To keep pace with global demand, seed companies moved their hybrid research to Puerto Rico’s south coast. The result: more yield in the Midwest, a growing rift over land and labor, and questions about who benefits when agricultural research leaves the island.
The little-known Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission is taking longer to review appeals of OSHA fines and orders. Now the three-person commission is about to lose its only member.
More than a dozen recently fired USDA employees told Investigate Midwest that mass terminations have stalled irrigation projects, rural housing aid and efforts to combat invasive crop diseases. Remaining staff are overwhelmed; farmers may not receive much needed timely help, former staff say.
Donald Trump says he’ll deport millions of undocumented workers, including many who work in the agriculture industry. Kamala Harris publicly supports a path to citizenship for farmworkers but espouses tough border policies.
