ENVIRONMENT

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Evidence-Based Nutrition Guidance Supports Informed Consumer Choices

Fact or Fad? Parsing Food Trends From Real Nutrition Science to Support Health

As the Guiding Stars nutrition guidance program celebrates 20 years, we’re taking a look back down memory lane at the food fads that flared up and fizzled out and the ways science-backed nutrition guidance has advanced based on real evidence.

3p Editors

October 27

Food + Farming

Brands Taking Stands

Farmers Say U.S. Immigration Policies Are Making Food More Expensive

Federal immigration agents began targeting agricultural communities in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas last month, leading livestock organizations to issue a joint public statement in protest. The farming and ranching advocates warned the violent arrests and deportations of working people will raise the price of beef and other staples.

Tina Casey

October 9

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Evidence-Based Nutrition Guidance Supports Informed Consumer Choices

Take the Guesswork Out of Back-to-School Food Shopping

With so much information in the news and online about nutrition, it’s easy for caregivers to feel confused and overwhelmed about making the best choices for their kids. Fortunately, clear, evidence-based resources like the Guiding Stars nutrition guidance program are available to help.

Megan Amrich

August 17

Food + Farming

Brands Taking Stands

Planned USDA Restructuring Will Hurt Farmers Already at the Brink, Advocates Say

Amid heavy criticism, the USDA plans to go ahead with a massive reorganization and forced relocation of nearly 3,000 workers. Advocates say it couldn’t come at a worse time, as a Super El Niño threatens a return to the Dust Bowl and a parasite eradicated 60 years ago reemerges on U.S. livestock farms.

Tina Casey

August 7

Food + Farming

Rooted in Nature: How Three CPG Companies Are Scaling Regenerative Practices

Given the climate-fighting power of regenerative agriculture, a growing segment of farmers, land managers, and consumer goods companies are working to integrate more of these practices into the way they grow the world’s food and forest-based products.

Amy Brown

June 30

Food + Farming

In Southern Colorado Water Is Precious. That’s Why Farmers Are Growing Rye

Rye is having something of a renaissance in the San Luis Valley, thanks to its remarkable drought-tolerance, and two women behind the Rye Resurgence Project.

Ilana Newman

May 29

Food + Farming

Urchins Are Ravaging Pacific Kelp Forests. Will Seafood Ranches Stop Their Path of Destruction?

Urchins are overwhelming Pacific coastlines, where they devour kelp and destabilize ecosystems. Aquaculture "ranches" are collecting them for human consumption to mitigate the damage.

Elyse Hauser

March 9

Food + Farming

Memphis Schools’ Fight Against Food Waste is a Fight Against Hunger, Too

Clean Memphis is running a suite of school programs dedicated to keeping edible food out of landfills and teaching students how food systems work. Organizers already see evidence that it’s cutting waste and increasing food access.

Mary Riddle

March 2

Food + Farming

This Oregon Winery Wants to Make Refillable Bottles the Norm

The familiar glass bottle has dominated wine packaging for years, with little change and a hefty carbon footprint. Two Oregon companies are switching things up by going reusable.

Ruscena Wiederholt

February 20

Food + Farming

How a Brazilian Food Rescue Network Feeds Millions Every Month

Sesc Mesa's impact is felt across the country, feeding 2.3 million people and keeping thousands of tons of food out of landfills monthly.

Nicole Froio

February 9

Food + Farming

From Salon to Soil: The Surprising Second Life of Hair Waste

Most of us don't think twice about where our trimmed hair ends up after the salon. These companies are bringing it to the farm.

Ruscena Wiederholt

January 23

Food + Farming

Brands Taking Stands

Can Worms Help Fight Antimicrobial Resistance?

Beyond improving soil health, new research indicates vermicomposting can be helpful for stopping the spread of antimicrobial resistance from farms to people.

Tina Casey

January 14

Food + Farming

A Refugee-Led Cooperative Supported Thousands of Syrians in Greece. Now, They’re Bringing Organic Farming Home.

With the civil war over, an organic farming cooperative that supported more than 13,000 Syrian refugees in Greece has returned to help rural communities rebuild.

Mawada Bahah

December 30, 2025

Food + Farming

Loaf and Lager: The Climate Potential of Brewing With Bread

U.K.-based Toast Brewing brings a whole new meaning to liquid bread, incorporating surplus bread from bakeries and sandwich makers into every one of its beers.

