A producer of lab-grown <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/food" target="_blank" rel="noopener">meat</a> unveiled an ancient appetizer that&#8217;s perfect for your Paleo diet.
An Australian synthetic meat producer called Vow unveiled a meatball made from the genetic material of the woolly mammoth on Tuesday. The meatball was created using proteins synthesized from the mammoth genome, and is part of the company&#8217;s mission to fight climate change using lab-grown meat. The company will unveil the creation at the NEMO science museum in Amsterdam Tuesday evening.
The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADNDIixeXG0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mammoth meatball</a> was created with the help of Ernst Wolvetang, a researcher at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering at the University of Queensland. Wolvetang synthesized mammoth muscle tissue using a DNA sequence for myoglobin, the protein responsible for the pigment and flavor of red meat. He then filled in a few gaps in the genetic material using DNA from the African elephant, a close relative of mammoths. The DNA was then implanted in myoblasts — the precursors to muscle cells— from a sheep. It was then replicated into about 20 billion cells, enough to produce 400 grams of mammoth meat.
“It was ridiculously easy and fast,” Wolvetang told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/28/meatball-mammoth-created-cultivated-meat-firm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Guardian</a>. “We did this in a couple of weeks.” Wolvetang added that the original goal of the project was to create a chicken nugget out of meat from the Dodo bird, but the necessary DNA sequences do not exist.
But nobody has tasted the mammoth meatball, and it&#8217;s very likely that nobody will. “We haven’t seen this protein for thousands of years,” Wolvetang said. “So we have no idea how our immune system would react when we eat it. But if we did it again, we could certainly do it in a way that would make it more palatable to regulatory bodies.”
Wolvetang said he could understand people initially being wary of such meat: “It’s a little bit strange and new – it’s always like that at first. But from an environmental and ethical point of view, I personally think [cultivated meat] makes a lot of sense.”
The company chose the mammoth specifically to push a message of the dangers of climate change. &#8220;We chose the woolly mammoth because it’s a symbol of diversity loss and a symbol of climate change.” Vow co-founder Tim Noakesmith told The Guardian. Woolly mammoths died out at the end of the last Ice Age; it is not entirely known whether hunting by humans or habitat loss contributed to their extinction.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lab-grown-meat-moves-forward" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lab-grown meat</a> is also moving forward with regulatory approval in the U.S. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) completed its first pre-market consultation for a human food made from cultured animal cells in November, according to a <a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/cfsan-constituent-updates/fda-completes-first-pre-market-consultation-human-food-made-using-animal-cell-culture-technology" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a>. The FDA reviewed a synthetic chicken product made by Upside Foods, and said that it had “no further questions” about it. But the product still needs to be approved by the USDA.
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The mammoth meatball is not the only fossilized fare synthesized from the prehistoric DNA. In <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2018/03/12/making-mastodon-gummies-geltor-is-recreating-a-truly-paleo-diet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2018</a>, a company called Geltor used DNA from a mastodon, a distant relative of the woolly mammoth, to create gelatine from collagen proteins. That gelatine was then used to create elephant-shaped gummy candies.

Woolly Mammoths

Australian Company Unveils Lab-Grown Meatball Made From Woolly Mammoth

Animals

Australia

Food

Science

World

Dollar Tree recently pulled <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/food" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eggs</a> from stores as <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/inflation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prices</a> for the staple grocery remain elevated.
Dollar Tree, which operates approximately 9,000 locations throughout the United States, said in a statement provided to multiple news outlets that the company will not sell eggs until prices moderate. Family Dollar, a subsidiary of Dollar Tree, will continue to sell eggs.
“Our primary price point at Dollar Tree is $1.25. The cost of eggs is currently very high,” Dollar Tree spokesperson Randy Guiler said, vowing that the discount store will return eggs to shelves when “costs are more in line with historical levels.”
A recent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/crying-fowl-government-warns-of-turkey-shortage-ahead-of-thanksgiving" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bout</a> of the avian flu has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-price-of-eggs-soaring-138-is-no-coincidence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decreased</a> the size of American poultry flocks, raising costs for chicken and turkey while causing a severe increase in egg prices. One dozen large Grade A eggs sold for a national average of $4.20 as of February 2023, according to <a href="https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/APU0000708111" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, constituting a 110% rise from $2.01 in February 2022 and a 163% rise from $1.60 in February 2021.
Headline inflation rose 6.0% between February 2022 and February 2023, according to more <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, marking a modest decline from the 9.1% year-over-year levels observed in June 2022. Prices for food at home increased at a more elevated 10.2% between February 2022 and February 2023, while costs for food away from home increased 8.4% over the same time horizon.
President Joe Biden nevertheless noted that “annual inflation is down by a third from this summer” in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-says-economy-will-continue-to-make-progress-after-another-dismal-inflation-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> from the White House responding to the data; he failed to mention that inflation is more than three times higher than the 1.4% level observed when he entered office in January 2021. “We will continue to make progress in our fight to build an economy from the bottom up and middle out, not top down,” the commander-in-chief said.
Individuals who purchase from discount stores generally come from lower-income households. Inflation has a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wharton-economist-warns-that-inflation-is-hitting-poor-americans-the-hardest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">greater impact</a> on such families, which typically allocate a greater portion of their monthly income to core living expenses relative to wealthier families.
Dollar Tree announced an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dollar-trees-controversial-new-1-25-price-point-is-actually-working%5C" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increase</a> in its primary price point from $1.00 to $1.25 in November 2021, constituting the first such move in nearly four decades. Diluted earnings per share for the third fiscal quarter, however, increased by 25% between 2021 and 2022.
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“Our third quarter sales performance reflects the timely execution of merchandising initiatives to drive our consumables business in this uncertain and inflationary environment,” Dollar Tree CEO Mike Witynski remarked. “Same-store sales for both segments improved from the prior quarter and delivered a sequential monthly improvement throughout the quarter. Shoppers are responding to our new value proposition at Family Dollar and Dollar Tree as we focus on driving both traffic and store productivity.”
Discount stores tend to perform well during recessions and other periods of economic tumult. “The efforts to evolve the assortment to drive consumables performance at Dollar Tree, combined with initiatives designed to improve the value proposition at Family Dollar, are working,” Witynski continued. “We believe we will continue to be part of the solution to millions of households seeking value at a time when they need us most.”

