Industrial agriculture imposes a simplified model onto complex ecosystems––with dire consequences. A new book shows how technology is now able to capture nature’s intricacies––and help to grow food more ecologically and more profitably.
As land prices and development pressures rise, agrarians and land stewards have a hard time buying and staying on land. Neil Thapar and Mariela Cedeño talk about strategies to convert land from a commodity to what it really is––habitat, ecosystems, and where we grow our food.
In her new book Liz Carlisle explores rich food traditions from the Americas, Asia, and Africa that have survived and thrived in the U.S.—and how they are helping to restore land and climate, and bring about a more just and humane world.
For decades Brando Crespi has been working in communities damaged by extractive industries. He makes the case that biochar can and should be part of a global strategy do reverse climate change and grow more food with less water.
In 1995 John Liu began documenting the Loess Plateau in China, a landscape ruined by poor agriculture practices. Over decades he documented its return to vibrant life, and filmed many other restoration projects worldwide.
Professor Phil Warsaw noticed that in urban Black and Latino neighborhoods the price of housing near grocery stores was higher––but the same wasn’t true in more affluent White neighborhoods. Why? And how can planners balance food access and gentrification?
Farm Action’s Sarah Carden is a small farmer who knows the difficulties of competing against giant food conglomerates. But better policy could help smaller farms provide healthy food and keep more profits for food producers––rather than executives and stockholders.
Linda and Larry Faillace imported milk sheep following USDA guidelines and started a cheese making business in Vermont––only to have their animals confiscated and killed by the USDA under the pretext of a disease that sheep don’t get. Listen to find out why.
For the US to have a resilient food system at a large scale will require changes in national policy. Aria McLauchlan and Harley Cross of Land Core lay out how the Farm Bill, which will be reauthorized in 2023, can stimulate healthy–and long-term sustainable–farming practices.
Cooling the earth’s climate is not just about cutting emissions––it’s about removing masses of carbon from the air. Karl Thidemann of Soil4Climate makes the case that the secret of sequestration is in the soil––with win-win benefits for ecosystems, nutrition, profitability, and community.