Researchers sketch out a manifesto for tackling farm plastic
12 million tonnes of plastic go into agriculture each year, some straight into the soil. Can we loosen plastic’s grip on farming?
Sep 2023 29
Emma Bryce
Emma Bryce is a journalist based in London. As well as Anthropocene, her work has appeared in The Guardian, Wired Magazine UK, Audubon Magazine, The New York Times, Ensia, and Yale e360.
Sep 2023 22
They built a prototype of a self-sustaining floating farm that turns saltwater to freshwater
In their experiments, 80% of broccoli, lettuce and pak choi seedlings survived on seawater and sunshine—with little human involvement.
Sep 2023 15
What would happen if plant-based alternatives replaced half of meat and milk consumption?
Short answer: a lot. A new study found that meat substitution would cut global agricultural GHG emission by 31%, water use by 10%, and spare a quarter of the land needed to reach 2030 biodiversity targets.
Sep 2023 8
Indoor lettuce produces double the yields, doubly fast
A first-of-its-kind meta-analysis shows that lettuce thrives indoors—pointing to climate-proofing the $3 billion salad industry.
Sep 2023 1
Engineers close a circular economy loop by making stronger concrete with old coffee grounds
Their technique not only keep coffee grounds out of landfills, it also works as a replacement for dwindling sand resources.
Aug 2023 25
Succulence is one thing that meat alternatives lack. High-tech engineering could change that.
Researchers cracked the code using three main ingredients: plant proteins, water, and an artificial tongue.
Aug 2023 18
Could weathered rock be the magic dust that vaults us towards our climate goals?
Building on previous research, a new study estimates how much carbon farmers could lock away by spreading crushed rock on croplands. Their numbers are enormous.
Aug 2023 11
Priming plants with the hormone, ethylene, produces bigger, more stress-resistant crops
When applied to seeds, ethylene resulted in taller, leafier crops without the usual trade off in stress tolerance.
Aug 2023 4
Melatonin, a sleep aid, is a surprising treatment for food waste
By increasing produce’s tolerance to cold, melatonin staves off the damage done by the long, chilly journey from farm to fork.
Jul 2023 28
Research spoiler: Reducing food waste has unintended consequences
In a first of its kind global assessment, researchers show that tackling food waste could drive a ‘rebound effect’ whereby people end up buying more food. Good for food security; but bad for the environment.