US-INFLATION-ECONOMY-SHOPPING

Eggs Are So Expensive That Dollar Tree Is No Longer Selling Them

Dollar Tree Pulls Eggs From Shelves Due To Inflation

Economy

Inflation

U.S.

Buffalo Wild Wings has been named in a <a href="https://wgntv.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/03/Buffalo-Wild-Wings-Boneless-Wings-Complaint.pdf">class-action lawsuit</a> by a Chicago resident who accused the restaurant chain of using false and deceptive advertising on its boneless wings, which he believes are only chicken nuggets.
Court documents obtained by <a href="https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-news/chicago-man-files-class-action-suit-against-buffalo-wild-wings-says-boneless-wings-are-just-nuggets/">WGN-TV</a> show plaintiff Aimen Halim filed the complaint on Friday in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against the restaurant chain and its parent-company Inspire Brands, which the complaint alleges &#8220;is responsible for the composition, preparation, advertising, marketing and sale of &#8216;Buffalo Wild Wings&#8217; product.&#8221;
&#8220;This class action seeks to challenge the false and deceptive marketing and advertising of Buffalo Wild Wings&#8217; Boneless Wings,&#8221; the filings read. &#8220;Specifically, the name and description of the Products (i.e., as &#8220;Boneless Wings&#8221;) leads reasonable consumers to believe the Products are actually chicken wings. &#8221;
In other words, Halim claims people were led to believe that the defendants simply deboned the chicken wings, which would then have been comprised entirely of chicken wing meat.
A Buffalo Wild Wings spokesperson directed The Daily Wire to a tweet from the restaurant&#8217;s official account when asked for comment on the lawsuit.
&#8220;It&#8217;s true,&#8221; the tweet reads. &#8220;Our boneless wings are all white meat chicken. Our hamburgers contain no ham. Our buffalo wings are 0% buffalo.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
It’s true. Our boneless wings are all white meat chicken. Our hamburgers contain no ham. Our buffalo wings are 0% buffalo.
&mdash; Buffalo Wild Wings (@BWWings) <a href="https://twitter.com/BWWings/status/1635353980489584640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Halim purchased boneless wings from a location in Mount Prospect, Illinois, in January when he made his claim about one of the restaurant&#8217;s most popular food items.
Had the plaintiff and other consumers known the truth about the wings, the lawsuit reads, they would have either paid less for the food or not purchased the poultry at all.
&#8220;As a result, Mr. Halim suffered a financial injury as a result of Defendants&#8217; false and deceptive conduct,&#8221; the lawsuit reads.
Halim compared Buffalo Wild Wings to other food chains like Papa John&#8217;s and Domino&#8217;s in the complaint, saying that both restaurants sell boneless wings but disclose the products are made from white chicken breast meat.
Halim also referred to a New York Times article from 2009 in the complaint that reported the practice of selling boneless &#8220;wings&#8221; that are not actually wings derived from the high-flying costs of real chicken wings and the decrease in chicken breast prices.
Mike Bell, the logistics and purchasing manager for Buffalo Wild Wings, said that &#8220;basically a whole bunch of [poultry processors] are throwing their hands in the air and saying, &#8216;I don&#8217;t know what&#8217;s going on. We&#8217;ve never seen it this way.'&#8221;
Prices for a pound of chicken breasts — boneless and skinless — dropped nearly a full dollar compared to the rise of bone-in wings in 2020, a <a href="https://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/pywretailchicken.pdf">USDA National Retail Report</a> showed observed by WGN-TV. However, in the last year, prices of regular boneless, skinless chicken breasts fell from $3.99 to $3.53 a pound, while whole wings have dropped from $4.29 to $2.30 per pound.
Halim seeks to represent a nationwide class and an Illinois class lawsuit on behalf of himself and other consumers, and is seeking damages, injunctive relief, restitution, declaratory relief, and all other remedies the Court deems appropriate.

12/13 Food Cover on chain restaurants

Class-Action Lawsuit Accuses Buffalo Wild Wings Of Disguising Chicken Nuggets As Boneless Wings

