5@5: Tyson Foods protests plant closures | Big-box retailers hike up egg prices

Tyson Foods says 'food supply chain is breaking' and defends safety efforts amid coronavirus crisis

Meat processing plants have been repeatedly identified as hotspots for COVID-19, but Tyson Foods is raising a different kind of alarm among consumers by arguing that shutting down meat plants will only raise prices and reduce the availability of common types of meat. In a full-page ad published in The Washington Post, the company asks government officials to help it find a way for its employees "to work in safety without fear, panic or worry." Read more at The Washington Post…

Lawsuit says Trader Joe's, Costco, Amazon hiked up egg prices

Several major grocery chains have been accused of gouging egg prices in California according to a new lawsuit. In addition to Costco, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, several smaller local chains have also been implicated; these retailers reportedly "used California governor Gavin Newsom's March 4 emergency declaration as an excuse to hike up the prices on eggs." Read more at Business Insider… 

Will the low- and no-ABV movements survive COVID-19?

Thanks to COVID-19, retail sales for alcohol have hit double-digit growth, and proponents of no- and low-ABV lifestyles and brands are worried that the pandemic will push consumer spending permanently in that direction. And with the world careening toward a likely long and deep recession, they could be right to worry, as when times are tough consumers are more likely to seek out readily available forms of instant relief. Read more at Vinepair…

Philly garden activists are shipping millions of seeds to a nation fretting over food access during coronavirus pandemic

As consumers turn to gardening as a stress-relieving hobby and a source of fresh food in the era of COVID-19, several organizations are offering online resources and seed kits to help novice gardeners grow food and herbs successfully. And as many public spaces where communal gardening usually happens have closed to prevent the virus' spread, these offerings aim to prove that plants can really be grown and nutured anywhere. Read more at The Philadelphia Inquirer…

Climate change: World mustn't forget 'deeper emergency'

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres last week stated that while COVID-19 is the biggest challenge the world has faced in decades, the environmental crisis should not be forgotten amid news of the spreading virus. Guterres laid out six climate-related actions to shape planetary and economic recovery post-coronavirus, but the one highlighted the most was fossil fuel subsidies from governments. Read more at BBC…