March 6, 2020 4:52 PM EDT
Last month, Representative Chellie Pingree (D ME-1) introduced a bold and comprehensive policy proposal—the Agricultural Resilience Act (ARA, H.R.5861)—to set farmers up with the tools they need to tackle the climate crisis. At a time when farmers are on the heels of a difficult year and preparing for another season, the new proposal offers a welcome dose of hope and inspiration. Even better, it’s steeped in science. Read more >
February 14, 2020 8:00 AM EDT
Dear Legumes, I know I shouldn’t wait for a corporate holiday to say it—and apparently Hallmark doesn’t make cards for crops anyhow—but I can’t let today go by without telling you what I feel for you. It’s a soul-feeding, life-changing, makes-the-world-a-better-place kind of love, and I want to tell you why. Read more >
September 9, 2019 5:52 PM EDT
The IPCC’s Special Report on Climate Change on Land paints a harrowing picture of ways in which climate change is already affecting land across the globe, threatening livelihoods, food, energy, water, and other critical resources. Fortunately, in addition to dire warnings, the report emphasized some good news: food and agriculture can play a major role in adapting to and mitigating climate change. Read more >
April 8, 2019 12:12 PM EDT
“When we think about the challenges in agriculture, carbon—and how to sequester it—is near the top.” So said Roger Johnson, the president of the National Farmers Union (NFU), in opening the grassroots organization’s 2019 annual convention in March. Storing carbon in farm soils is an important climate change solution, but building the health of those soils is also critical for ensuring clean water for communities and helping farmers be productive while coping with the consequences of a climate that is already changing. And throughout the NFU’s three-day gathering, the phrase “soil health” and talk about strategies to achieve it seemed to be on everyone’s tongue.
January 31, 2019 11:47 AM EDT
Most of us wish we could eat with the confidence that everything on our plate has a story we can feel good about, a story about taking care of both people and the environment. In the food system (as elsewhere) these twin issues, justice and sustainability, have often been talked about as if they were unrelated, independent problems with separate solutions. Read more >