Chicago

Courts

Lawsuit

What is conservatism? Ask 10 people and you’ll get 10 different answers. In our confused American moment, knowing what conservatism is and what it isn’t will help us find clarity, invite sanity back into the public square, and give us a better chance to cure what ills our United States.
If you’re hungry as you read this, all the better. Because I’m not here to lecture you on the definition of conservatism. I’m inviting you to actually taste it. On a recent road trip to California, I stopped for dinner at the most northern In-N-Out Burger restaurant in America in Keizer, Oregon. As I ate, I realized I was experiencing a living, breathing, intensely popular American conservatism in action. It wasn’t just a meal – it was a primer in what it looks like to conserve worthy goals, methods, and values. Order some food, pull up a chair, and let me show you how.
First, In-N-Out Burger conserves worthy goals. When Harry and Esther Snyder created the first In-N-Out Burger in 1948, they combined the innovative new idea of a drive-thru with the old-fashioned ideas of superior quality and service. In doing this they were catering to two conditions American thinker Russell Kirk considers necessary for the healthy functioning of any society: the impulse to improve as well as the impulse to conserve. In-N-Out’s singular priority has always been the customer. New managers receive consistent training in this philosophy at the company’s headquarters, ensuring that all 385 In-N-Out locations have the same goal: a satisfying dining experience for every customer.
To that end, one of the first things you notice about In-N-Out restaurants is a clean, bright, inviting environment outside and inside. The second thing you notice is a simple, straightforward menu. There’s no reason for decision fatigue and little possibility that the number of your favorite combo has changed since your last visit.
You’ll also notice the friendliness and helpfulness of the associates. Dressed to impress in distinctive red and white, team members demonstrate unity in their uniform appearance. You won’t be distracted by statement-making t-shirts, inappropriate tattoos, or unkempt hair, for example. You’re also highly likely to enjoy a smile when you step up to the counter, as well as when you’re served your food and perhaps even during your meal. In today’s screen-saturated age, good customer service has become somewhat of a rarity, so it’s especially appealing to interact with young workers who have an attitude of gratefulness and cheerfulness as they go about their work.
While other fast food restaurants may have sacrificed superior quality and service in the name of profits, In-N-Out Burger leads the way in conserving those goals. It’s one reason they were <a href="https://www.rd.com/article/best-fast-food-burger/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted makers of &#8216;the best fast-food burger in America&#8217;</a> in a 2022 restaurant survey, leading in almost every category including food quality, staff friendliness, cleanliness, atmosphere, and healthy food options.
The second thing In-N-Out Burger successfully conserves are worthy methods. While some competitors perfect their fries in a science lab and take advantage of the latest artificial methods of cooking and processing, In-N-Out takes pride in being different. Burgers are made from fresh beef. Buns are made the old-fashioned way from real sponge dough with no preservatives. Associates hand-leaf lettuce every day and cook fries the same way they did in the 1940s: with fresh potatoes in 100% sunflower oil.
In-N-Out Burger is so committed to freshness, they won’t build a restaurant more than a day’s journey away from their own family-owned facilities. And being conservative does not have to mean being tone-deaf to current needs. For example, many restaurants today find ways to cater to common allergens, and In-N-Out Burger is no exception. Those with a gluten sensitivity, or who wish to reduce the overall calories of their meal, can order their burger “protein-style” – sandwiched between fresh leaves of lettuce.
In-N-Out’s embrace of traditional methods is not a lack of imagination or an unwillingness to keep up with modernity. It’s merely the recognition that these traditional techniques of making food are, in fact, the best ways.
A third thing In-N-Out Burger conserves are good values. Underneath their cups, fry boats, and wrappers, the company prints scripture references. Not the whole text of verses — simply the book, chapter, and verse. On the soda cup you’ll find John 3:16: “For God so loved the world…” On the wrapper for their famous Double-Double burger, you’ll notice Nahum 1:7 and the reminder that the Lord is “a stronghold in the day of trouble.” The subtle family touch began in the 1980s with Richard Snyder, son of the founders, and has been expanded by granddaughter and current CEO Lynsi Snyder.
The practice is a nod to the Judeo-Christian faith tradition that undergirds America’s founding. It’s a rare acknowledgment from a successful American company that there’s something even greater than profit or even a tasty hamburger, something we can trust even in difficult or confused times. Conservatism has been described as an inclination to cherish the permanent things. Timeless Bible verses printed on disposable cups and wrappers bound for the garbage can are a small but effective reminder of such lasting ideas. They remind us that the grass withers and the flowers fade, but some things endure.
In today’s charged political climate, the definition of conservatism is up for grabs. “What do self-described conservatives stand for in 2023?” asks NPR in a recent headline, while Bloomberg declares “American and British Conservatives Are Frozen in Failure.” Although many of our political and cultural battles are rooted in the current moment, conservatism calls us to go deeper: to be stewards of our inheritance and builders of a better future. With its conservation of worthy goals, methods, and values, In-N-Out Burger shows us what a vibrant American conservatism looks like, and it’s delicious!
Andrew McDiarmid is a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute. His writing has recently appeared in The New York Post, Houston Chronicle, RealClearPolitics and The Daily Wire. Follow him on Twitter at @AMcDiarmid and read more of his work at www.andrewmcdiarmid.org.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Hollywood Exteriors And Landmarks – 2021

Why In-N-Out Burger Is What Vibrant Conservatism Tastes Like

Conservatism

Judeo-Christian Values

Readers Pass

Restaurant

Perhaps a pair of Honduran illegal aliens were shocked and appalled at the <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=inflation+dailywire&amp;rlz=1C5GCEM_enUS998US998&amp;oq=inflation+dailywire&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57j69i64l3.2059j0j4&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">outrageous inflation in Biden&#8217;s America</a>, and that&#8217;s what caused them to allegedly kill the country&#8217;s national bird in an attempt to get a free meal, if authorities&#8217; allegations are to be believed.
On Monday, <a href="https://freebeacon.com/latest-news/two-suspected-illegal-immigrants-killed-a-bald-eagle-federal-authorities-dont-seem-to-care/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Washington Free Beacon</a> reported that the Stanton County Sheriff’s Office in Nebraska arrested two foreign nationals after local law enforcement received reports of a suspicious vehicle lingering outside the Wood Duck State Wildlife Management in late February.
When the police came a-knockin&#8217;, they found more than they bargained for. According to Stanton County, Ramiro Hernandez-Tziquin and Domingo Zetino-Hernandez, both age 20, were found not only to be driving without a license but carrying around a dead bald eagle in their car that the two intended to eat. They claim they shot the bird down as it flew over a protected area.
&#8220;I’m trying to be as politically correct as possible when I say this but I don’t know what kind of third-world life they’re coming from, but it must have been pretty bad,&#8221; Sheriff Mike Unger <a href="https://freebeacon.com/latest-news/feds-open-investigation-into-suspected-illegal-immigrants-accused-of-killing-bald-eagle/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told The Free Beacon</a>. He said the photos are &#8220;very graphic&#8221; and contain &#8220;lots of blood.&#8221;
Unger claimed he was &#8220;frustrated&#8221; because federal authorities had refused to arrest the two or pay any attention to the case at all. The two men were charged with misdemeanors, but Nebraska state law prevented them from being held until their trial on March 28.
After The Free Beacon&#8217;s initial report, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service told the outlet that its Office of Law Enforcement &#8220;has an open investigation into this incident, and has been working actively with the Stanton County Sheriff&#8217;s Office and Nebraska Game and Parks Commission since the day it occurred.&#8221;
&#8220;The Office of Law Enforcement is currently in possession of the air rifle and the eagle,&#8221; a spokesman added. &#8220;Due to the nature of ongoing investigations, we are unable to provide further comment at this time.&#8221;
As illegal aliens <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-admin-shatters-all-time-record-for-number-of-illegal-alien-encounters-on-southern-border" target="_blank" rel="noopener">come into the United States</a> by the millions under Biden,  perhaps there is no better metaphor for the state of the country than a pair of alleged illegal immigrants killing and attempting to eat a bald eagle as the federal government is accused of having a lackluster response to the situation.
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America is being eaten alive because of the president&#8217;s open border policies as hundreds of thousands come to the U.S., arguably for<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-is-a-free-for-all-nyc-hotel-worker-describes-chaos-as-migrants-have-trashed-rooms-brought-in-drugs" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> taxpayer benefits like those found in New York City</a>, while his administration commits dereliction of duty on the matter.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

