Policy Updates

UFCW Launches National Campaign to Ban Surveillance Pricing on Groceries

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 21:04:57 GMT

The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, which represents 1.2 million essential workers across the U.S. and Canada, says it has launched a national campaign to ban so-called surveillance pricing, target the encroachment of artificial intelligence-driven technology in grocery stores and deliver fair prices for families while preserving union grocery jobs. The initiative has been dubbed the “Affordable Groceries and Good Jobs Campaign.”

“Americans are hurting under the affordability crisis, and UFCW members see the pain in their faces every time they enter the grocery stores,” says UFCW International President Milton Jones. “Our members also feel it themselves when they shop for their families. We are starting this national campaign to stop corporations from being able to change prices in front of their eyes just because they live in the wrong ZIP code or are a new parent. We are proud to work with elected officials in every part of the country to lead the fight for affordable groceries and good jobs because that is what our members want.”

Today, Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., and Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., introduced the Stop Price Gouging in Grocery Stores Act in the U.S. Senate. The legislation would prohibit price gouging by retail food stores and prohibit surveillance pricing in those stores, with exceptions for promotions like senior or student discounts. It would also require the disclosure of the use of facial recognition technology and ban electronic shelf labels in large grocery stores, enforced by the Federal Trade Commission. The House companion is led by Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Rep. Val Hoyle, D-Ore., with 50 cosponsors.

“In New Mexico and across the country, Americans are facing sky-high costs at the grocery store and struggling to make ends meet,” Luján says. “With rising costs and Republican policies that gut nutrition assistance, price gouging at grocery stores only fuels the affordability crisis. Our friends, family and neighbors should not be targeted with higher costs simply for trying to put food on the table. Congress must pass this legislation to stop price gouging in grocery stores and lower costs for American families.”

State lawmakers across the country have joined UFCW in this effort. UFCW’s model legislation for states requires the use of analog (or paper) shelf pricing in any retail establishment larger than 10,000 square feet and prohibits surveillance pricing based on unique characteristics.

“Working Oklahomans are already struggling to afford groceries with their paychecks every month,” says Oklahoma state Rep. Cyndi Munson, Democratic leader of the state House of Representatives. “They don’t need to be charged more for the same goods and services as others based on unfair personalized algorithmic and surveillance pricing.”

“This legislation is actually pretty simple: If two people are in the same store buying the same item, they should pay the same price,” says Washington state Rep. Mary Fosse, deputy majority floor leader of the Washington House of Representatives. “Large retailers are investing in AI, algorithms and data systems that can change prices instantly, individually and secretly. We need to stop the rip-off at the register before these practices become the norm. Technology should serve workers and consumers, not exploit them.”

As part of the campaign, UFCW says it will deploy targeted digital outreach to educate and mobilize supporters to demand that federal and state lawmakers take action on surveillance pricing and electronic shelf labels.

“In my store, I see customers every day who’ve had to cut back — their grocery carts are smaller, and they’re not buying the same products they used to,” says UFCW Local 400 member Jane St. Louis, a grocery store worker in Damascus, Md. “Surveillance pricing and ESLs will only make that worse if companies are jacking up prices on their customers one by one. ESLs threaten to take work away from workers, while leaving us to handle rightfully angry customers. This legislation does the right thing and bans these practices.”

No Pulled Punches: Mike Tyson, Federal Leaders Target Processed Food in New Dietary Guidelines

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 22:42:22 GMT

At a Feb. 11 press conference about the implementation of the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins framed the new guidance around a simple directive: Eat real food.

With speakers ranging from physicians and chefs to military leaders, prison officials and former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson, the event positions fresh, minimally processed foods — including fruits, vegetables, seafood and whole proteins — as central to reversing what Kennedy calls “the defining health crisis of our time.”

A Shift Toward Whole Foods

Calley Means, a senior adviser to Kennedy, opened the event by criticizing decades of federal policy that he says steered dollars toward highly processed foods through programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and school meals.

“We must get to whole food,” he says, arguing that chronic disease and rising health care costs are tied to the modern American diet.

Joe Gebbia, U.S. chief design officer, says the new food pyramid flips the script, placing “high-quality protein, dairy, healthy fats, vibrant vegetables and fruits” at the forefront, with whole grains as the foundation and “highly processed junk” clearly identified.

That message was echoed repeatedly: Nutrient-dense, minimally processed foods, such as fresh produce, are no longer peripheral recommendations but rather are central to federal guidance.

