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Cheese and The Court
22nd January, 2024
Hey Food Junglers! It’s been a busy week for the food industry this news cycle, particularly in the US. From gluttony to big companies shaking things up, it’s all becoming quite chaotic. Let’s dig in.
This week:
🧀 People are eating more cheese than ever in the US.
🍷 Uber shuts down its alcohol delivery service.
🐟️ The US Supreme Court tries to solve a fishing dilemma.
☘️ Chemical-resistant weeds are becoming a global problem.
🐌 Let us introduce you to the slow food movement…
SUPPLY CHAIN
THE TIME FOR CHEESE IS NOW
To kick things off, American consumers are eating record amounts of cheese and farmers are going to some extreme lengths to meet demand.
On average, every American ate 42 pounds of cheese in 2022, up 17% over the course of the last decade. Interestingly enough, though, this is due to a HUGE spike in the popularity of pizza!
On top of that, EXPORTS of dairy products have risen more than 10 times since 1980 with China’s demand steadily growing.
And to cope with record amounts of cheese-eating, more milk is being produced than ever before. Farmers are even interbreeding different types of cows to produce fattier milk.
ZOOMING OUT: A delicate balancing act must be played. Cows are more valuable when sold to slaughter, so farmers must choose: convert their assets into beef or succumb to the consumers’ growing love for cheese.
BUSINESS
UBER BOTTLES ALCOHOL
Last week, Uber announced that it would be shutting down Drizly, the alcohol-delivery company it acquired for $1.1 billion in 2021.
The reason behind the initial purchase was simple: take advantage of alcohol delivery while consumers were at home during the pandemic.
Since the purchase, however, things haven't gone as planned. Alcohol delivery hasn’t been so popular and the platform only captured a small portion of the booze market.
ZOOMING OUT: Uber said that it wanted to focus on its grocery and ready-made food delivery services. But we can’t help but wonder whether the company is catching onto the growing SNACKING trend that has been picking up steam in 2023/24?
POLICY
FISHING VS. THE SUPREME COURT
In a battle between conservative and liberal politics, the US Supreme Court may revoke the power of federal judges to get involved in monitoring and controlling overfishing.
Fishing companies have asked the Supreme Court to overturn a doctrine called “Chevron Deference”, in which judges at the executive level of government would have much less control when it comes to overseeing the protection of fish populations.
Crucially, this means that fishing companies will be able to do their own commercial fishing without Uncle Sam keeping a watchful eye. And if these companies DO overstep, they would only answer to LOCAL judges.
ZOOMING OUT: Overturning Chevron Deference is VERY serious stuff.
By wiping out government power to impose environmental oversight, corporations - from oil to fertilizer - would control their own pollution with only local judges to stand in their way. And we all know where that could go.
CLIMATE
WEEDS FIGHT BACK
New research shows that weeds are becoming more resistant to herbicides faster than companies - like Bayer and Corteva - can develop new chemicals to fight them.
Kochia, waterhemp, giant ragweed and other weeds are getting stronger and some of the most common herbicides, like glyphosate, have been recorded as being less effective in preventing their spread.
Kochia, for example, has the ability to cut crop yields by 70% - if left unchecked - and can spread as many as 30,000 seeds per plant. Intense.
ZOOMING OUT: Longer regulatory processes to approve new chemicals, less spending to fund new herbicide research, higher global temperatures and inflation have all contributed to this growing weed threat.
And without a renewed effort to prevent the further spread of these weeds, farmers are getting worried.
THE BRIGHT SIDE
SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE
What started off as a protest against the opening of a fast food joint in Rome - in 1986 - gradually evolved to become one of the most famous food movements in the world.
SLOW FOOD is a global network of activists and organizations that are devoted to ensuring that EVERYONE has access to good, clean, and ethically produced food.
Whether hosting international farmers markets to advertise small-scale food producers or presenting a case against pesticide use at the European Parliament - Slow Food loves spreading the love with good food.
The organization has even cultivated a network of over 3,000 community gardens across Africa to provide local communities with a path towards full food sovereignty.
So, if you’re looking to join a movement or donate to a cause that ensures a sustainable, ethically produced, and delicious global food network, then we could not recommend Slow Food ENOUGH. Food Jungle approved ✅
SHARE THE JUNGLE
Now THAT’S what we call a victory feeling! Celebrate sharing Food Jungle with your BEST friends with a WELL DESERVED football fist pump. 🥰
BEFORE YOU GO…
The prices of eggs in the US shot up 8.9%, marking the highest monthly increase since January of last year as bird flu has once again struck the industry.
The USDA states that the price of beef will rise for consumers in the next two years due to frequent instances of drought across the US.
Bright Farms recalled spinach that was - potentially - contaminated with Listeria Monocytogenes.
Aleph Farms announced that Israel’s government agency has issued regulatory approval for Aleph Cuts: the “world’s first” cell-based beef steaks.
TAKE A BREAK
Hi there everyone! It’s our pleasure to introduce another newsletter in the food space - BETTER BIOECONOMY - from a food technology enthusiast, Eshan Samaranayake.
Like the team at Food Jungle, Eshan is doing his absolute best to advertise those who are making food healthier, cleaner, more sustainable, more animal-friendly AND accessible to all.
So, if you are interested in reading more on food tech, go check it out! Food Jungle approved ✅
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