Food & Agriculture
We work to rapidly transition our food system to one that is sustainable, healthy, and just. For decades, United States food and farming policy, corporate power and agricultural science have been directed toward a narrow goal: producing as many calories as possible as cheaply as possible. The confluence of these forces has created a powerful river of toxic, energy-intensive factory farming. We are eroding public health, worker safety, local economies, animal welfare, and the resilience of the ecosystems we depend on. Solutions are available — if policymakers, people and businesses make vitally needed changes. We must farm in a way that protects the health of people and the planet. We seek three fundamental shifts in our food system: from toxic and chemical intensive to healthy and ecologically regenerative; from corporate controlled to democratically governed; and from a system that embodies the deepest inequities in our society to one that advances justice and fulfills the needs of all eaters now and in the future.
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Food & Agriculture Tell Congress: Help farmers grow sustainable, healthy foodTAKE ACTION
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Food & Agriculture Tell Amazon and grocery stores to say NO to GMO applesTAKE ACTION
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Food & Agriculture Tell Lowe’s and Home Depot: Stop selling bee-killing RoundupTAKE ACTION
WASHINGTON - In a 92-7 vote in the Senate today, Tom Vilsack was confirmed as President Biden’s USDA Secretary. Erich Pica, President of Friends of the Earth, issued the following statement:
We congratulate Secretary Vilsack on receiving majority support for a second tour as Agriculture Secretary.
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Lowe's and Home Depot are well-aware of the research that shows glyphosate is linked to an increased risk of cancer. And yet these dangerous pesticides still line their shelves,
Top food service company Aramark just announced its commitment not to sell genetically engineered (GE) salmon. The producer of the salmon, AquaBounty Technologies, announced plans to sell its first-ever harvest in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2021.
While the federal government prioritizes donations over decades of science, it’s more important than ever for states like New York to step up to protect public health and environment.
Friends of the Earth members successfully pressured unqualified, anti-science USDA nominee Sam Clovis to withdraw from consideration.
Thanks to Friends of the Earth, three-quarters of the garden industry has moved away from neonics, and many major retailers have committed to stop selling plants and products treated with these bee-killing pesticides.
Thanks to pressure from Friends of the Earth and thousands of our members who highlighted the many sustainability and health concerns surrounding genetically engineered salmon and the lack of consumer demand, 80 food retailers have made commitments to not sell GE salmon, including Walmart, Costco, Albertson’s, Kroger, Trader Joe’s and…
The latest honeybee numbers are dire. 44% of bee colonies in the US were lost last year, and summer losses were the highest ever recorded. Help protect pollinators.
The Western Bumblebee is facing rapid population declines. Their situation is urgent. Help avert the extinction of these essential creatures.
The numbers are in. Only 29,000 western monarch butterflies were found in California this year – down from millions. Help Friends of the Earth protect pollinators.
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Learn MoreOrganic School Food Roadmap
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Learn MoreOrganic, Plant-Forward, Scratch Cooked School Meals: A California Case Study
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DownloadTIAA’s Accumulation of Farmland is Not Responsible