Pictured is American Medical Association President Bobby Mukkamala.

(Screenshot via Dietary Guidelines for Americans press conference)

‘Food Is Medicine’

American Medical Association President Bobby Mukkamala connects the new guidelines directly to prevention.

“Choosing protein-rich whole foods while limiting heavily processed foods that are high in sodium and added sugar can help slow or reverse our nation’s growing chronic disease burden,” he says.

He calls the guidelines “a conversation starter and a call to action” and emphasizes the growing movement within medicine to recognize that “food is medicine.”

For the produce industry, the remarks reinforce an expanding role for fruits and vegetables not just in dietary advice but also in clinical conversations, public health strategy and federal procurement.

Pictured is chef Andrew Gruel.

(Screenshot via Dietary Guidelines for Americans press conference)

Chefs Champion Accessibility and American Agriculture

Chef Andrew Gruel underscored that real food is not only healthier but also affordable and widely available. He described a full day of meals built around eggs, fruit, vegetables, seafood and whole cuts of meat that he says could be prepared for $15 to $20 per day.

“Real food is wholesome food. Food is nutritious food. It’s also sustainable food,” he says, adding that the U.S. food supply chain — including produce, ranching and seafood — is “the best of any other country in the world.”

His comments place farmers, ranchers and produce providers at the center of the health conversation.

Mike Tyson speaks at the Dietary Guidelines for Americans press conference.

(Screenshot via Dietary Guidelines for Americans press conference)

Boxing Legend’s Personal Testimony

Tyson provided one of the event’s most emotional moments, speaking candidly about his past struggles with obesity and self-image.

“I was so fat and nasty, I would eat anything. I was like 345 pounds — a quart of ice cream every hour. I had so much self-hate when I was like that, I just wanted to kill myself,” he says.

Tyson connects his transformation to dietary change and sharply criticizes the role of processed foods in the U.S. food system.

“We’re the most powerful country in the world, and we have the most obese, fudgy people,” he says. “Something has to be done about processed food in this country.”

Tyson’s appearance, along with a campaign that aired during the Super Bowl , “Processed food kills. Eat Real Food,” was positioned as a cultural push to normalize fresh, whole ingredients over packaged, ultraprocessed products.

Federal Procurement as a Market Driver

Rollins emphasizes that USDA’s scale gives it leverage to shift demand.

“Every day, the U.S. Department of Agriculture spends almost $400 million on our 16 nutrition programs,” she says, calling that spending “a market mover.”

She points to 18 approved state SNAP waivers removing soda and junk food from eligibility and says updated stocking standards will require retailers accepting SNAP benefits to expand healthy offerings.

Rollins also announced new guidance encouraging child nutrition program leaders to incorporate the updated dietary recommendations, with a proposed school meals rule expected this spring.

Kennedy says the administration is “redirecting government procurement dollars toward American farmers and not junk food manufacturers,” adding that the guidelines will influence food served in schools, the military, prisons and other federal institutions.

Beyond Schools: Military and Prisons

Military and correctional facility leaders shared how nutrition changes are already underway.

Army Undersecretary Mike Obadal says the military branch is increasing access to “lean proteins and complex carbohydrates” and streamlining procurement of “local unprocessed foods” and “fresh American seafoods and produce.”

Bureau of Prisons Director William Marshall says dietary reform aligns with safety and rehabilitation goals, citing research linking improved diet quality to reductions in aggression and disciplinary infractions.

For produce suppliers, these institutional shifts represent potential long-term demand growth across large-volume federal channels.

Cultural Reset

Kennedy frames the guidelines as a turning point.

“For the first time in our nation’s history, the federal government put real food at the center of the American diet and protein in the center of the American plate,” he says.

Rollins distills the message further: “Eat real food.”

For the fresh produce industry, the rollout signals more than a revised pyramid. It suggests an alignment of federal policy, medical advocacy, cultural messaging and procurement dollars around whole fruits, vegetables and minimally processed foods — positioning fresh as foundational to national health strategy through 2030 and beyond.

Is Produce Next? Grocers Wary of SNAP Restriction 'Gray Areas' for Value-Added Fresh Items

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 19:22:01 GMT

As the USDA moves forward with state Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) restriction waivers, independent grocers are warning that unclear guidance and stricter enforcement could have unintended consequences for food access in the communities they serve.

