Recent News Stories Use ERS
Data and Analysis
D.C.’s ‘Food deserts’ Sprout Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Washington Post – September 29, 2011
Michele Ver Ploeg, an economist at the USDA, developed a national food desert map using census data and grocery store locations. The District has seven food deserts, in Wards 5, 7 and 8.Neighborhoods that are low-income with limited access to fresh food may have small convenience stores, but those cannot sustain a healthy community, Ver Ploeg said. “It definitely does get people options,” she said of the small neighborhood stores. “But it’s not a supermarket, so it’s not a full range.”
Get Ready to Pay More for Your Pumpkins
Fox Business News – September 28, 2011
Ricky Volpe, a research economist at the USDA-Economic Research Service in Washington, D.C., says that it’s no surprise that pumpkins and other fall farm goods are seeing a substantial rise in price this year. “In a historical sense, we saw a higher spike in 2011 than we have seen in a long time,” says Volpe. “Corn, soybeans, everything is costing a little more.”
Americans Admit to Poor Diets
Feedstuffs – September 26, 2011
A new Facts Up Front educational effort could meet with some success, according to new research by the U.S. Economic Research Service (ERS), which found that while the healthfulness of the American diet hasn't improved since the introduction of food nutrition panels in 1990, the American consumer may be starting to realize that he or she needs to eat more responsibly.
Is junk food really cheaper?
New York times Blog – September 24, 2011
There are, of course, the so-called food deserts, places where it’s hard to find food: the Department of Agriculture [ERS] says that more than two million Americans in low-income rural areas live 10 miles or more from a supermarket, and more than five million households without access to cars live more than a half mile from a supermarket.
USDA Retail Food-Inflation Forecasts for 2011
Bloomberg – September 23, 2011
Following is the text detailing forecasts for percentage changes in annual food prices, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture [publishes text of ERS food CPI report].
Price Rises Squeeze Food Producers, Retailers
Marketplace-American Public Media – September 20, 2011
Ricky Volpe is a research economist at the Department of Agriculture.
Ricky Volpe: We've seen an increase in fuel prices, which necessarily increases the transportation and the production costs for all these commodities.
Food Insecurity Higher in Minority Households
Philadelphia Sun - September 18, 2011
The USDA [ERS] released a new report of Food Security in the U.S. The report showed that food insecurity rates were substantially higher than the national average for households with incomes near or below the current federal poverty line ($22,350 for a family of four), households with children headed by single women or single men, and black and Hispanic households.
U.S. Retail Beef Increases to Record $4.489 a Pound in August
Bloomberg – September 15, 2011
U.S. retail beef rose to a record $4.489 a pound in August, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said today in a report on its website. The price was up from a revised record of $4.449 in July and $4.015 a year earlier, the USDA’s Economic Research Service said.
Minn. Cropland Values, Cash Rents Rise Sharply in 2011
West Central (MN) Tribune – September 10, 2011
Researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service recently studied how farmers adjust their land use decisions in response to price changes for certain commodities. The researchers found that land use decisions are typically made by considering current crop price expectations, along with the relative productivity of available farmland planted to specific crops.
Advocates Lobby to Save Hunger Programs from Budget Ax
Washington Post – September 9, 2011
Anti-hunger advocates are racing to save federal programs that feed needy families from being automatically slashed if Congress can’t agree on a deficit reduction plan this fall…. USDA [ERS] data show that 14.5 percent of U.S. households suffered from food insecurity in 2010, a figure that’s been virtually unchanged for the past three years.
US ‘Food Insecurity’ Falls, Still Affects Millions
CNBC, MSNBC, Huffington Post, Reuters – September 7, 2011
The percentage of U.S. households where adults sometimes go hungry or cannot put enough food on the table fell last year, but the problem still affects millions, government data released on Wednesday shows [ERS Household Food Security report].
1 in 10 Minnesota Households Struggles with Hunger, USDA Report Says
Minnesota Public Radio – September 7, 2011
A new report released Wednesday by the United States Department of Agriculture shows one in ten Minnesotan households doesn't always have access to enough food for a healthy lifestyle.
State Economy Getting Nutty, and That’s Good
Bakersfield Californian – September 5, 2011
The state's nut crop set a torrid pace last year, according to USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service and Economic Research Service: Pistachios were up 95 percent in 2010, to almost $1.16 billion, with almonds up 24 percent ($2.8 billion) and walnuts up 42 percent ($1.06 billion).
Putting Food on the Table
Lincoln Journal Star – September 3, 2011
As Congress's "super committee" starts digging into the federal budget to find a way to stem the flow of red ink, there's little doubt that agriculture will be targeted for its share of spending cuts…. A USDA [ERS] report released this year assessed the relationship between public investment in research and development with increases in total food production.
State, Nation May See Record Farm Income
Grand Island Independent – September 2, 2011
While the economy continues to struggle coming out of the recession and the national unemployment rate is still above 9 percent, recently the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service reported that net farm income for 2011 will reach $103.6 billion, up $24.5 billion from 2010.
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