American Bald Eagle in the wild perched on a ranch fence post in early morning light looking downward as if feeling sad or distressed. BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – MARCH 1: U.S. President Joe Biden departs after speaking during the annual House Democrats Issues Conference at the Hyatt Regency Hotel March 1, 2023 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Perfect Metaphor: Illegal Aliens Kill Bald Eagle For A Free Meal In Biden’s America, Police Say

Illegal Immigration

Immigration

Joe Biden

Nebraska

Politics

Southern Border

Supermarket chains in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-k" target="_blank" rel="noopener">United Kingdom</a> have started to ration <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/food" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fruits and vegetables</a> as a nationwide <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/supply-chain" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shortage</a> of fresh produce continues.
Tesco, the nation’s leading grocery retailer, has introduced limits on tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers to three items per customer, according to a <a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/breaking-aldi-becomes-latest-supermarket-29284106" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from The Mirror. Budget supermarket Aldi implemented an identical move, while the purchase limits at Asda also apply to lettuce, bagged salad, broccoli, cauliflower, and raspberries. Customers at Morrisons can purchase two items per individual when shopping for tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, and peppers.
Lidl was the latest supermarket chain to introduce limits on fruit and vegetable purchases as cold weather in Spain and Morocco impacts the availability of fresh produce in the United Kingdom, according to a <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/business-64785676" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from BBC News. &#8220;Whilst we still have good availability across the majority of our stores, due to a recent increase in demand we have taken the decision to temporarily limit the purchase of peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers to three items per person,&#8221; a spokesperson for Lidl told the outlet. &#8220;This will help to ensure that all of our customers have access to the products they need.&#8221;
Beyond growers in the warmer climates of Spain and Morocco, rising prices for energy, fertilizer, and animal feed have introduced cost pressures for British farmers, leading one-third to change their cropping plans, according to a <a href="https://www.nfuonline.com/updates-and-information/rising-costs-government-needs-to-assess-impacts-on-farming/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> released last summer by the National Farmers Union. Some producers, for instance, are pivoting from growing milling wheat for bread to growing feed wheat for livestock because of the lower fertilizer required for the latter.
“Costs are rising rapidly on farms across the country and across all sectors,” National Farmers Union President Minette Batters said in a statement. “It’s already having an impact on the food we&#8217;re producing as a nation as well as leading to a crisis of confidence among farmers.”
British Farming Minister Mark Spencer met earlier this week with grocery executives to discuss the shortages. A statement from the British Retail Consortium, a trade association that represents supermarkets, said that consumers can expect relief in the coming weeks and that suppliers “acknowledged the importance of food security, but noted that this requires a wider strategy involving government, farmers, food manufacturers, retailers and hospitality,&#8221; according to a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/uk-government-calls-supermarket-bosses-salad-crisis-talks-2023-02-27/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from Reuters.
The shortages in the United Kingdom occur as the global economy continues to grapple with supply chain bottlenecks and the Russian war in Ukraine, which have increased worldwide food and energy prices. Customers in the United States have not been immune from the phenomena: expenses for food at home <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inflation-rises-more-than-expected-in-january-after-biden-claimed-prices-are-coming-down" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increased</a> 11.3% between January 2022 and January 2023, while costs for food away from home rose 8.2% over the same period. A recent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/crying-fowl-government-warns-of-turkey-shortage-ahead-of-thanksgiving" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bout</a> of the avian flu has likewise <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-price-of-eggs-soaring-138-is-no-coincidence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decreased</a> the size of American poultry flocks, raising costs for chicken and turkey while causing a severe increase in prices for eggs.
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Despite the persistent increases in food expenses, President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-claims-families-have-a-little-bit-more-breathing-room-after-another-dismal-inflation-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">responded</a> last week to an inflation data release by contending that “we have made progress on inflation, but we have more work to do.” He touted efforts from his administration to reduce prices and said Republicans undermine the economy by opposing his spending agenda.

