Quick Take — Beef prices in the US continue to rise

As ranchers face the leanest herds in 70 years A years-long drought in the American West has dried up pastures and created a shortage of calves…

The average price of a pound of ground beef rose to $5.79 in US cities in March, up 12.8 per cent from last year and the highest on record, according to Labour Department data. The price of raw beef steaks also hit all-time highs, reaching $10.98 per kilo. A years-long drought in the American West has dried up pastures and US farmers have steadily reduced their herds, creating a shortage that has driven up the price of calves and, consequently, other beef products. Labour and insurance costs have also risen, and although cattle weights are higher than ever before, this is not enough to compensate for the collapse in cattle numbers… Inflation is low (2.3%) but is likely to rise soon with the tariffs.

Is there a solution for the food we import from countries that use pesticides banned in Europe?

The Mercosur free trade agreement could be an opportunity to try to align the rules between South America and the European Union. Trade unions, such as Coldiretti, should not dissipate their forces on meaningless projects such as the no to ‘cultured meat’ or the production of dried pasta, and focus on reciprocity of import standards

Quick Take — FAO: Food price index on the rise

Global food commodity prices rose in April, driven by rising prices of cereals, meat and dairy products that outpaced declines in sugar and vegetable oils, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation said today.

The FAO food price index, which tracks monthly changes in a basket of internationally traded food products, averaged 128.3 points in April, up 1 per cent from the March estimate of 127.1 points.

Note below the inflationary peak of 2022

Quick Take — Wine with, without alcohol and winetours

On alcohol-free wine, the EU goes against the positions of Coldiretti (opposed to alcohol-free wine perhaps because its membership base does not like it? Or because progress is against it, as in the case of cultivated meat?).

On the phrase – see below – by Roberta Garibaldi ‘The drop in consumption is fought with winetours to producers’ homes’ we are very doubtful: those who do not consume do not go to the cellar.