Ruscena Wiederholt

December 12, 2025

Food + Farming

Brands Taking Stands

How The Solar Grazing Movement Can Support Sustainable Materials

Solar grazing offers a new revenue stream for farmers, with the potential to reinvigorate the long-dormant U.S. sheep farming market and create a sustainable materials boom.

Tina Casey

December 10, 2025

Food + Farming

From Tank to Table: Lab-Grown Seafood Might Be Coming to a Menu Near You

Seafood company Wildtype just launched a sushi-grade salmon that's grown from salmon cells in a renovated microbrewery in San Francisco. It's already available in four U.S. states.

Ruscena Wiederholt

November 21, 2025

Food + Farming

The Youth-Led Container Garden Movement Tackling Child Hunger in Uganda

The Kanyanya Youth Urban Oasis initiative provides nutrient-dense food to schools in need by bringing the farm to them.

Nanfuka Fatuma

November 18, 2025

Food + Farming

Reusable Takeout Containers Are Taking Over College Campuses, With a 99% Return Rate

The University of Pittsburgh joined a growing list of U.S. colleges using a stainless steel takeout container system that runs like a library, managing checkouts and returns with QR codes and smartphones.

Amy Brown

November 17, 2025

Food + Farming

Hooked on Sustainability: This Bangladesh Project Aims to Make Aquaculture Better for Farmers and the Planet

As aquaculture grows at a rapid pace, farmers in Bangladesh are testing whether growing multiple species together can make it more sustainable and economically viable.

Ruscena Wiederholt

November 13, 2025

Food + Farming

A New ‘Red Meat’ From the Sea Could Be Coming to Menus Near You

A Scandinavian startup is making a ground beef alternative from marine invertebrates. Scientists say it shows sustainability promise, but getting people to try it might be the hardest part.

Elyse Hauser

November 3, 2025

Food + Farming

‘Early Evidence of Success’ in Building Income for Cocoa Growers in Côte d’Ivoire

The farmers who make your Halloween candy possible are often getting by on less than half of the global living wage benchmark. Hershey is working with environmental and humanitarian agencies on an income accelerator program to change that, and the early results are promising.

Dave Armon

October 30, 2025

Food + Farming

Sudan’s Golden Harvest Returns Slowly as Women’s Cooperatives Fight to Revive the Gum Arabic Trade

Most of the world's gum arabic, the ingredient that keeps soda fizzing and pharmaceuticals stable, once came from Sudan. Three years after the country entered civil war and production collapsed, women’s cooperatives are rebuilding the industry.

Mohamed Ahmed

October 27, 2025

Food + Farming

How a 133-Year-Old Italian Winery Protects Its Vines and the Nature Around Them

As one of the oldest wineries in Italy, Coppo Winery has a long legacy to maintain. Continuing to do so means minimizing synthetic pesticide and fertilizer use.

Ruscena Wiederholt

October 17, 2025

Food + Farming

No Waste, All Taste: Boulevard Brewing is Closing the Loop

Boulevard Brewing Company committed to going zero-landfill in 2006. By 2011, it removed all its dumpsters in favor of finding creative ways to reuse, recycle and compost its waste.

Ruscena Wiederholt

September 19, 2025

Food + Farming

California Winery J. Lohr Uncorks Sustainability

J. Lohr Vineyards and Wines has embraced the dry, hot climate of California's Central Coast since the 70s. Now, that climate inspires its sustainability efforts.

Ruscena Wiederholt

August 22, 2025

Food + Farming

A Wall of Trees is Reversing Desertification and Empowering Communities in Nigeria

For years, the Sahara Desert has crept steadily toward communities in Kano State, Nigeria, drying up farmland and threatening livelihoods. Makoda village is holding it back with a wall of trees.

Chinonso Kenneth

August 12, 2025

Food + Farming

Rocked by Drought and Famine, Smallholder Farmers in Madagascar Get Support to Increase Yields

Madagascar experienced five severe droughts in the past two decades. A new program will support half a million farmers struggling to build resilience and raise crops.

Riya Anne Polcastro

July 25, 2025

Food + Farming

Brands Taking Stands

Vertical Farming: New Ventures Rise from the Ashes of Failure

The closure of some once buzzed-about vertical farming companies has some questioning the future of the sector, but this nascent field is still showing strong signs of growth.

