Our Food System Is In Trouble, And It’s Time To Change The Language We Use To Describe It

This one is about the food system, not home energy, so it won't help you plan an upgrade or find a rebate. Still, worth knowing what's being reported.

The piece argues that America's food system is under real strain. Ground beef hit $6.69 a pound in December 2025, up 19.3 percent from the year before and 72 percent since 2020, with the USDA forecasting another 6.9 percent wholesale increase in 2026. The cause: the U.S. cattle herd fell to 86.2 million head, a 75-year low, after years of drought and animal disease. Egg prices have seen similar spikes from avian flu, and the piece points to trade wars and extreme weather as added pressure on food supply chains.

The author's main point is about language, not policy fixes: she argues that debates over which foods count as "processed" have become politicized in inconsistent ways. Items like protein powder, deli meat, bacon, sausages, and store-bought bread are highly processed but rarely criticized, while plant-based burgers draw criticism for the same reason. She calls for a shared way of talking about food system problems — efficiency, resilient supply chains, reduced dependence on a single protein source — so any fixes don't get labeled political. No rebate, program, or homeowner action is mentioned; this is a commentary on how we discuss food, not a report on new policy or costs.