In a Jan. 6 statement, the National Grocers Association says USDA’s recent guidance on SNAP restriction waivers represents an important step forward but notes that implementation has introduced significant new challenges for retailers. As of Jan. 1, grocers in five states are required to identify, track and enforce restrictions across tens of thousands of products, a process NGA said requires extensive system reprogramming, item coding, employee retraining and customer education.

While produce has not been directly targeted by the current SNAP waiver restrictions, NGA officials say uncertainty around product definitions and future rulemaking is creating concern, particularly for value-added produce and prepared fresh items.

“So on the SNAP waiver side, the only foods that are being excluded at this time are soda and candy,” says Stephanie Johnson, group vice president government relations and political affairs for NGA. “In some of the states, they have expanded it a little bit into baking goods and prepared baked goods. But that isn’t affecting produce yet.”

However, the association is watching closely as USDA considers updates to its SNAP stocking standards, which could have implications for certain fresh and value-added produce items. USDA proposed changes to those standards last fall and has indicated that final guidance could be released soon.

“There was some confusion or concern about the value-added products that come with a spoon,” Johnson says. “I think that concern is more for the convenience store folks, because generally our stuff isn’t as ready to eat.”

Still, questions remain around how items such as salad bowls or fresh-cut produce kits that include utensils might be treated under future guidance.

“I think that remains to be seen in the final rule,” Johnson says. “The USDA has been kind of moving back and forth on where they’re at with those specific items, and we just really don’t know yet.”

For now, NGA said most produce items remain SNAP-eligible, particularly those sold in cold cases and intended to be consumed at home. Items packaged and handed directly to consumers for immediate consumption are more likely to be deemed SNAP-ineligible, an area the association acknowledged can be confusing for retailers and shoppers alike.

Despite broader concerns around SNAP compliance, NGA emphasized that fresh produce remains a relative bright spot for independent grocers.

“For the most part, produce is a department, really a safe haven, for our folks on these programs,” Johnson says.

The association has also encouraged USDA to strengthen fresh produce requirements within SNAP stocking standards.

“We were strong proponents of including all types of produce in the stocking standards,” Johnson says. “We did encourage stronger fresh standards … just because our members have more fresh.”

Concerns about enforcement were a central focus of a Jan. 8 joint letter from NGA and the National Association of Convenience Stores to USDA. In that letter, the associations warn that a new two-strike enforcement framework could result in involuntary SNAP withdrawal after a second violation, even when retailers are making good-faith efforts to comply.

During the interview, Johnson said that policy shift could be devastating for independent grocers in low-income communities, many of whom rely heavily on SNAP sales.

“We do have stores that have above 50% SNAP sales,” she says. “Seeing a significant drop in those sales would be really hard for those stores to overcome.”

If a store were forced to close as a result, the impact would extend well beyond SNAP eligibility.

“If a store isn’t open, the community loses access to all of those foods, including the produce,” Johnson says.

NGA says it has urged USDA to differentiate between retailers that intentionally violate SNAP rules and those that are working in good faith to comply. In its letter, the association called for flexibility in enforcement and clearer guidance before penalties that could remove retailers from the program are imposed.

For independent grocers, NGA says, SNAP compliance is not just a regulatory issue but also a community one. Without clearer definitions, realistic enforcement and sufficient implementation time, the association warned that policy changes risk undermining the very food access goals SNAP is intended to support.

Some Farms May Not Recover From ICE Raids, Says California Farmer

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 18:51:27 GMT

Joe Del Bosque, CEO of Del Bosque Farms in Firebaugh, Calif. — a producer of organic cantaloupe, organic watermelons, organic tomatoes, almonds and cherries — spoke with Michelle Rook of AgriTalk Radio earlier today to discuss how the U.S. government’s crackdown on immigration is impacting California farmers.

With some reports of produce farmers losing as much as half of their farm labor due to the immigration crackdown that has even documented workers, here in the U.S. legally, too fearful to come to work, AgriTalk asked Del Bosque what he’s seeing on the front lines of California farms.

“There‘s only been a few strikes by ICE out in agriculture that I’ve heard that are confirmed: one in Ventura County, which is down toward L.A., one in Kern County, and another up in Napa, but they have been really not huge sweeps,” he said. “They’re usually picking up a few people, but it creates a lot of fear and [then] people don’t show up to work, and [the impact of that] is as bad as if they were taken away.”

Joe Del Bosque is CEO of Del Bosque Farms in Firebaugh, Calif.