Bad Weather To Blame For Fresh Veg Shortage

British Supermarkets Ration Fruits And Vegetables

British Grocery Chains Begin To Ration Fruits And Vegetables

Supply Chain

United Kingdom

The cost of a dozen eggs has now surpassed the price of a pound of beef, marking the first time that&#8217;s happened since the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began keeping <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/APU0000708111" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> in 1980.
The average price of a dozen large Grade A eggs ran at $4.82 in January 2023, while a pound of ground beef was $4.64. In January 2022, eggs were $1.93, and beef was $4.77, but egg prices have soared by 70% in the last year alone.
Farm Action, a farmer-led advocacy group, says the &#8220;real culprit&#8221; behind sky-high prices is a &#8220;collusive scheme&#8221; among top U.S. egg producers to fix prices to gouge consumers.
In a January <a href="https://farmaction.us/2023/01/19/farm-action-calls-for-ftc-to-investigate-record-high-egg-prices/?utm_source=substack&amp;amp;amp;utm_medium=email" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Farm Action said the alleged collusion has helped egg producers to &#8220;extract egregious profits reaching as high as 40%.&#8221;
The letter said avian flu is not to blame. &#8220;Examining publicly-available financial data from the egg industry, the letter determines that the supply disruption caused by the avian flu outbreak had an &#8216;apparently mild impact on the industry,'&#8221; the group said in a press release.
The group also said egg producers are making money hand over fist. &#8220;For the 26-week period ending on November 26, 2022, Cal-Maine reported a ten-fold year-over-year increase in gross profits — from $50.392 million to $535.339 million — and a five-fold increase in its gross margins,&#8221; the letter said.
But Dave Juday, an agriculture economist with the Juday Group, said there is a slew of reasons for rising prices.
&#8220;The reason for egg price inflation is Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI),&#8221; he told The Daily Wire. &#8220;To date, about 5.76 million birds have been depopulated due to HPAI and 43.78 million have been commercial layers. As a result, 2022 egg production was down about 363.6 million dozen from the 2019/2020 average.&#8221;
The dearth of eggs led to higher costs, &#8220;passed on at a higher proportion to other [corporate] food processors/manufacturers more than retail consumers. &#8230; Markets – especially commodities – are priced on the margin. That is why a 30 percent production change can drive a 60% change in price,&#8221; Juday said.
He also said Farm Action’s comments that CalMaine and others &#8220;extorted margins&#8221; doesn&#8217;t make sense because it &#8220;ignores the way markets work.&#8221;
&#8220;For those who believe in market economics, the price the buyer is willing to pay for the amount of a product that is supplied is the classic text book definition of &#8216;demand.&#8217; An analogy, it would be refreshing to learn that Farm Action turns down marginal additional donations because it is already publicizing and lobbying its issues on the budget it already has and because the &#8216;demand&#8217; from donors for more such work is irrelevant to their production of that work.&#8221;
The high cost of eggs has led to a spike in plant-based egg alternatives. Eat Just, which develops and markets the brand JUST Egg, saw a 10% increase in U.S. household penetration for its egg alternatives in January, chief revenue officer Matt Riley <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/surging-egg-prices-giving-rise-plant-based-alternatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Fox News.
&#8220;We achieved 2.1 million, our highest household number since we&#8217;ve launched nearly four years ago,&#8221; he said.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to josephcurl@dailywire.com and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.

Egg Prices Soar in California

A Dozen Eggs Now Cost More Than A Pound Of Beef. Here’s Why.

A Dozen Eggs Now Cost More Than A Pound Of Beef. Here's Why.

The Consumer Price Index rose 6.4% between January 2022 and January 2023 as <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/inflation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">price</a> pressure from household staples such as food and shelter remains elevated, according to a <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The month-to-month increase of 0.5% exceeded analysts’ forecasts, while core inflation, which factors out the more volatile food and energy categories, rose 0.4%, also surpassing expectations. Food prices increased 0.5% and shelter prices increased 0.7% even as energy prices rose 2.0%.
“The pace of disinflation has slowed, and if a 0.5% monthly increase in headline and 0.4% in core prices are what passes for progress, we have low expectations,” Bankrate Chief Financial Analyst Greg McBride said in comments provided to The Daily Wire.
The most recent price level report comes one week after President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2023/02/07/remarks-of-president-joe-biden-state-of-the-union-address-as-prepared-for-delivery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that “inflation is coming down” in his second State of the Union address. “Inflation has been a global problem because of the pandemic that disrupted supply chains and Putin’s war that disrupted energy and food supplies,” he said. “But we’re better positioned than any country on Earth.”
The year-over-year inflation reading of 6.4% in January 2023 constituted a slight moderation from the 6.5% recorded in December 2022. Energy prices, which had declined 4.5% in the previous month, were responsible for much of the disinflation, a trend which now appears to be reversing itself since prices for gasoline and utility gas services rose 2.4% and 6.7% respectively in January 2023. The elevated fuel costs occur after gasoline prices attained their <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gas-prices-in-2022-were-the-highest-on-record-heres-where-they-could-be-heading-next-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highest levels</a> on record last year.
The rise in food prices has been especially salient for households attempting to make ends meet. Costs for food at home increased 11.3% between January 2022 and January 2023, while costs for food away from home rose 8.2% over the same period.
“The broad-based improvement needed to be seen in order to feel good about where inflation is headed is still lacking,” McBride continued. “The leading contributors continue to be categories that are staples of the household budget: food, shelter, electricity, natural gas, apparel, vehicle insurance, and household furnishing and operations.”
Inflation has indeed eroded household purchasing power and led some consumers to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/personal-savings-rate-plummets-to-lowest-level-since-2005" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fund</a> their budgets with savings and debt. Some 50% of respondents to a Gallup <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/469898/half-say-worse-off-highest-2009.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a> said they are “financially worse off” compared to one year ago, while 35% believe they are “financially better off,” marking the most dismal results for the poll since the economy crashed in 2008 and 2009. Lower-income households were the most likely to report that they are financially worse off.
“Inflation has shredded household budgets over the past two years, and not just when it comes to one-off discretionary expenses or special occasions, but for keeping up with day-to-day bills,” McBride added. “Until inflation returns to the 2% neighborhood, pressure on household finances will continue.”
Policymakers at the Federal Reserve have been increasing target federal funds rates in a bid to combat inflationary pressures. Officials <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-reserve-raises-target-interest-rates-by-quarter-point-marking-slowdown-of-aggressive-hikes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raised</a> rates by 0.25% earlier this month after introducing four <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-federal-reserve-hikes-target-interest-rates-half-a-percentage-point" target="_blank" rel="noopener">consecutive</a> rate hikes of 0.75% and one rate hike of 0.5% in the second half of last year. McBride said central bankers are still expected to increase interest rates 0.25% during their meeting next month, although more inflation and unemployment data are expected before officials make their decision.

