New food-agency ambassador: President Biden tapped Jeffrey Prescott, a high-level State Department official, to serve as U.S. ambassador to the UN agencies for food and agriculture in Rome. (White House)
FAO food index decline: The FAO Food Price Index fell 2.6 percent in May — the 11th monthly decline in the past year — due to “significant drops” in prices for vegetable oils, cereals, and dairy. (Food and Agriculture Organization)
USDA closes research building: Following employee complaints about working conditions, the Agricultural Research Service said it would close temporarily for repairs a lab at its flagship Beltsville Agricultural Research Center that was damaged by flooding. (Reuters)
Prop 12 transition period: California agriculture officials said they would allow a transition period, through the end of the year, for food distributors and retailers to clear their freezers of pork that was not produced with housing that meets Proposition 12 standards. (CDFA)