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Native bees, please

Casey Smith

May 11, 2019 |

Berkeley Science Review |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Berkeley, California

The Urban Bee Lab at UC Berkeley has spent over a decade collecting data about native Californian bees who regularly interact with humans so that they can share their findings to help farmers improve production. The lab collects specimens to help researchers down the line; they observe bees in nature; and they actively work with local farmers to exchange useful information. Short-term, the collaborations help farmers improve yield and provide a welcoming space to bees; short-term, the data collected will help protect and conserve native bee populations.

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'It's a groundswell': the farmers fighting to save the Earth's soil

Matthew Taylor

April 24, 2019 |

The Guardian |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom

Governments, UN officials, and climate experts alike are ringing the alarm bells of growing soil degradation around the world. But a new agricultural movement is tackling this challenge head on. Instead of the centuries-old method of ploughing, or turning up the soil, farmers have recently taken to keeping their fields covered with varied plants year round, to keep soil healthier. Advocates also point to lower costs on machinery and labor, more resilient crops, and climate change dividends as added benefits as well.

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Can This Breakfast Cereal Help Save The Planet?

Dan Charles

April 13, 2019 |

NPR |

Radio |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

Human beings' reliance on crops like wheat and rice has a detrimental environmental effect: because these annual crops need replanting every year, farmers are required to destroy any existing vegetation in order to get the seeds to germinate. But scientists with the Land Institute are promoting kernza, a perennial relative of wheat that provides seeds year after year.

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How a small community in the northeastern corner of India became the country's first green village

Anne Pinto-Rodrigues

March 29, 2019 |

Ensia |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Khonoma, Nagaland

The village of Khonoma, in India's Nagaland state, focuses its effort on wildlife conservation through community-organized hunting reduction efforts and sustainable agriculture practices. These efforts led to the creation of the Khonoma sanctuary, which provides a safe-haven for the area's endangered species as well as serves as space for traditional sustainable farming practices -- like planting vegetables at the base of alder trees, which produce rich soil.

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Restoring Indonesia's peatlands to their natural soggy glory

Daniel Grossman

March 20, 2019 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Indonesia, Borneo

The Indonesian government is working with family farmers in Borneo to spread the cultivation of sago crops, which requires the restoration of the country's historic, boggy swamps. This type of agriculture, called paludiculture, makes the lands less prone to devastating wildfires, protects residents' health, reduces CO2 emissions, and offers a long-term farming solution.

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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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How high-tech agriculture is transforming the fortunes of Nigerian rice farmers

Olivia Cuthbert

January 16, 2019 |

The Telegraph |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: Nigeria, Kebbi

New planting and harvesting techniques and improved seeds are transforming farmers' fortunes and boosting harvests in Nigeria, where rice is a staple food but local supply fails to keep up with high demand. Farmers are also relying on agriculture apps like RiceAdvice and WeedManager, which quickly determine fertilizer quantities and identify harmful weeds.

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Solar Farms Shine a Ray of Hope on Bees and Butterflies

Jodi Helmer

January 14, 2019 |

Scientific American |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Oregon

As farmland is converted to space for solar panels, researchers are planting native wildflowers amongst the technology to support populations of bees and other insects facing endangerment. While it's not the only solution needed to reverse the decline of pollinating species, as seen in the past decade, planting them in solar sites are a useful start.

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How African scientists are improving cassava to help feed the world

Amy Maxmen

January 08, 2019 |

Nature |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Nigeria, Ikenne

Cassava, a root plant that feeds and supports over 800 million people across the globe, is ready for an improvement. As part of the Next Generation Cassava Breeding project, scientists are exploring how to increase the plant’s yield and help it withstand climate conditions to feed more people. Through hydroponics and technological testing of seed varieties, cassava is finally getting the attention and funding it needs.

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Agroforestry helps Tajikistan farmers overcome resource pressures

Daniyar Serikov

January 02, 2019 |

Mongabay |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Tajikistan, Isfara

Many farmers in Tajikistan are transitioning from Soviet-era monoculture to agroforestry, a method that more closely mimics natural ecosystems. While the farms are small, many payoffs--good income, diverse crops, robust wildlife, and carbon sequestration, to name several--are being realized.

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