“Regenerative Agriculture Needs a Reckoning,” wrote Joe Fassler, Deputy Editor of The Counter.

Pandemic restrictions are easing and things are changing quickly. We can eat indoors at restaurants again and host dinner parties. It’s exciting to go back to some of our favorite activities, but it can also be nerve-wracking.

In 2021, a year and a half into the global Covid-19 pandemic, restaurant, food, and grocery delivery has never been more popular, nor more essential to people’s daily lives and the survival of the restaurant industry.

When we talk about agriculture in the U.S. there is often an archetypical  American farmer that comes to mind. Perhaps they’re in overalls, maybe a cowboy hat, but they’re almost always white. The white farmer trope has become a fixture in America’s invented agricultural past.

During some of the most harrowing months of the pandemic, journalist Simran Sethi set out to explore the definition and dynamics of food insecurity in the US.

As the United States rolls back pandemic era restrictions, many restaurants are welcoming eaters back and expanding their seating capacity. After more than a year of isolation, reopenings offer a sorely missed space to connect. 

Covid-19 put school lunch in flux, as cafeteria trays were reconceptualized as brown bags and meal boxes. USDA waivers freed school cafeterias from former limitations about who they can feed and what food they can serve.

This week, we have an update on school lunch, as we mark one year of Covid-19’s impact on our food system. Jessica Fu from The Counter is back to explain some unexpected ramification of the USDA waivers that made school lunch free for all children under 18.

Undocumented and formerly incarcerated Americans have been left out of federal pandemic relief payments. New York is home to about half a million undocumented residents, many of whom are essential workers. One year in, they’re going on a hunger strike. 

So far, our series on global trade has focused on ingredients that are either sweet or spicy, and that shaped international trade routes. As our stories make clear, there are ups and downs when talking about the globalization of our foodways. So this week, we go from sugar and spice to bites!