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Around the world, Indigenous seed banks are helping to preserve culture, boost nutrition and protect the environment

Andrew Wight

June 02, 2020 |

Ensia |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Guatemala

Indigenous seed banks preserve and reintroduce native agricultural varieties, which in some cases are more nutritious than other varieties. Qachuu Aloom runs a one-room seed bank that provides raw materials for its 500 active members, 80% of whom are women, to practice agroecological farming. The Cherokee Nation Seed Bank preserves more than 100 different kinds of seeds, distributing over 10,000 packets to growers in 2019. Several international organizations are working with seed banks to drive more resilient and diversified food production with native varieties as a way to address food insecurity.

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Could paying farmers to store carbon help the climate and save farms?

Maddie Oatman

June 01, 2020 |

Mother Jones |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States

Indigo Agriculture, an ag-tech startup, is looking to pay farmers to draw carbon dioxide from the air and store it in the ground, which could help mitigate the effects of climate change and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Other companies that want to offset their own emissions can purchase credits on a carbon exchange. While the market hasn’t opened yet and some experts are skeptical about how much carbon the soil will absorb, Indigo Agriculture has signed up more than 5,000 farmers representing 19.8 million acres of land.

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Pakistan's solution to the locust invasion? Turn the pests into chicken feed

Rina Saeed Khan

May 28, 2020 |

Scroll.In |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Pakistan, Depalpur, Punjab

As locust swarms threaten crops in Pakistan, a pilot program offers farmers a way to get rid of the pests without using insecticides that harm the environment, while also earning money. Once farmers trap the locusts at night, the creatures are turned into high-protein chicken feed for animal feed mills. During the pilot project, farmers netted up to $125 for one night’s work and the community hauled an average of seven tonnes a night. While harvesting locusts works for some farming areas, it might not be as easy for farmers in desert areas who have to rely on chemical sprays offered by the government.

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India's first 'green' village adapts to life without tourists

Anne Pinto-Rodrigues

May 28, 2020 |

The Guardian |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Khonoma, Nagaland

Despite the lockdown and loss of tourism income due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the village of Kohonoma in India has been able to maintain a high level of food security for its people. Because of previous legal changes and grant money, villagers were able to change their lifestyle to support the community’s tourism industry and preserve its sustainable agriculture practices. Village leaders are hopeful that their conservation and sustainable development efforts will continue post-pandemic and will encourage other communities to do the same.

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As the coronavirus pandemic strains supplies, Native Americans fight food insecurity

Erik Ortiz

May 24, 2020 |

NBC News |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Monument Valley, Utah

As a response to the way in which the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted food supply chains, especially in remote parts of the Navajo Nation, the new “Seeds and Sheep” program is mailing seeds to families so they can grow food for themselves and their community. The nonprofit running the program, Utah Diné Bikéyah, has connected with over 300 families so far. It is part of a larger trend of Native efforts to provide agricultural education, teach people to grow culturally relevant food, and reduce food insecurity.

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COVID-19 Sparks a Rebirth of the Local Farm Movement

Stephanie Hiller

May 21, 2020 |

Yes! Magazine |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, California

To help small farmers stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic, some organizations in California are aiding in their transition to community supported agriculture, or CSA, models that directly connect farmers to consumers. Since converting to a CSA, one restaurant supply business went from selling 90 boxes of food to 450. This collaborative effort, along with new digital marketplaces and local grassroots networks, could become a longterm business model for farmers.

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Why This New Jersey Forager Thinks Weeds Are the Future of Food

Brianna Baker

May 19, 2020 |

Next City |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New Jersey

Meadows + More is a farm in New Jersey that specializes in edible wild plants and its owner, Tama Matsuoka Wong, seeks to educate people about the important role wild plants could play in future food systems if disasters and climate change were to eradicate plant species. She tends over 200 varieties of wild plants that she sells to top chefs and restaurants and to home cooks. While the community of wild plant enthusiasts is small, her business has received renewed interest during the COVID-19 pandemic as people looked for alternatives to grocery stores.

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The Farm to Food Bank Movement Aims to Rescue Small-Scale Farming and Feed the Hungry

Lynne Curry

May 14, 2020 |

Civil Eats |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

Supply chains have been disrupted with the restrictions imposed by the Coronavirus pandemic, and farmers are suffering from a lack of buying customers. Meanwhile, food banks are in dire straits as more and more people seek support after losing jobs to the pandemic. What's needed? A middle man. This article looks at a range of solutions across the United States in which organizations and community groups are stepping up to fill the gap between the two needs. They largely do this by purchasing, packaging, and distributing surplus product to local food banks who need more donations for the community.

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With livestock prices falling and food banks in need, ag producers find new ways to share

Johnathan Hettinger

May 14, 2020 |

Montana Free Press |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Montana

Farmers and ranchers across Montana are finding ways to share their products locally during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has seen livestock prices fall and food banks face higher demand. While some agricultural producers are looking to get their livestock in the hands of consumers at local markets, there are a limited number of in-state cattle and hog processors. For one rancher, he gathered other local ranchers to donate more than 20 animals to be locally butchered for donations to local food banks.

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Local Farms Adapt To Pandemic's Impact — And Thrive

Anne Henley Walker

May 07, 2020 |

Grady Newsource |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Athens, Georgia

When restaurants and farmers markers shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hearts of Harvest Farm teamed up with the drive-thru restaurant Cafe Racer to sell their produce to people in the Athens/Atlanta area. They created a socially distanced, drive-thru grocery experience where customers would preorder their produce boxes online and pick them up without having to leave their vehicle. The first week, they sold 97 boxes and now they are selling out each week.

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