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Millet anyone? Facing soil crisis, US farmers look beyond corn and soybeans

Story Hinckley Laurent Belsie

December 28, 2018 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Iowa

After decades of planting almost solely corn and soybeans, across the Midwest and Plains, farmers are trying new methods to restore nutrients and replenish their soils. Methods like no-till farming, growing diverse cover crops during the winter, and using soil-sensitive crop rotations are growing in popularity. While the new practices face some resistance, cultural awareness is growing and being encouraged by new legislation.

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PNG farmers use agroforestry to fight crop diseases and reduce labor

Camilo Mejia Giraldo

December 19, 2018 |

Mongabay |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Papua New Guinea, Lae, Morobe

Across Papua New Guinea, growers are turning to agroforestry, pairing crops like cocoa and nuts to closely mimic forest ecosystems. The benefits are numerous--diverse income streams for growers, new habitat for wildlife, combatting crop diseases, and carbon sequestration, among others. But success hinges, in part, on growers' ability to balance long-term and short-term goals.

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‘We see its value': Ugandan communities benefiting from agroforestry

Deusdedit Ruhangariyo

December 11, 2018 |

Mongabay |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Uganda, Butanda

Communities across Uganda have been realizing the benefits of agroforestry, an old farming system that mimics natural ecosystems. Apart from creating a diverse, stable local food supply, the practice promotes soil health, bolsters biodiversity, creates wildlife habitat, and sequesters carbon. An NGO is working with communities to spread the practice across the region, with marked effect.

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Agroforestry ‘home gardens' build community resilience in southern Ethiopia

Tesfa-Alem Tekle

December 04, 2018 |

Mongabay |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Ethiopia, Bule

Farmers in Bule, Ethiopia, are practicing agroforestry, a diverse cropping method that mimics natural ecosystems. A survey found a stunning average of 16 crop species, including 21 species of tree, on farms. The benefits of the practice are myriad: food security, improved soil health, carbon sequestration, diversified revenue streams, and new wildlife habitat, to name several. While the incentive to grow valuable monocultures can be high, many growers stick with agroforestry regardless.

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How farmers in Punjab are using the practice of mulching to fight climate change

Ankita Anand

November 30, 2018 |

Daily O |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Sunam, Punjab

In Punjab's Sangrur district, some farmers are choosing to mulch rather than burn crop residue. The benefits of mulching are two-fold: increased soil health and reduced air pollution. But a lot of growers in the area still burn, and many are frustrated that the government offers no incentives to mulch.

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Agroforestry supports food security and conservation in Papua New Guinea

Camilo Mejia Giraldo

November 26, 2018 |

Mongabay |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Papua New Guinea

In Papua New Guinea, agroforestry--an old method of farming that more closely mimics natural ecosystems--has provided the Gildipasi community with diverse crops and greater food security. And in a boom for wildlife, the practice has allowed the community to set aside 4,940 protected acres of forestland, as well as a marine protected area, over the past two decades.

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Can we meet a growing need for food without destroying our environment?

Paul McDivitt

November 01, 2018 |

Ensia |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Virginia

As climate change continues to impact agriculture production and land viability, a new concept known as “sustainable intensification” has entered the conversation as a way to cultivate a relationship between traditional and organic farming. Taking the best from both practices, this new practice emphasizes environmentally friendly farming with higher yields of food production.

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The California Indigenous Peoples Using Fire for Agroforestry

Jane Braxton Little

October 16, 2018 |

Pacific Standard |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, California

The Karuk and Yoruk tribes use prescribed burning to keep land healthy and encourage the growth of traditional foods and medicines. New resources and partnerships are helping to bring back small-scale fires and revive important cultural practices.

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Perennial versions of conventional crops offer benefits to the environment — but are they ready for prime time?

Virginia Gewin

September 06, 2018 |

Ensia |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Salinas, Kansas

With shifts in climate change and environmental sustainability a concern, historical farming practices have had to shift to accommodate the changes. One practice that is showing promise are the cultivating of perennial crops.

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Why Farmers Are Ditching Industrial Methods For This Practice

Carrie Budge

September 05, 2018 |

The Huffington Post |

Video |

Under 3 Minutes

Response Location: Kenya

During the Industrial Revolution, farmers began harvesting monoculture crops which produced promising profits but proved harmful to the soil and weakened the immune capabilities of native plants. Lately, however, permaculture practices have been on the rise amongst farmers to better diversify their yields and reduce reliance on chemicals.

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