Food & Agriculture Stories
How do we feed a growing and more affluent population without the environmental collateral damage? The Anthropocene’s coverage of food and agriculture digs deep into innovations in farming, aquaculture, filling the global protein gap, reducing the carbon footprint of supply chains, and more.
The fertilizer solution has become a major climate problem
Study reveals that anthropogenic N2O emissions have leapt by 30% over the past four decades
Q: How can we encourage sustainable diets? A: Subsidies.
Instead of punishing people for their food choices, study finds we should subsidize plant-based meals.
In the most comprehensive study to date, researchers found that greener farming methods don’t compromise yields
In 63% of cases, they found that eco-friendly farming boosted biodiversity without any cost to yields. In several cases, yields actually increased
Water-Harvesting and Arid-Adapted Agrobiodiversity
A revival of rainwater harvesting is occurring around the world, as desert communities restore traditional systems known as rain gardens, ak-chin agriculture, floodwater farming, gavias, karez, qanats and fogarras.
What are the world’s 35 biggest meat and dairy companies doing to mitigate climate change?
Drawing on a vast dataset called OpenSecrets, researchers found that the amount that companies spent on lobbying against climate action
generally tracked with the intensity of their emissions
Loading soil with biochar allows farmers to cut way back on irrigation
At high applications levels, researchers found that biochar can not only soak up a lot of carbon, but also reduce the need for irrigation by almost 40%.
The veiny structure of a spinach leaf could be the perfect scaffold for lab-grown meat
Decellularized spinach leaves are also a greener alternative to many current scaffolds for cultured beef
Taming the Blue Frontier
Should the U.S. cultivate giant offshore fish farms in its piece of the sea or keep taking most of the fish we eat from foreign waters?
A vicious cycle of cows, disease, and climate change
Livestock welfare will be key in helping us reign in emissions
The global pollination ‘trade’ reveals how crucial biodiversity is to food security
Pollinators underpin the global food trade, and that makes rich nations highly dependent on conservation measures in tropical countries
