The world is becoming hotter and drier. Farmers are starting to gather seeds that are okay with that.
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Cultivating the Next Generation of Farmers in France
Amid a looming crisis of mass farmer retirements, the “Green Belt” project is helping young people set down agricultural roots.
More California Schools Than Ever Are Embracing Vegan Meals
How have plant-based lunches spread so successfully? Credit environmentally conscious students — and a handful of state funding programs.
How One Indian State Went 100% Organic
Fundamentally altering how food is grown is not easy. The state of Sikkim took the slow and pragmatic route — and it has paid off.
Radical Terraces Are Transforming the Hills of Rwanda
In the Land of a Thousand Hills, a 50-year-old agricultural technique to curb soil erosion is making a comeback.
The Californians Rescuing Surplus Produce to Fight Hunger
By swiftly redistributing perishable fruits and vegetables, Food Forward addresses two issues at once: food insecurity and food waste.
Scrappy Farmers in Bangladesh Are Growing Pumpkins in Sand
Thanks to a clever method known as sandbar cropping, squashes and other crops thrive on land that’s otherwise considered useless.
The Farmers Abandoning Big Ag to Grow Mushrooms and Herbs
When given the option, more and more farmers and their kids want to quit factory farming. The Transfarmation Project helps them do just that.
Tilling the Floodplain: How Farmers Embrace the Power of Floods
As climate change causes rainfall and flooding to grow more erratic, an age-old method of farming near riverbanks becomes ever more vital.
Viennese Winemakers Are Using an Ancient Method to Make Climate-Resilient Wine
In an era of single-variety wines, field blend Gemischter Satz is both a nod to tradition and a way of future-proofing the business.
A Vibrant Local Food System Grows in Colorado
GoFarm is working to make affordable healthy food more accessible while training the next generation of farmers.
How an Iconic Jam Maker Got Smart About Water Use
After an excruciating drought, the UK farm behind Tiptree jam found greater self-sufficiency and resilience through rainwater harvesting.
To Keep Clean Drinking Water Flowing to Paris, Farmers Are Going Organic
Rather than relying on expensive water treatment plants, the French capital is protecting its water supply at the source.
Denmark’s Radical Plan for a Plant-Based Future
The Nordic country is working toward ambitious goals to make its food systems more sustainable — and other nations are following in its path.
How ‘Farmfluencers’ Are Making Vietnam’s Rice Fields More Sustainable
To reduce the footprint of the crop that feeds the country, farmers are teaching one another greener methods.
Mexico’s Floating Gardens Are an Ancient Wonder of Sustainable Farming
Chinampas — an ingenious adaptation to the Valley of Mexico’s lake-filled landscape — could hold lessons for cities around the world.
Adopting the Aquaculture of the Future in Thailand
A sustainable, integrated approach to fish farming has caught on in China and elsewhere. Thailand could be next.
How Unfamiliar Fish Are Helping Mainers Fight Food Insecurity
When the pandemic hit, Fishermen Feeding Mainers found a way to bring new life to the state’s groundfish industry – and feed those in need.
How Farmers Are Preparing for a Saltier Future
As salinity affects more cultivated land due to climate change, researchers and growers are turning to salt-tolerant crops.
An Ancestral River Runs Through It
A rural Montana county has found a unique and forward-thinking way to share its groundwater.
Pre-Pesticides, Pro-Farmer: The Rise of Agroecology
One part ancient practices, one part worker justice, a new-old way of farming is adapting agriculture for an uncertain world.
Solar Pumps Are Empowering Women Farmers in India
On top of its climate benefits, the technology is boosting women’s income and confidence while challenging traditional gender norms.
Can Farmers Save the Great Salt Lake?
There’s no silver bullet to solve Utah’s water crisis, but farmers are doing their part by choosing to do more with less.
How Tiny Wetlands in the Midwest Are Combating the Gulf of Mexico’s ‘Dead Zone’
Small, constructed wetlands on farms keep excess nutrients out of waterways — and the impacts can go a long way.
For Indian Farmers, Artificial Glaciers Are a High-Altitude Antidote to Drought
Tall, slow-melting “ice stupas” offer a clever way to store water until it’s needed to irrigate summer crops.
How Reclaimed Wastewater Is Reviving Tribal Land
Over a century ago, the Supreme Court ruled that reservations have a right to water. Today, thanks to a unique exchange, the Pima are finally getting their due.
Can a Tiny Restaurant Surcharge Move the Needle on Climate?
Investing just one percent of food and beverage sales in regenerative agriculture could be key to changing the food system.
Getting the Soil Right: How Carbon Farming Combats Climate Change
When it comes to maximizing carbon sequestration, one key strategy lies beneath farmers’ feet.
Napa Vineyards Are Pairing Wine With ‘Fish Friendly Farming’
By keeping sediment out of waterways, California wineries and farms are playing a key role in protecting endangered salmon and trout.
An Ancient Desert-Dwelling Culture Embraces Hydroponics
With droughts on the rise, India’s pastoralists are turning to modern techniques to conserve water — and a way of life.