(Photo courtesy of Del Bosque Farms)

Fueling the fear and sense of uncertainty, the Trump administration has flip-flopped on whether farms and hotels should be included in ICE raids. On Monday, officials instructed ICE to resume raids on both sectors. What do farmworkers make of this back and forth?

“There’s so much uncertainty as to what the administration is going to do,” said Del Bosque. “One day they say they’re going to help the farmers, they’re going to do something for our workforce, and then the next day they come out and say, we’re going to deport them all. It obviously makes everybody nervous, farmworkers and farmers alike.”

“There’s so much uncertainty as to what the administration is going to do,” said Joe Del Bosque. “One day they say they’re going to help the farmers, they’re going to do something for our workforce, and then the next day they come out and say, we’re going to deport them all. It obviously makes everybody nervous, farmworkers and farmers alike.”

(Photo courtesy of Del Bosque Farms)

What will take for them to feel comfortable to return to work?

“I think they need to hear something from the president that he is definitely going to help agriculture. He did say that several times,” he said. “And also that they can continue to work, get the crops in, get the food sent to market. I think it’s important that he reassures all of agriculture that we are going to be able to continue with our processing [and] getting food to everybody’s table.”

While some mistakenly think this is an issue involving workers in the U.S. illegally, the reality is that many of the farmworkers in question are here legally, and they’ve been here for a lot of years doing great work.

“A lot of our workforce have been with us for 10, 15, 20 years. They know the work. A lot of them have obtained their green card [and] that’s something that takes a long time to get,” said Del Bosque. “You don’t get that in a year or two. Some of our folks have been waiting for the green card for 15 years or more.”

What are the economic implications for farming operations that are grappling with these workforce reductions?

“California produces so much of the nation’s fresh fruits and vegetables that have to be picked by hand,” said Del Bosque. “It’s a large workforce. I can grow all of my crops with 12 to 14, employees, but when it’s time to harvest these cantaloupes, it takes me 150 more employees to get them picked up. And they need to know how to do this work. We’re fortunate that we have people that have been doing it for years and have that skill. And also … to be able to go out there and do this for eight, nine or 10 hours a day in 100-degree weather.”

Many are calling for immigration reform. What do you see as a solution?

“Back during Trump’s first term, there was a bill proposed — I believe it was by Sen. [Dianne] Feinstein. It was called the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, and it would address several things. One, it would address those people that have been working for us for years — working for us year in and year out — and get them permanent residency and authorization to work,” he said. “The other one is to have a more workable workforce for seasonal work — work on our crops, pick our crops for three or four months, or whatever it is that would allow them to come in and go back.”

Is there a political will to get this done?

“We’ve got to get both sides to the table,” he said. “One side is not going to do it, and so we’ve got to have both sides of the aisle working on this. And I think that we can do it. They need to recognize that we need these people for agriculture, and agriculture is important to feed the country.”

Del Bosque says if ICE raids continue the impact to the food system would be detrimental.

“We will lose crops [that] won’t get to market. Food prices will increase and some of the farms may not be able to recover,” he said. “Our system depends on being able to work every day through the season. This melon, I picked it today; if I don’t pick it by tomorrow, it’s gone.”

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Quiet Crisis, Unfolding Rapidly: Big Questions Remain For Next Gen Farmers

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 12:38:17 GMT

Florida fresh produce grower Jim Alderman says one thing is his biggest worry.

“Who is coming behind us? That’s the part that keeps me up at night. It’s not just about growing crops, it also passing down knowledge, discipline and our way of life,” he said during a recent congressional hearing on the aging workforce in agriculture.

Earlier this year, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) spearheaded a special committee report on America’s Aging Farm Workforce.

Four drivers were highlighted:

Aging demographics
Declining farm numbers
Barriers for new farmers
Regulatory and economic pressures

As a follow up, on June 4, the senate special committee he oversees had a hearing “America’s Vanishing Family Farms.”

“Unfortunately, the farming and agricultural workforce is aging and nearing retirement, and fewer and fewer young people are looking to take over their family’s farms or enter the agriculture industry,” Sen. Scott said. “We face significant challenges to agricultural production, rural community sustainability, and U.S. food security. Here’s why this matters: U.S. food security is national security.”

