The Restorative Promise of Agroecology: Farming for Sovereignty and Resilience in Malawi – Part II
Agroecology offers sustainable, climate‑resilient solutions for Malawi’s food insecurity, delivering soil health, biodiversity and gender‑inclusive benefits. In contrast, the country’s agricultural policy is dominated by corporate‑driven Green Revolution initiatives—AGRA, NAFSN, and multinational seed and fertilizer firms—backed by over $1 billion in donor funding. Despite a surplus of maize and a Vision 2063 goal of 6% GDP growth, 4 million Malawians face acute food insecurity and climate‑driven poverty. Grassroots groups such as EARTH are re‑introducing intercropping and polyculture to restore local knowledge and nutrition, challenging the neocolonial logic of industrial agriculture.
Why the Herbicide Glyphosate Is Key to Sustainable Agriculture
Glyphosate is presented as essential for sustainable agriculture, enabling no‑till practices, cover‑crop termination, and reduced emissions. The article argues the herbicide’s low toxicity, rapid environmental breakdown, and off‑patent affordability make it a safe, cost‑effective tool for farmers. It also claims...
Monarch Tractor’s Future in Doubt After Mass Layoffs and Headquarters Closure
Monarch Tractor, once valued over $500 million, has shuttered its Livermore headquarters, auctioned key equipment and laid off nearly all staff after a series of lawsuits and a failed pivot to a software‑licensing model. The company had raised $220‑242 million, including a...
UAE University Launches Smart Mushroom House to Support Food Security and Circular Agriculture
UAE University has opened the Smart Mushroom House, an IoT‑enabled research facility at Al Foah Farm that turns date‑palm waste into mushroom substrate. The plant can process up to 600 cultivation bags per cycle, delivering 20‑30% yield across species such as...
Regrow Ag and PUMA Complete Merger to Create Unified Agricultural Sourcing and Sustainability Platform
Regrow Ag and Latin American agri‑data firm PUMA have completed a merger, creating a unified enterprise platform that links field‑level data with corporate procurement and sustainability reporting. The combined system integrates Regrow’s scientific data infrastructure with PUMA’s execution network across...
Prairie Prophecy: A Powerful New Film on Wes Jackson and the Future of Agriculture
Prairie Prophecy, a documentary about ecologist and Land Institute co‑founder Wes Jackson, has premiered on PBS with a 55‑minute version available for online streaming and a 90‑minute theatrical cut touring the country. The film showcases Jackson’s pioneering work on perennial...
The Restorative Promise of Agroecology: Farming for Sovereignty and Resilience in Malawi
A grassroots initiative led by EARTH Workshops and Butterfly Space is teaching Malawian villages regenerative agroecology techniques, from composting and urine‑based fertilizer (Mbeya) to intercropping and tree nurseries. In Chombe Village, 112 fruit‑tree seedlings sell for about $1.70 each, generating...
Major Ag Lender Warns of Arabica Land Losses From Climate Change
Rabobank, one of the world’s largest agricultural lenders, released a climate risk report warning that up to 20% of current Arabica coffee‑growing land could become unsuitable by 2050. Already 8% of the area is classified as unsuitable, with the most...
Farmers Will Plant Less Corn and More Soy in 2026, USDA Says
The USDA’s Prospective Plantings report shows U.S. corn acreage at 95.338 million acres, a 3.4% decline from last year but still above analyst forecasts. Soybean plantings are projected at 84.7 million acres, up 4.3% from 2025 yet falling short of expectations. Corn...
Lebanon’s Food Crisis Shows Why Resilient Local Food Systems Matter
Lebanon’s food security is collapsing as war, economic collapse and hyperinflation converge. The country relies on imports for roughly 80% of its food, leaving it exposed to disrupted supply lines and soaring prices. Recent assessments show 1.26 million people facing crisis‑level...
On Menorca, an Olive Oil Identity Shaped by Soil, Sea and Wind
Son Felip, a farm in northern Menorca, earned a Silver Award at the 2026 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition for its Koroneiki monovarietal extra virgin olive oil. The producer uses regenerative agriculture, early‑harvest processing, and biodiversity‑focused practices that boost polyphenol...
EPA Sets Record High Biofuel Blending Volumes
The EPA finalized the 2026‑2027 Renewable Fuel Standard, setting total biofuel volumes at 26.81 billion gallons for 2026 and 27.02 billion gallons for 2027, with a 70 % reallocation of small‑refinery exemptions. Corn‑based ethanol retains a 15‑billion‑gallon floor, while biomass diesel and advanced...
Brainfood: Rice Breeding, Cowpea Diversity, Sorghum Pangenome, Faba Bean Genome, Banana Wild Relative, Cassava Breeding, Seed Laws, Microbiome Double
Recent studies highlight how advanced genomics and breeding strategies are reshaping food security across major and orphan crops. IRRI’s rice breeding in the Philippines and Indonesia shows measurable yield gains, while large‑scale sequencing of cowpea, sorghum pangenomes, and faba bean...
GMO Seeds Sold to Home Gardeners
Biotech startup backed by a former Syngenta executive began selling genetically modified purple tomato seeds to home gardeners in 2024. The product, marketed as a high‑yield, disease‑resistant heirloom alternative, is the first GMO seed line directly available to consumers. Distribution...
PFAS in Fruits & Vegetables
A new Environmental Working Group (EWG) report found PFAS in 37% of conventionally grown produce in California, identifying 17 distinct PFAS compounds across more than 40 fruit and vegetable varieties. Contamination was detected in common items such as nectarines, peaches,...