Soybean futures in Chicago advanced for the sixth day to the highest level since June 2018 on strong demand from China, worries about deteriorating U.S. crop conditions and a weakening dollar. Corn futures climbed to the strongest since March, while wheat was near the highest since April. (Bloomberg)

The number of people undernourished or chronically hungry worldwide could rise from 690 million to 820 million because of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report from the humanitarian group CARE. (NPR Illinois)

Despite 2020 being a year of turmoil due to the COVID-19 pandemic – particularly for students – the National FFA Organization continues to experience increased membership. FFA recently announced it reached a record 760,113 members for 2020, an increase of almost 60,000 from 2019. According to a press release from the organization, the top five student membership states are Texas, California, Georgia, Florida and Oklahoma. (FFA.org)

The USDA aims to release a new version of its coronavirus relief program for farmers and ranchers in the next couple of weeks, said Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue on Wednesday, with at least $14 billion available. (Successful Farming)

Grocery shoppers are cutting back on spending, data show, a sign that Americans are hurting for cash as the federal unemployment stimulus remains on hold for most recipients. (Wall Street Journal)  

Refiners have always produced fuel using crude oil. Now some are using grease. A slump in demand for gasoline since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic has several refining companies accelerating their plans to retrofit facilities to produce so-called renewable diesel made from, among other things, used cooking oil from fast-food restaurants. (Reuters)