Drip Irrigation Saves Water and UN May Skip Ag on Climate Adaptation

**Desert lettuce growers may be able to save more than 10 inches of water by converting to shallow, buried drip irrigation.

After two years, University of California Cooperative Extension’s Water Management Advisor Ali Montazar says shallow irrigation paired with high-tech moisture sensors have shown promise for reducing water and nitrogen use.

Early results show converting to drip does not significantly affect yield and produces higher quality lettuce by reducing disease pressure.

**Seeking consensus for action against global warming, negotiators at the UN climate summit may skip over food and agriculture while assembling a final statement on climate adaptation.

Instead, Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack tells www.agriculture.com, food and agriculture’s contribution to COP28 would be a non-binding endorsement of sustainable production.

Vilsack says there wasn’t enough time to negotiate a text on agriculture because of disagreements between the world’s wealthiest nations and the developing world.

www.agriculture.com/despite-the-hype-cop28-likely-to-say-little-about-agriculture-and-climate-8414041

**Following shifts in U.S. food spending during the COVID-19 pandemic, food-at-home spending was only 2.7% higher in November 2023 compared with November 2019.

Food-away-from-home spending remained elevated at 14.6% higher, according to new data from USDA’s Economic Research Service.