US President Joe Biden speaks during a State of the Union address at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023. Biden is speaking against the backdrop of renewed tensions with China and a brewing showdown with House Republicans over raising the federal debt ceiling.

Inflation Rises More Than Expected In January After Biden Claimed Prices Are ‘Coming Down’

Inflation Rises More Than Expected In January: ‘Pressure On Household Finances Will Continue’

Energy

Federal Reserve

A Washington Post columnist conducted a surreal exercise in absurdity this week to explain why <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/food" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eggs</a> &#8212; which have soared 138% in price &#8212; are &#8220;cheaper than you think.&#8221;
Well, they&#8217;re not, really. Fact: the average price for large Grade A eggs was $4.25 a dozen in December, up from $1.79 exactly a year earlier, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. By the way, a dozen eggs cost just $1.33 in August 2020.
So, using advanced mathematics, eggs cost $2.46 more in December than they did a year ago.
But Megan McArdle, a Post columnist and the author of &#8220;The Up Side of Down: Why Failing Well Is the Key to Success,&#8221; worked some magic mathematics of her own. Unlike President Joe Biden, she did not blame &#8220;Putin&#8217;s price hike,&#8221; but explained that chickens have gotten sick and that&#8217;s leading to the higher price.
&#8220;The truth is that U.S. egg production is still recovering from a bout of avian flu that has devastated flocks in the United States and Europe,&#8221; she <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/02/07/egg-prices-history-relative-economics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>. &#8220;And while activists and senators are puzzled by how a 29 percent decline in egg production can lead to a much larger increase in the price of eggs, agricultural economist Jayson Lusk says that’s exactly what you would expect with a product for which demand is relatively insensitive to price changes.&#8221;
Right. Twenty-nine percent drop in production, 138% rise in prices. Makes sense. Not. But hey, I&#8217;m not an agricultural economist.
Of course, everything&#8217;s more expensive due to inflation (McArdle points out a dozen eggs cost 25 cents in 1901). Yet she notes that modern production has reduced costs across the board.
&#8220;Almost all food items have gotten much cheaper, relative to our incomes, than they were a century ago. But some food prices fell faster than others, and chicken and eggs were among those that saw the greatest improvements, thanks to a combination of agricultural innovations,&#8221; she wrote.
Moving chickens indoors to protect them from predators and giving them artificial light to extend the laying season have led to greater production.
Finally, she makes this point: &#8220;But the benefits of this revolution have also been enormous. In 1905, an average male factory worker older than 16 took home $11.16 a week, enough to buy about 41 cartons of eggs. Today, the median man earns $1,176 a week, enough to buy more than 275 cartons of eggs, even at today’s elevated prices.&#8221;
She concludes: &#8220;If you can’t help cringing when you see the cashier ring up eggs that cost twice as much as they did a year ago, it might help to remember that however poor you feel, your ancestors would have taken one look at your grocery cart and declared you rich beyond their dreams,&#8221; she wrote.
Now, the Post&#8217;s motto is &#8220;Democracy Dies In Darkness,&#8221; but it&#8217;s hard to see the light in this argument. Yes, my great-grandfather would&#8217;ve marveled at the convenience of buying a bag of Doritos Flamin&#8217; Hot Limon chips, but he would in fact cringe at the $5.59 price.
Farm Action, a farmer advocacy group, has a whole different theory for the price hike. The group says the &#8220;real culprit&#8221; behind sky-high prices is a &#8220;collusive scheme&#8221; among top U.S. egg producers to fix prices to gouge consumers.
In a <a href="https://farmaction.us/2023/01/19/farm-action-calls-for-ftc-to-investigate-record-high-egg-prices/?utm_source=substack&amp;amp;amp;utm_medium=email" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) last month, Farm Action said the alleged collusion has helped egg producers to &#8220;extract egregious profits reaching as high as 40%.&#8221;
And the letter said avian flu is not to blame.
&#8220;Examining publicly-available financial data from the egg industry, the letter determines that the supply disruption caused by the avian flu outbreak had an &#8216;apparently mild impact on the industry,’” the group said in a press release.
Plus, the group said egg producers like Cal-Maine are making money hand over fist.
&#8220;For the 26-week period ending on November 26, 2022, Cal-Maine reported a ten-fold year-over-year increase in gross profits — from $50.392 million to $535.339 million — and a five-fold increase in its gross margins,&#8221; the letter said.
And the group says &#8220;the real culprit behind this 138 percent hike in the price of a carton of eggs appears to be a collusive scheme among industry leaders to turn inflationary conditions and an avian flu outbreak into an opportunity to extract egregious profits reaching as high as 40 percent.&#8221;
“In the end, what Cal-Maine Foods and the other large egg producers did last year — and seem to be intent on doing again this year — is extort billions of dollars from the pockets of ordinary Americans through what amounts to a tax on a staple we all need: eggs,” the letter said. “They did so without any legitimate business justification. They did so because there is no &#8216;reasonable substitute&#8217; for a carton of eggs. They did so because they had power and weren’t afraid to use it.”
So, to sum up, eggs are not cheaper than we think, they are, in fact, more expensive than they were (by the way, &#8220;thinking&#8221; about the price is pointless). And there&#8217;s not a scarcity because of avian flu, but rather, Farm Action says, collusion that&#8217;s driving up the price.
To paraphrase the Post&#8217;s motto: Democracy dies in dumbness.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to josephcurl@dailywire.com and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.