How Farmers Used California’s Floods to Revive Underground Aquifers
Farms designed to recharge groundwater are answering the state’s existential question: How do you make sure devastating rainfall doesn’t go to waste?
The New Livestock Farm Is a Forest, Too
Silvopasture, the ancient practice of integrating trees and pastureland, is making a comeback as a way for farms to improve animal health while benefiting the climate.
Uganda’s Communal Food ‘Epicenters’ Aim to End Hunger Forever
Pushing past the conventional food aid model, a regenerative farming system offers a recipe for success — and self-reliance.
How ‘Deconstructing the Sneaker’ Is Protecting the Amazon
As most shoe soles go synthetic, one brand is surfacing its sneakers with true, sustainable wild rubber — and turning its local harvesters into rainforest guardians.
How Tokyo’s Farms Have Survived for Centuries
In the world’s biggest concrete jungle, over a thousand small farms continue to grow crops protected by a powerful ally: the city itself.
UK Gardeners Are Planting the Seeds of a More Resilient Food System
By collecting the seeds that grow best in their own plots, a movement of gardeners is boosting biodiversity in a way that more closely mimics nature.
Mussel Farming Is Healing the UK’s Coastal Food Chain
Vertical forests of shellfish are returning biodiversity to a damaged coast — and producing sustainable seafood in the process.
What Black Jello Says About the Power of Small Enterprise
Targeted support for local products — no matter how strange — can drive down poverty rates.
How Big Food Companies Are Greening the Farms That Supply Them
Encouraging their suppliers to practice more sustainable farming is increasingly seen by major food brands as a way to fulfill their climate promises.
What If Donated Food Was Delightful?
A Chicago nonprofit is reinventing the food bank with better-than-store-bought produce, friendly delivery and an emphasis on client satisfaction.
Kelp Farming Is Reviving an Ancient Practice — and a Modern Economy
An Indigenous-run business is using regenerative ocean farming to clean up a New York bay and create local jobs.
At This Grocery Store, Shoppers Pay What They Wish
In St. Louis, a pay-what-you-can grocery store stays in business thanks to some customers voluntarily paying more than the price on the sticker.
The Guilt-Free Way to Get Rid of Halloween Pumpkins
An array of options exist, and a landfill doesn’t need to be its final resting place.
How a South American Surplus Flooded Philadelphia With Free Avocados
It could have been a food-waste debacle. Instead, a nimble network turned it into a bounty for all — and inadvertently reinvented a food system.
‘Tiny Farms’ Bring Agriculture Jobs to the Work-Life Balance Generation
In Germany, a new model of low-cost, very small-scale farming is luring young people who value flextime and vacations.
‘Open Source’ Seeds Loosen Big Ag’s Grip on Farmers
A handful of companies own the patents on virtually every seed planted in the US. Now, a new crop of unowned seeds is bringing biodiversity back to farming.
Britain’s Blind Farmers Are Teaching Others How to Grow
“We’re trying to give people a chance to stop thinking about limitations and start looking at what they really can do.”
Can Denmark Save Every Smørrebrød?
As the country that wastes the most food in Europe, Denmark is turning to apps that help shoppers grab groceries just before they end up in the trash.
A Wandering Conservationist’s Quest to Protect the World’s Soil
Criss-crossing the globe, one man has secured pledges from 74 countries to preserve their soil through more sustainable farming.
The Spectacular Comeback of the American Farmers Market
Once ubiquitous, farmers markets nearly vanished in the mid 20th century — until an array of forces converged to bring about their modern-day renaissance.
As Temperatures Rise, Farms Are Sprouting in Alaska
Even as farms decline across the US, a longer growing season is bringing food security to a state that has long relied on sustenance from afar.
These Farms Are Living a Double Life
Energy-hungry societies are confronting a dilemma: use precious land to harvest crops or green energy? A new kind of farm says you can do both.
For Some Fish Farmers, the Ocean is Becoming Obsolete
Land-based aquaculture startups are producing healthier fish without polluting the sea.
How San Francisco Cracked the Urban Composting Code
As California begins statewide composting, the place that pioneered it in the ’90s shows how dramatically it can benefit a city.
In Holland People With Dementia Can Work on a Farm
On Dutch ‘care farms’ aging folks tend to livestock, harvest vegetables and make their own decisions.
“If You Can’t Beat Them, Eat Them”
A Berlin catering and food truck company is turning invasive species into haute cuisine. Will “invasivorism” be the next step in the sustainable food movement?
Plastic-Free Shopping Is Going Mainstream
A partnership between America’s largest supermarket chain and a reusable packaging company is the latest sign that no-waste shopping is catching on.
Palm Oil Is the Worst. Could This Replace It?
Environmentally destructive palm oil is in countless products. Sustainable yeast oil offers a tantalizing alternative.
Grazing Livestock Among the Trees Is Helping to Prevent Wildfires
The once common practice is making a comeback — and saving forests from destruction.
Milan Is Winning the Fight Against Food Waste
The city’s groundbreaking “zero waste” strategy aims to leave no meal behind.
Potty Trained Cows Are No Joke for the Climate
Researchers are teaching cows to pee in designated places where the urine can be collected and neutralized, sharply reducing methane emissions.
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