Plus, we talk to the man in the rotating refrigerator.

Intensification of Middle East conflict and ongoing Russian export ban leads to diesel prices rising 10% in less than a week

Farmers are facing an “astronomical” jump in the price of fuel needed to operate their vehicles and machinery after a surge in diesel costs in the UK and the US.

Renewed fighting between the US and Iran has driven up the price of crude oil, while last week Russia extended a ban on diesel exports, further pushing up market prices.

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© Photograph: Geography Photos/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

© Photograph: Geography Photos/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

© Photograph: Geography Photos/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

Strikes on ports and vessels by both Russia and Ukraine have left farmers facing ruin and could cause another worldwide food shock.

© Jędrzej Nowicki for The New York Times

For the first time in a year, the U.S.-Mexico border partly reopened to cattle imports following a screwworm infestation across the region. The battle against the flesh-eating fly has only just begun deep in Mexico.

© Luis Antonio Rojas for The New York Times

To protect its waters from overexposure to nitrates, Denmark is proposing a crackdown on fertilizer use. Farmers aren’t happy.

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A Kentucky farmer, he railed against agribusiness and championed small family farms and the environment, winning widespread acclaim.

© Steve Hebert for The New York Times

The Pickett fire burned nearly 7,000 acres in California wine country last year, causing millions of dollars in losses.

© Fred Greaves/Reuters

After a drop in demand driven by a nationwide outbreak of cyclosporiasis, California growers are plowing lettuce back into the soil and laying off workers.

President faces criticism over plan to import up to 300,000 metric tons of foreign beef without charging higher tariffs

Donald Trump has pledged to allow cattle ranchers and farmers to process their own food amid a backlash from the US agricultural sector over his decision to pause US tariffs on foreign beef.

The US president has been sharply criticized, including from members of his own party, since announcing the US will temporarily import up to 300,000 metric tons of foreign beef without charging higher tariffs in an effort to bring down prices.

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© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

Extreme heat waves this summer have set off an early grape harvest in Champagne and elsewhere in France.

© Agence France-Presse

After the departure of thousands of federal workers, rural communities report problems obtaining loans, grants, technical assistance and support for infrastructure and other services.

© Nina Riggio for The New York Times

War, climate shocks and trade disputes are pounding the world’s breadbaskets and pushing the global food system into dangerous territory.

© Lisi Niesner/Reuters

Bad harvests and attacks on trade passages threaten to drive food prices higher.

© Lisi Niesner/Reuters

Meat producer closes facilities in Utah and Illinois as beef prices rise for consumers amid historic cattle shortage

• People in the US: how much do you spend on food per month?

Tyson Foods, the largest meatpacking company in the US, announced last week that it is closing two of its facilities in Illinois and Utah and selling a beef facility in Washington state, and will lay off hundreds of workers as the supply of cattle hits a 75-year low.

The historic cattle shortage has been driven by a multi-year drought, rising costs and severe economic pressures, including consolidation among cattle ranchers. Beef prices have soared over the last year due to the shortage, though economists said the Tyson plant closures likely won’t hit consumer prices so hard.

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© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

The Trump administration delayed a rule last year that could have sped up the effort to pinpoint the source of the contamination. Critics charge that food safety oversight has eroded overall.

© Al Drago for The New York Times