‘Cheaper Than You Think’: Washington Post Writer Pens Bizarre Piece About The Soaring Price Of Eggs

 'Cheaper Than You Think': Washington Post Writer Pens Piece Story About Price Of Eggs

Legacy Media

Media

Washington Post

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/starbucks?_gl=1*98sfg7*_ga*OTAwNTI1NTYwLjE2MTM5NzIxMzI.*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTY2MTc5MTQ5My4xMTg2LjEuMTY2MTc5MjE2NC4yNi4wLjA." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Starbucks</a> will increase the number of loyalty points necessary to enjoy free <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/food" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drinks and snacks</a> next week as the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/business" target="_blank" rel="noopener">company</a> battles persistent <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/inflation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inflation</a>.
Enthusiasts of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/restaurant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">restaurant</a> chain will have to spend more in order to reap the same amount of benefits for most items in the popular Starbucks Rewards loyalty program. The alterations constitute an effort to “better align the cost of product redemptions to our current pricing,” Starbucks CMO Brady Brewer remarked during a recent <a href="https://s22.q4cdn.com/869488222/files/doc_financials/2023/q1/SBUXQ12023EarningsCall.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">earnings call</a>.
“By making that change, it will create discount efficiency which helps us to continue to grow the program while effectively managing margin,” he told investors.
Starbucks Rewards participants can <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/rewards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">redeem</a> a brewed hot coffee, bakery item, or hot tea for 50 stars; a handcrafted drink, hot breakfast, or parfait for 150 stars; a lunch sandwich, protein box, or salad for 200 stars; and select merchandise or at-home coffee for 400 stars. The items available at the 50-star tier will soon be <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/rewards/terms-coming-soon/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">available</a> at 100 stars, while the items available at the 150-star and 200-star tiers will become available at 200 stars and 300 stars.
On the other hand, the redemption value of iced coffee and iced tea products will decrease from 150 stars to 100 stars, while packaged coffee will decrease from 400 stars to 300 stars.
The changes occur months after prices for the Pumpkin Spice Latte, one of the brand’s most popular seasonal items, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pumpkin-price-latte-cost-of-starbucks-popular-fall-drink-rises-due-to-inflation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increased</a> some 4% from the previous autumn. Coffee prices in the United States have more generally increased 14.3% between December 2021 and December 2022, according to <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.t02.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, while prices for roasted coffee and instant coffee have risen 15.5% and 10.8%, respectively.
Overall food inflation reached 10.4% as of two months ago, considerably exceeding the 6.5% headline inflation rate. Food away from home, a cost category that includes spending at restaurants, increased 8.3% over the same period.
Restaurants have also languished under historically low labor force participation, which has prompted executives to raise wages and pass increased costs onto consumers. There are currently two open positions in the labor market for every one unemployed individual, according to more <a href="https://www.bls.gov/charts/job-openings-and-labor-turnover/unemp-per-job-opening.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Several national fast-food chains have started efforts to automate restaurant operations as the persistent labor shortages continue to disadvantage employers in the job market. McDonald’s recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-real-minimum-wage-is-zero-mcdonalds-restaurant-uses-automation-for-pickups-and-orders" target="_blank" rel="noopener">created</a> a test restaurant in Texas in which customers can use kiosks and a mobile app to grab their orders from a conveyor belt rather than interacting with staff, while Chipotle <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-passed-a-new-minimum-wage-bill-now-chipotle-is-testing-a-robotic-chip-maker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tested</a> a robotic chip maker at a California location.
Starbucks and other restaurant chains are likewise contending with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/america-has-become-unsafe-starbucks-ceo-rips-politicians-in-decaying-cities-after-closing-16-urban-stores" target="_blank" rel="noopener">disturbances</a> from increased levels of crime and homelessness in their urban locations. The company said last year that it would close locations in cities such as Seattle, Los Angeles, Portland, and Philadelphia amid the safety issues. “It has shocked me that one of the primary concerns that our retail partners have is their own personal safety,” Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz told employees in leaked footage. “And then we heard the stories that go along with it about what happens in our bathrooms, the issue of mental illness, the issue of homelessness, and the issue of crime.”

Starbucks.

Bean Counting: Starbucks Rewards Demands More Points For Free Drinks Due To Inflation

