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.

Continue reading...

© 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