Recent stats he points to include:

1/3 of farmers and ranchers are over the age of 65
This same group owns more than 40% of U.S. farmland
More than 80% of farmers work a second job
Since 2007, 200,000 farms have disappeared
The 2022 census showed the loss of over 140,000 farms in 5 years. That’s an average of 77 farms per day. 
Since 2007, more than 40 million acres of farmland is now used for commercial, residential or industrial purposes
Farmland prices have increased 7% in three years

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) is ranking member on the special committee for aging and said, “To encourage younger generation to returning to Farmer we farming, we must invest in our rural communities.”

Witnesses shared testimony highlighting the pain points, overall trends and discussed potential policy solutions.

“As I travel the country and see farms across our great country, I see a lot of gray hair, and while the wisdom of older generations is critical, we must ensure that we make a way for young and beginning farmers to fill our boots,” said Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation.

What are those policy provisions that could assist with the farm labor issues?

1. The Farm Bill
In his testimony, Duvall shared a getting a farm bill passed by congress is critical to signal stability and predictability in agriculture.

“We need a modernized 5 year farm bill,” he said. “Rising interest rates, higher energy prices, supply costs that have gone unchecked, farmers will plant the most expensive crop ever planted this year, and many have faced a tough decision of whether or not to even plant that crop. This is why the farm bill and its Title One safety net is so critical.”

2. Estate tax provisions

Duvall also highlighted the importance of the estate tax exemption for farmers for transitioning the farm business from one generation to the next. He applauded the House for its consideration of in the One Big Beautiful Bill it recently passed, and encouraged the senate to follow.

3. Farm worker programs, specifically H-2A

“It’s time to modernize our outdated system, and only Congress can meaningfully do that,” Duvall said.

Alderman uses H-2A labor and says reform is a must.

“We are now dependent on H-2A labor from Mexico,” he said. “Without them, we can’t harvest our crops.”

For Alderman in Florida, whereas minimum wage is $12.50/hour, H-2A labor is compensated at $26/hour plus the expense of housing, transportation and visas.

Duvall adds the federal government needs to revisit its wage structure for H-2A labor, citing the wage rates were set by a study done 60 years ago intended to calculate on-farm employment totals, not compensation.

“We’re going to price ourselves out of farming,” he says. Duvall is advocating for an updated program and one that includes year-round provisions for dairy farmers, and other parts of the industry that need full-time labor not just seasonal help.

“How can a young farmer come back to the farm and bring his expertise that he learned in college, expand that farm without having a labor force to do that. It’s one of the biggest limiting factors we have,” Duvall says.

4. Economic stability, risk management and trade.

“The incentive to make a profit isn’t there,” Alderman says. “If the farmer isn’t going to make money, he’s not able to expand his operation.”

Aaron Locker, Managing Director, Kincannon & Reed calls this a quietly unfolding crisis that is rapidly cutting across the agriculture.

“And the consequences for our food supply, our rural communities, and our national security are serious,” he said. “The 1980s farm crisis didn’t just damage balance sheets. It’s changed the interest of being involved in agriculture. That gap is being realized today in board rooms, field office, agronomy teams and more.”

The witnesses answered questions about President Trump’s trade policy and tariffs, with Duvall saying farmers have supported the president’s long-term vision to bring a “level playing field,” but he also says this fall will be a critical time for some progress when farmers are slated to harvest and sell commodities at low prices with high input costs.

5. Regulatory considerations.

Alderman says there are areas of his fresh produce business being over-regulated, which has put extra financial pressure when competing with imported crops. As an example, he points to multiple food safety inspections which could be replaced with a one-time inspection.

And in conjunction with the regulation on his business, he has seen how a lapse in regulatory authority over imported produce inspected at the borders has negatively effected the industry.

“For example, the citrus industry with citrus greening, it’s devastated the cirtrus industry. We have gone from 240 million boxes of oranges in production to around 40 million boxes today,” he said, and added Florida produce growers are introduced with a new thirp or weevil every growing season, which takes months to contain and identify proper controls.

6. Provide mental health resources

Christopher A. Wolf, Ph.D. from Cornell University says its New York FarmNet receives 700 calls a year. Financial stress include price uncertainty, labor cost and availability, capital costs, land access, and estate and succession planning. Family-related farm stressors include health insurance, childcare, eldercare, and drug and alcohol abuse.

“Male farmers have a suicide rate 3.5 times higher than the national,” he said. “Financial stress is one of the primary contributors to the depression and suicide rate. Additionally, mental health stigma and lack of access to care are major barriers.”