Starbucks Rewards Demands More Points For Free Drinks

Business

Starbucks

Food <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/inflation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inflation</a> that has gripped the United States for the past two years will put a significant damper on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/super-bowl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Super Bowl</a> parties even as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/football" target="_blank" rel="noopener">football</a> fans can claw back some savings depending on the snacks they decide to purchase.
Prices for food at home have increased 11.8% between December 2021 and December 2022, according to <a href="https://www.bls.gov/cpi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, while prices for food away from home have increased 8.3% over the same period. Costs for every segment in the former category, from cereals and bakery goods to meat and poultry, have risen significantly over the past year.
Friends and family gathering to watch the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Kansas City Chiefs this weekend will have to contend with the high prices. Hosts who provide their guests with chips and dip, which respondents to a <a href="https://www.bhg.com/news/popular-superbowl-food/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a> from Better Homes and Gardens identified as their most popular game day snack, will face prices for field-grown tomatoes that have risen 16.9% over the past year. Costs for potato chips have likewise increased 22%, while prices for cheddar cheese and American cheese have increased 14% and 19.7%, respectively.
Higher costs for tomatoes and cheese could apply upward pressure to prices for pizza, the third most popular fare identified by survey respondents; all-purpose white flour, another common component of pizza, is likewise 34.5% more expensive since last year.
Football enthusiasts can nevertheless experience cost savings in some areas. Prices for chicken wings, the second most popular Super Bowl fare, have declined roughly 21.6% over the past year, according to an <a href="https://global.wf.com/hub_blog/wells-fargo-reveals-top-pick-super-bowl-poultry-producers-score-early-wings-22/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> from Wells Fargo. Chicken legs are 3.9% less expensive.
Common side dishes and beverages, however, are precipitously more expensive. Prices for chocolate chip cookies have risen 21.6% over the past year, while prices for malt beverages such as beer have risen 10.9% over the same period.
The Super Bowl is not the first holiday in recent years to be severely impacted by inflation. The cost of a Thanksgiving dinner rose 20% between 2021 and 2022, according to an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/amber-waves-of-pain-thanksgiving-dinners-will-be-20-more-expensive-this-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> from the American Farm Bureau Association, while the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/last-year-biden-bragged-about-16-cents-in-fourth-of-july-cookout-savings-this-year-prices-rose-by-double-digits" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cost</a> of a Fourth of July cookout rose 17%.
President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-paints-rosy-posture-on-the-economy-before-state-of-the-union-heres-the-real-story" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> ahead of his second State of the Union address that the United States has witnessed annualized headline inflation which has declined for “six months” due to his economic policies. Despite the recent slowdown in price level increases driven by lower energy costs, year-over-year inflation was charted at 6.5% in December 2022, according to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-tide-has-turned-inflation-sees-largest-drop-since-2020-lockdowns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly quintupling the 1.4% rate seen in December 2020.
The commander-in-chief nevertheless asserted during the landmark <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2023/02/07/remarks-of-president-joe-biden-state-of-the-union-address-as-prepared-for-delivery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">speech</a> that food prices are “coming down” as take-home pay increases. Price levels, however, have grown at a consistently faster rate than nominal wages over the past two years, reflecting an erosion of buying power.
“Inflation has been a global problem because of the pandemic that disrupted supply chains and Putin’s war that disrupted energy and food supplies. But we’re better positioned than any country on Earth,” Biden told lawmakers and senior government officials in the speech. “We have more to do, but here at home, inflation is coming down.”

President Biden Delivers State Of The Union Address

Not Even Super Bowl Parties Are Safe From Runaway Food Inflation

Super Bowl Inflation Threatens To Dampen Game Day Celebrations

Football

Super Bowl

A study published last week is showing how seaweed farming could be beneficial to the globe for a variety of reasons, but some concerns may still remain.
The new kind of farming could create a situation in which greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced, as well as cut back on the need for crops that are grown on the earth, according to the study, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-022-01043-y" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> in Nature Sustainability.
The study noted that the researchers have estimated that around 650 million hectares of ocean around the world could sustain seaweed farms. The biggest regions would be in Indonesia and Australia, per <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/27/food-feed-and-fuel-global-seaweed-industry-could-reduce-land-needed-for-farming-by-110m-hectares-study-finds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Guardian</a>.
“Cultivating seaweeds for food, feed and fuel within even a fraction of the 650m hectares of suitable ocean could have profound benefits to land use, emissions reduction, water and fertiliser use,” the authors reportedly wrote, per The Guardian.
Seaweed grown in this large area of the ocean can be used as food for human beings, as well as for livestock like cattle. It can also be used for alternative energy resources, according to the study, per <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/27/food-feed-and-fuel-global-seaweed-industry-could-reduce-land-needed-for-farming-by-110m-hectares-study-finds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Guardian</a>.
The researchers indicated that reducing methane emissions by using red Asparagopsis seaweed on cows could cut back 2.6 billion tons of CO2-equivalent each year by the year 2050. Giving dairy cows seaweed, such as Asparagopsis taxiformis, to eat can aid in bringing down the levels of methane that they produce when they burp. The methane is <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/14062022/cow-seaweed-methane/#:~:text=Brominata%20is%20made%20of%20a,they%20burp,%20called%20enteric%20methane." target="_blank" rel="noopener">known</a> as enteric methane, which is a greenhouse gas.
The researchers also noted that if humans start to eat more seaweed, and it makes up 10% of their diets, then it could save up to 110 million land hectares, which is 272 million acres. The Guardian pointed out that this size is twice as large as the country of France.
“In one scenario where we substituted 10% of human diets globally with seaweed products, the development of 110 million hectares of land for farming could be prevented,” Ph.D. Candidate Scott Spillias of the University of Queensland, discussed, per <a href="https://www.foodingredientsfirst.com/news/growing-in-the-ocean-developing-seaweed-farming-pegged-as-sustainable-alternative-to-land-based-agriculture.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Food Ingredients First</a>.
“People around the world are looking at the ocean as this big ‘untapped’ resource and asking if we should be using more of it,” Spillias said.
The specialists also reportedly noted that seaweed farming could be bad for ocean creatures, so that will have to be examined and evened out with the good that could come from a worldwide seaweed farming initiative.
“Converting even a few million hectares means a huge amount of development,” Spillias said. “We are modifying habitats and introducing materials to places where we haven’t before. A lot of seaweed farming now is using plastic ropes and nets and we know the impacts of plastic on the ocean. If this is done on a large scale we need to find better materials.”
“Marine industries do not have a great reputation on human rights and if we’re farming seaweed largely out of sight, then we need to think of the people in these industries and make sure they’re being fairly treated,” he said.
There could also be a health question when it comes to the food. A 2019 study <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6551690/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> by the National Institute of Health found that edible seaweeds have health benefits and nutritional properties. However, it noted, if such food is going to aid in future food security for the entire world, “legislative measures to ensure monitoring and labeling of food products are needed to safeguard against excessive intakes of salt, iodine, and heavy metals.”

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