Agriculture

"Insect experts say people should calm down about the big bug with the nickname “murder hornet” — unless you are a beekeeper or a honeybee."

"The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the importance of people who grow, pick, and process food as essential workers. These agricultural workers will also be on the front lines of climate change, a new study makes clear." "At 2 degrees warming, the entire growing season will be considered unsafe for agricultural work in some places".

"A coalition of 17 Democratic-leaning states sued the Trump administration on Friday for rolling back Obama-era protections for waterways, arguing the move ignores science on the interconnectivity of water."

"A deadly bacterium, xylella fastidiosa, has killed millions of olive trees in southern Italy. ... Xylella, which has no cure, 'is almost like the coronavirus of olive trees,' says Maria Saponari, a plant virologist at the Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection in Italy. "

"Covid-related slaughterhouse shutdowns in the US are leading to fears of meat shortages and price rises, while farmers are being forced to consider “depopulating” their animals."

"The coronavirus pandemic is forcing livestock farms and grocery stores to consider whether the meat industry is primed for a new way of doing business."

"Many are criticizing the industry’s response for waiting too long to implement safety precautions and close processing plants as thousands have tested positive for coronavirus."

"The people of California’s Imperial Valley can be as unforgiving as the region’s harsh desert climate. It’s been 16 years since Bruce Kuhn cast the fateful vote to transfer tens of billions of gallons of Colorado River water from the valley’s sprawling farms to thirsty coastal cities, reshaping water politics in California and across the West."