Farming

The food we produce and the way we produce it has profound effects—good or bad—on our health, quality of life and the environment. On these pages you will learn what EWG is doing to protect your health and environment while ensuring a sustainable future for America’s working farms and ranches.
Conservation

Farmers can do more than producing food and fiber. They can also produce clean air, clean water, and abundant habitat for wildlife. But farm policies are doing too little to reward good stewardship and too much to underwrite unsustainable crop and animal production by the largest and most successful farm businesses.
Subsidies

EWG’s renowned farm subsidy database reveals that taxpayer support goes mostly to large, profitable operations, not to sustainable family farms that truly need the help. We’re working to change a badly broken system.
Food

Food should be good for you. But some foods aren’t. Pesticides are sprayed on millions of acres every year and some of them end up on your food. Our broken farm subsidy system encourages over production of the wrong food. EWG is pushing for better policy and more sustainable ways of farming that produce healthy food in a healthy environment.
Water

Nothing is more important to your health and quality of life than safe drinking water and clean streams and lakes. Across the country, pollution from farms is one of the primary reasons water is no longer clean or safe. Agriculture is the leading source of pollution of rivers and streams surveyed by U.S. government experts, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Thankfully, if we make simple changes in the way we farm, we can take a big step toward clean water.

Our Most Recent Stories

EWG keeps you up to date with analysis of the latest news, interviews with experts and more.

Smaller Farms Hit Hard by COVID-19 but Get Little Help From USDA

Thursday, August 6, 2020

The vast majority of U.S. farms earn less than $1 million in annual revenue, and they have suffered a large share of all reported COVID-19 outbreaks on farms. These smaller farms, which supply nearly 60 percent of the nation’s agricultural production, need help the most – yet most pandemic relief funds from the Department of Agriculture will go to the largest farms.

Even More Billions in U.S. Farm Bailouts Risk Violating Trade Agreements

Thursday, August 6, 2020

If Congress provides another $20 billion in aid to farmers in the next COVID-19 spending bill, total federal farm spending this year could top $50 billion, setting a new record – and once again violating U.S. commitments to international trading partners.

Dog Days of Summer: Pet Deaths From Toxic Algae Blooms Already Mounting

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

As some COVID-19 shutdowns now stretch into their fifth month, and with record-setting temperatures blanketing the U.S., cooped-up Americans may be hankering for water-centric recreation. But those with pet dogs may want to leave them at home to protect them from the growing problem of toxic algae outbreaks – and to stay out of the water themselves.

Farm Bailout Payments Could Ignite New Front in Trade War

Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Bailout payments aimed at relief for farmers from the impacts of President Trump’s trade war and the COVID-19 pandemic likely pushed 2019 federal farm spending beyond subsidy caps set by an international trade agreement, potentially inviting retaliation from trading partners.

USDA Pandemic Bailout Funds Will Go to Largest, Wealthiest Farms

Thursday, May 21, 2020

This week the Department of Agriculture unveiled a pandemic relief initiative that will give farmers $16 billion in direct payments. Just like the Market Facilitation Program, or MFP, which gave $23 billion in subsidies to farmers in response to President Trump’s trade war, most of the money won’t go to small family farmers but to the largest and wealthiest farms, which need the money the least.

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EWG keeps you up to date with analysis of the latest news, interviews with experts and more.

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