| From the US president's commitments to fight hunger to Hurricane Ian's devastating impact on Florida agriculture, and German food shrinkflation, here's a snapshot of recent key food stories from around the world: Hunger in Breadbasket A string of food problems is gripping the US. More than 40% of Americans are obese, more than 1 in 10 have diabetes, with diet-related health conditions on the rise. At the same time, high inequality levels have led to uneven access to nutritious food with food deserts sprawling across a country for long deemed a breadbasket of the world. And now, as food inflation powers ahead, hunger is spreading among Americans with steady but low-paying jobs, who are already turning to food banks for help. Families are suddenly finding themselves stuck with a new expense — school lunch for their kids. This was the backdrop for President Joe Biden's high-profile White House event held this week. The administration, which wants to end hunger by 2030 and ramp up nutrition, said it's secured more than $8 billion in private and public sector commitments to help combat hunger. More than half of the total commitments will go toward philanthropic efforts focused on promoting nutrition and exercise, while $2.5 billion will be funneled to startups developing innovative solutions to fight food insecurity. Among the companies taking part in initiatives are Walgreens Boots Alliance, Tyson Foods and Google. The federal government is also seeking to change what's needed for food products to brand themselves "healthy," as part of the plan to boost nutrition.
More Food for Thought Hurricane Ian is not good news for consumers plagued by food inflation. Orange juice futures soared as Ian neared the Florida shore and damaged the crop. Then there's the impact on fertilizer, with producer Mosaic evacuating some of its operations. Ian also barreled through about 40% of Florida's beef cattle industry, destroying barns and fences and killing at least a few calves. —Agnieszka de Sousa in London River Bottom | American farmers face yet another supply-chain headache just as harvest season moves into high gear: Not enough barges on the shrinking Mississippi River. Drought is drying up the crucial US water artery. That means less room for vessels shipping out corn and soybeans, the biggest US crops. Barge rates reached $49.88 per ton on Tuesday, the highest on record and up nearly 50% from a year ago, according to a government report released Thursday. - Brazilian elections | Lula, the favorite against Bolsonaro, is promising to reverse rainforest-destroying policies and protect the climate. He'll also have to keep the country from going hungry.
- Fake meat | After once enjoying double-digit growth, sales of plant-based meat are not just flat but declining, according to IRI data, while Deloitte reports deteriorating perceptions of the category.
- Shrinkflation sleuths | Frustrated consumers in Germany are reporting instances of shrinkflation to authorities and using digital tools to hunt for bargains.
- Butter shortage | Switzerland, known for its mountain pastures dotted with grazing cows, is struggling more than expected to meet domestic butter demand.
- Palm oil sourcing | Nestlé has pledged to cut ties with an Indonesian palm oil supplier accused of land-rights abuses and environmental harm.
- Cocoa rules | Europe must work with other regions to prevent its proposed ethical supply-chain rules from becoming a burden for the local cocoa industry, according to Olam.
 | - Hunger pledge | Promises from food companies and nonprofits were front and center at the White House's summit on hunger, and the commitments underscore the Biden administration's reliance on the private sector to meet its goals of ending hunger by 2030 and prompting healthier eating habits, Bloomberg Government writes.
- Ammonia market | Global prices of ammonia, the key component of nitrogen fertilizers, may stay elevated into the fourth quarter — though below the second quarter's record — after European plant closings removed more than 9 million tons of high-cost production, according to Alexis Maxwell, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence.
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