiliser pays, until a bad year

    Researchers at farmdoc daily, a University of Illinois project, modelled a 100-acre Illinois corn field using 29 pounds less nitrogen fertiliser an acre. [31] That saves $18.71 an acre. [31] In 12 of 15 simulated years yields did not fall, and the farmer came out about $10.91 an acre ahead. [31] In one year, yields fell enough to lose $38.34 an acre. [31]

    Why it matters — The US conservation programme pays up to 75% of the practice's estimated cost, which covers labour and equipment, not the risk of a bad year. [31] Nutrient management got just under 1.7% of that programme's money from 2014 to 2023. [31]

23. 24

    Ghost shrimp take Washington oyster beds

    In Willapa Bay, Washington, which grows 10% to 20% of all US oysters, native ghost shrimp burrow into the mud and smother oysters. [25] Just 25 shrimp per square metre make the ground useless for oyster farming, and one sample held 342. [25] Some estimate a quarter of the bay's oyster ground can no longer be farmed. [25] The pesticide used against them for decades was banned in 2013. [25]

    Why it matters — Jennifer Ruesink, a University of Washington scientist, says shaking the mud, called vibrocompaction, worked as well as the banned chemical in early tests. [25] She needs much more money to build a full-size machine. [25]

24. 25

    Moving cattle helped a prairie store carbon

    On a North Dakota ranch, moving about 150 cows and their calves between small paddocks, then resting the grass, nearly doubled the carbon dioxide the grassland absorbed. [26] Researchers compared it with a pasture next to it that was not grazed at all. [26] The cattle stayed 24 to 48 hours in each paddock and the aim was to eat about half the green leaves. [26] The two-year study was published on 7 October in Scientific Reports. [26]

    Why it matters — It suggests that how cattle are managed matters more than whether they are there. [26] It covers one ranch over two years, so it is a finding to test, not proof for all grassland.

25. 26

    Ethanol could fuel ships built for methanol

    Ethanol, an alcohol fuel made from crops such as corn, could run ships built for methanol with few changes, a study found. [27] It came out on Thursday from the Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller Center, a shipping research group. [27] About 110 ships that can burn methanol are at sea, and about 300 more are on order. [27] The study looked only at how the fuel performs, and leaves its cost to later reports in the series. [27]

    Why it matters — The US ethanol industry says that fleet alone could use more than 1 billion gallons. [27] It says 5% of the ship-fuel market could need at least 1.5 billion more bushels of US corn. [27]

26. 27

    Regenerative organic brands report more nutrients

    Food grown to the Regenerative Organic Certified standard can carry more nutrients, says a report from the Regenerative Organic Alliance, which runs that label, and the testing firm Edacious. [28] Ground beef tested had 124% to 388% more omega-3 fat than USDA reference values. [28] All 10 legumes had more phosphorus. [28] Thirteen brands published results for 46 products. [28]

    Why it matters — The report comes from the group that runs the label and its testing partner. [28] It compares products with USDA reference values, not with ordinary farms side by side. [28]

27. 28

    Keurig Dr Pepper sells coffee concentrate

    Keurig Dr Pepper, a US drinks company, is launching liquid espresso concentrates for iced coffee in 20 countries. [29] They come under four of its coffee brands, including L'Or, Jacobs and Douwe Egberts. [29] They compete with similar products from Starbucks and Nescafe. [29] The company is splitting its coffee and drinks businesses in two, and named Russ Torres to lead the coffee one. [29]

    Why it matters — Cold coffee is one of the fastest-growing coffee habits, especially among young people. [29] The company's last quarterly sales rose 75.6% to $7.31 billion, mostly because it bought Peet's, a coffee company. [29]

28. 29

    FAO opens a farm-ideas show in Rome

    The FAO, the UN's food agency, opened a five-day exhibition called From Seeds to Foods at the Circo Massimo, an ancient chariot-racing ground in Rome. [30] It shows 400 farm products, tools and ideas. [30] FAO head Qu Dongyu said new ideas must be practical and affordable to help people get enough food. [30] Italy's farm minister and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, a former president of Liberia, spoke at the opening. [30]

    Why it matters — The FAO says the show lets the public see where their food comes from. [30] Its pavilions cover crops, livestock, fish, forests, and land and water. [30]

29. 30

    Dogs kill 60 goats at an Arizona dairy

    A pack of dogs dug under a fence at Crow's Dairy in Rainbow Valley, Arizona, and killed about 60 goats, nearly 30% of the herd. [32] Owner Wendell Crow found them on Wednesday morning. [32] The dairy has stopped making its goat cheese for now. [32] It supplies restaurants, resorts and hotels around Phoenix. [32]

    Why it matters — An animal control officer followed four dogs home, but without video or a witness no action could be taken, Crow said. [32] He says many people in the area let their dogs roam. [32]