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As tobacco sales dry up, Kentucky farmers look to the state's ‘original crop' — hemp

Kurtis Lee

February 13, 2019 |

Los Angeles Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Cynthiana, Kentucky

The legalization of hemp as a cash crop is showing significant benefits for farmers across the United States. Although the process of transporting the crop is still facing challenges, producers are seeing an increase in sales and revenue and a greater demand for the product.

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In Ethiopia, climate change leads herders to retrain as farmers

Sebastien Malo

February 12, 2019 |

Reuters |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Ethiopia, Demika

Many herders are adapting to climate change by adopting farming. In the wake of severe droughts in recent years, herding communities in Ethiopia have expressed increasing interest in farming as a way to secure additional income. The non-profit organization, Farm Africa, helps herders to make the transition into farming by educating and assisting them with technical matters, such as irrigation, as well as aiding with financing and finding markets.

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The secret to a town's perfect potatoes? Its well-preserved forest.

Jorge Rodríguez

February 11, 2019 |

Mongabay |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Guatemala, Concepción Chiquirichapa

Concepción Chiquirichapa, Guatemala, is known for its potatoes. The produce is especially good because of a consistent supply of high quality water from its forests, as well as the use of leaf litter as organic fertilizer. Forest protections from decades ago are showing results in sustaining high quality produce, but as the population increases and potato farming expands, the city is working to preserve the natural resources that have contributed to its success.

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How Danone, Kashi and Land O'Lakes are backing sustainable farming

Maki Tazawa

February 11, 2019 |

GreenBiz |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

Because the upfront costs of transitioning a farm to be certified organic can be burdensome to farmers amidst a growing demand for organic food, large companies like Kashi and Land O'Lakes are creating a number of initiatives to help ease the process. Techniques include no-interest advances for expensive initial supplies, fair trade premiums that go to local community work, and soil health initiatives for suppliers. The companies even implement a complex data tracking system to gather information on yield and profitability, which can then be used to inform future sustainable practice transitions.

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How To Get Meat Eaters To Eat More Plant-Based Foods? Make Their Mouths Water

Maria Godoy

February 10, 2019 |

NPR |

Radio |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

Red meat consumption requires a great deal of water and land resources to produce and is even responsible for a large amount of greenhouse gases. To combat this, the Better Buying Lab is experimenting with marketing strategies to get people to buy more vegetarian and vegan items. After rebranding food with sensory descriptors like "Cuban" or "grilled", sales increased 13% in California and 76% in the UK. Influential brands like Panera are now increasing their efforts to continue this trend.

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Butterfly business: Insect farmers help conserve East African forests

Janet Njung'e

February 08, 2019 |

Mongabay |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Kenya, Kilifi County

In Kenya and Tanzania, butterfly farming is emerging as a viable alternative to those seeking employment beyond illegal logging or hunting practices. While up to 1,200 farmers have participated in various butterfly projects across the countries, using their profits to educate their families and begin small businesses, the initiative has seen some roadblock from government mandates preventing wildlife exports.

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These probiotics for plants help farms suck up extra carbon dioxide

Adele Peters

February 07, 2019 |

FastCompany |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Florida

A startup called Locus Agricultural Solutions has created a "probiotic" for soil that uses a mixture of beneficial fungi and bacteria. Not only does it increase productivity of crops, but it also absorbs enough carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere per acre to offset the emissions of a passenger vehicle. Tests done on an orange grove in Florida showed that areas treated with the product took up an extra 4.38 metric tons of CO2 per acre.

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Punjab's marginalised communities struggle for their right to cultivate common lands

Kundan Pandey

February 07, 2019 |

Down To Earth |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: India, Punjab

Balad Kalan’s Scheduled Castes, popularly called Dalits, collectively bid to win the rights to fertile common lands that big landlords had taken control of. Each family contributed what they could and, after protests due to the lack of transparency in the bidding process, won 53 hectares, or one-third of the common land, which was distributed among 145 families. Fifty other villages have since won collective land rights by replicating the joint bidding process. An 11-member cooperative manages the land in each village, which is distributed to families in proportion to their monetary contribution.

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Restoring the Range: Can Beef Be Earth-Friendly?

Madeline Ostrander

February 04, 2019 |

Yes! Magazine |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Hayes, South Dakota

Mortenson Cattle Ranch in Hayes, South Dakota is redefining sustainability practices for cattle-raising farmers by using a model that restored the habitat, wildlife, and water sources on their land. Mimicking the habits of bison herds, the Mortensons use a technique called holistic range management to rotate their cattle's grazing areas, which increases distribution of wildflower and grass seeds, as well as planting trees and replenishing groundwater using dikes and dams. Having started this in the 1980s, 90% of their 19,000 acre property is back to native vegetation, and efforts are still ongoing.

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Nepalese Rice Farmers Boost Yields By Sowing Fewer Plants And Cutting Water

Danielle Preiss

January 30, 2019 |

NPR |

Multi-Media |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: Nepal

Using a somewhat counter-intuitive process, rice farmers in Nepal are seeing higher yields practicing the system of rice intensification (SRI), a method which calls for planting fewer seedlings, planting them younger and using less water. Some farmers have reported a 100% increase in crop yields, which can triple incomes with an added environmental benefit.

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