Restaurateurs hunting for cut-rate space in the pandemic are teaming up with eager partners in another beleaguered industry. (New York Times)  

Corn prices slipped from multi-year highs on Thursday as traders booked profits, while a sharp fall in global equities and a rise in dollar also weighed on sentiment. (Reuters)

The National Agricultural Statistics Service has issued its current Illinois Crop Progress and Production Reports for the month of January. (Journal Gazette & Times-Courier)

A turf war is likely to persist between USDA and FDA over which agency is better suited to regulate genetically engineered animals. (Food & Beverage Insider)

The global shipping industry is hoping that President Biden’s “America is back” declaration means the U.S. is returning to free-trade principles, and away from Trump administration protectionist policies that often … Read More

John Kabat is among an increasingly small number of independent producers not contracted with a larger hog company. He keeps all aspects of his operation local. (The Southern Illinoisan)

– Planned ethanol mandates have mostly been reduced to “suggestions” across China’s provinces, but increasing ethanol demand still can’t be met by Chinese domestic producers. U.S. ethanol exports to China … Read More

Soaring costs for food staples are hitting at a time when some countries can ill afford it, risking exacerbating inequalities wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic. (Bloomberg)

It might be a new year with a new president, but one thing remains the same: Chicagoans will always eat more pizza. Perhaps the pandemic has us all craving the … Read More

Last January, Illinois legalized recreational marijuana in the hopes that revenue from the sales tax would help fund state and local programs. However, where those funds go and how they … Read More