Why the big secret?

There’s a powerful food cartel that doesn’t want you to know where your beef comes from August 4, 2026 In May of 2017, Brazilian authorities launched Operation Weak Flesh, a crackdown on food safety violations associated with the production and exportation of rotten meat. What they found was shocking, including rampant use of acid and…



MCOOL battle + consumers turn to local food

MCOOL battle + consumers turn to local food A news briefing from Farm Action’s policy team August 3, 2026 MCOOL back in farm bill debate What happened: As the Senate Agriculture Committee prepares to begin markup of the farm bill this Thursday, debate over Mandatory Country-of-Origin Labeling (MCOOL) for beef has intensified. Rancher groups, including…



Empty Promises

The United States Congress refuses to let consumers know the country of origin of their beef. Montana Cattlemen’s Association Press ReleaseRelease Date: July 24, 2026Despite a nationwide coordinated effort by livestock and farm organizations, the Farm Bill draft does not include restoring Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) for beef. We were hopeful because Senate Majority…



Antitrust Enforcement Lags, As Foreign Control of Meat Sector Grows

Antitrust Enforcement Lags, As Foreign Control of Meat Sector Grows What happened to the Trump Administration’s promised investigation? July 27, 2026 In May, an announcement by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins of a criminal antitrust investigation into the “Big Four” meatpackers (JBS, Tyson, Cargill, and National Beef) over potential collusion and beef…



Farm Action: Congress probes Taylor Farms + Georgia expands interstate meat market access

Congress probes Taylor Farms + Georgia expands interstate meat market access A news briefing from Farm Action’s policy team July 27, 2026 Lawmaker seeks answers on Taylor Farms’ cyclospora investigation What happened: Rep. Robert Garcia, the ranking member on the House Oversight Committee, is seeking information from Taylor Farms over concerns that the company may…



Ranch Group Calls Packing Industry’s MCOOL Cost Paper Overtly Biased and Unreliable

R-CALF United Stockgrowers of America Fighting for the Independent U.S. Cattle Producer     Contact: Bill Bullard, CEO, R-CALF USA Phone: 406-252-2516; r-calfusa View and share this news release on Facebook here and on X here, or view the web version here.     Ranch Group Calls Packing Industry’s MCOOL Cost Paper Overtly Biased and…



If It Isn’t Taylor Farms, Then Who?

July 23, 2026 By Lucy Sears When federal investigators initially identified Taylor Farms’ iceberg lettuce as the likely source of a multistate Cyclospora outbreak, the company quickly became the focus of national attention. Days later, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that a laboratory result on one lettuce sample was a false positive…



Global Warming Unmakes Winter in the US West

A new climate attribution study shows that heating from greenhouse gases could drive extreme snow droughts in the region every third year by 2050. By Bob Berwyn July 22, 2026 People fish along the Deer Creek Reservoir near Heber City, Utah, on Feb. 7, as the state experiences about one-third of its normal early-February snowpack….



Big grocery chains tighten grip on the food system

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Big grocery chains tighten grip on the food system A news briefing from Farm Action’s policy team July 23, 2026 Corporate consolidation continues to transform the grocery industry What happened: A new analysis examines the continued consolidation of the U.S. grocery industry, renewing debate over how increasing market…



R-CALF – Persistence Pays – Sheep industry may see relief

R-CALF United Stockgrowers of America "Fighting for the Independent U.S. Cattle Producer" For Immediate Release July 22, 2026   R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard Phone: 406-252-2516; r-calfusa View and share this week’s update on Facebook here, X here or view the web version here. Please find below R-CALF USA’s weekly opinion/commentary that discusses the request…