Super Weeds and Bird Flus

Welcome back Food Junglers. I wanted to experiment a little this week and swap out the “Bright Side” section, usually towards the end of the newsletter, with a “Health” section. Perhaps that might appeal to some of you. As always, though, do let me know if you have any feedback. And before I forget, a huge thanks to HUEL for sponsoring this week’s edition. Anyway, Let’s dig in.

This week:

☘️ Herbicide-resistant weeds are found in the UK.

🍔 McDonald’s limits inclusivity programmes.

🍫 Hershey asks New York for cocoa.

🐔 Bird Flu claims its first human victim in Louisiana.

🍟 California fights against ultra-processed foods…

CLIMATE
SUPER WEEDS IN THE UK

Scientists have identified a glyphosate-resistant weed on a farm in the UK for the first time, raising concerns about the controversial herbicide and the prevalence of a new strain of “super weeds” that are resistant to agricultural chemicals.   

Following reports and several seed samples from Kent-based agronomists, a county in the UK, glyphosate resistance has been noted in Italian ryegrass, an annual grass weed that particularly affects wheat fields in the UK.

Several experts have concluded that this is a warning sign for farmers to reduce their reliance on glyphosate and to build natural herbicide resistance by diversifying their crop rotation.

ZOOMING OUT: For those who may not know, glyphosate is the world’s most intensively used herbicide, being used to prepare fields for sowing crops.

However, the chemical – which aggressively clears land of all weeds and damages soil – was also declared a probable carcinogen by the World Health Organisation in 2015.

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BUSINESS
MCDONALD’S SCALES BACK

McDonald’s has announced that it is scrapping diversity targets for its employees and suppliers, the latest large company to overhaul its strategies for diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The company also said it wouldn’t issue new representation goals for its staff, but will continue to report numbers pertaining to diversity in its ranks. It will also discuss inclusion with suppliers in business reviews.

McDonald’s has maintained its commitment to inclusion, stating that more than 30% of the company’s US leaders now come from underrepresented groups, while 25% of its spending goes to diverse suppliers.

ZOOMING OUT: Conservative activists have increasingly targeted corporate inclusivity programmes, claiming that they unfairly advantage some groups of employees, customers or suppliers versus others. Walmart is another notable company, pulling out of inclusivity commitments recently.

POLICY
HERSHEY ASKS FOR CHOCOLATE

The Hershey Company has asked the US’s top derivatives regulator for permission to buy 90,000 metric tons of cocoa through the New York exchange after global shortages sent prices to a record last year.

The request to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission is more than nine times the amount the exchange currently allows and the amount of cocoa Hershey wants to buy is equivalent to roughly ALL of the beans currently in New York’s exchange warehouses.

Prices for cocoa have already broken record after record, prompting Hershey’s Chief Financial Officer, Steve Voskuil, to warn the company would face higher cocoa costs this year.

ZOOMING OUT: The move comes as the global market is forecast to face a fourth year of supply shortages after the spread of disease and poor weather hurt crops in Ivory Coast and Ghana, which usually account for more than 60% of global supplies.

SUPPLY CHAIN
BIRD FLU CLAIMS HUMAN VICTIM

The first US bird flu death has been reported – a person in Louisiana who had been hospitalised with severe respiratory symptoms.

Health officials have said the person was older than 65, had underlying medical problems and had been in contact with sick and dead birds in a backyard flock. Genetic analysis has also suggested the bird flu virus had mutated inside the patient, which could have led to more severe illness.

The origin of the Louisiana infection was not considered a mystery. But it was the first human case in the US linked to exposure to backyard birds.

ZOOMING OUT: Since March 2024, 66 confirmed bird flu infections have been reported in the US, but previous illnesses have been mild and have been detected among farmworkers exposed to sick poultry or dairy cows. 

HEALTH
CALIFORNIA COMES CLEAN

California Governor Gavin Newsom (pictured above) issued an executive order aiming to crack down on ultra-processed foods including packaged snacks and sugary beverages, and further investigate the health effects of synthetic food dyes.

The order directs exploring the use of public funds from California’s hospitals to improve local access to fresh, healthy food and advance public health.

The order cites a new 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee report indicating that 73% of US adults aged 20 and older are overweight or obese, and 38% of children and youth aged 12 to 19 are pre-diabetic.

ZOOMING OUT: This order follows Newsom’s previous health initiatives, including soda restrictions in schools in 2025, and comes as the country prepares for the new health secretary’s, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., call to ban certain food additives and remove ultra-processed foods from school lunches.

BEFORE YOU GO…

• Egg producer Cal-Maine Foods’ stock rose about 5% after the company reported stronger-than-expected quarterly profits despite bird flu roiling the sector.

• Wonder, the New York-based food delivery chain, completed its acquisition of GrubHub for $650 million.

• Hershey Chief Executive Michele Buck plans to retire next year.

• The US FDA has released draft guidance for plant-based food companies on best practices for labelling alternatives to meat.

• Panera Brands CEO José Alberto Dueñas has stepped down from his role, but will serve as special advisor to the company through the end of March.

• US Pork producer Smithfield Foods, which was acquired by China's WH Group, is once again going public in the U.S.