Tina Casey

July 16, 2025

Food + Farming

From Seed to Spirit: A Bourbon Distillery’s Homegrown Approach

Once a dairy farm, Jeptha Creed held on to its agricultural roots when it became a distillery. Now, growing its own ingredients is the center of its sustainability efforts.

Ruscena Wiederholt

July 11, 2025

Food + Farming

Vineyards with a Vision: How Italy's Wine Industry is Going Green

With a strong commitment to the environment at its core, a sustainable wine cooperative established in 1904 has grown to include nearly 1,600 winegrowers across Trentino, Italy.

Ruscena Wiederholt

June 6, 2025

Food + Farming

Scientists Are Spreading Rocks on Farm Fields to Fight Climate Change

Spreading the right kind of crushed rock on farmland can capture carbon and store it for the long term. “We’re harnessing the natural rock weathering cycle that’s been stabilizing Earth’s climate for millions of years. We’re just speeding it up,” Jim Mann, CEO of the enhanced rock weathering startup Undo, told us.

Mary Riddle

May 27, 2025

Food + Farming

Liquid Gold: How Wasted Turns Urine into Fertilizer

Wasted turns the nutrients in urine into a phosphorus-rich fertilizer powder, and it all starts with specialized port-a-potties. While some consumers might be squeamish about using a product derived from pee, the team behind WeeBloom is out to challenge taboos and shift public perception.

Gary E. Frank

May 13, 2025

Food + Farming

Growing Seaweed and Mussels Together Could Be a Powerful Climate Solution

Sugar kelp and blue mussels can work together at aquaculture farms to combat nutrient pollution and create a more balanced local ecosystem, new research finds.

Mary Riddle

May 9, 2025

Food + Farming

Can Paper Wrappers Replace Plastic? Kind Wants to Find Out

Kind Snacks rolled out the first in-store pilot of its famous nut bars in curbside-recyclable paper wrappers earlier this month. A paper wrapper that can keep food fresh is no easy feat, but the brand hopes the test will inspire others to look at paper as a packaging option.

Riya Anne Polcastro

May 8, 2025

Food + Farming

From the Grapes to the Glass: New Zealand’s Sustainable Wine Industry

A sustainable wine certification program in New Zealand has reached 98 percent of the country's vineyard area. It's focused on reducing harmful impacts on people and the planet.

Ruscena Wiederholt

May 2, 2025

Food + Farming

The Solutions Effect

How the Nation is Stepping Up to Support U.S. Farmers

As the growing season kicks off, farmers are losing access to funding and data they rely on to run their farms. Amid the chaos, leaders are rising to the occasion to support farmers trying to navigate the situation — and solutions journalists are covering it.

Taylor Haelterman

April 29, 2025

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Building More Sustainable Agricultural Supply Chains, Today and Into the Future

Harnessing Microbial Power for More Sustainable Agriculture

Soil may look like lifeless dirt, but it’s very much alive. A handful of healthy soil can contain billions of microorganisms that break down organic matter and leave behind nutrients for plants in a symbiotic system called the soil food web. Indigo Ag and Groundwork BioAg aim to harness these natural processes to improve soil health and yields for farmers.

Mary Riddle

April 29, 2025

Food + Farming

Reeling in Responsibility: The Path to Sustainable Tuna Fisheries

Like many fish populations, several species of tuna faced steep declines over the past few decades. Thanks to regional management and other efforts to promote sustainable tuna fisheries, some are bouncing back.

Ruscena Wiederholt

April 14, 2025

Food + Farming

From Sugarcane to Cocktail: The Rise of Sustainable Rum

Kōloa Rum Company, a craft distiller on the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i, is putting sustainable rum on the menu. From sourcing ingredients to barrel aging, the company considers its environmental impact every step of the way.

Ruscena Wiederholt

April 11, 2025

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Avocados: The Farm-to-Table Journey of America’s Favorite Fruit

Sustainable Avocado Farming Is Not an Initiative in Mexico — It’s the Foundation

The Mexican avocado industry provides nearly 90 percent of the U.S. avocado supply, but what corporate and federal organizations call “sustainable practices” today are what APEAM’s growers have called “avocado farming” for generations.

Julio Sahagun

March 6, 2025

Food + Farming

How U.S. Soybean Farmers Are Making Their Fields More Sustainable

Soybeans exploded in popularity in the United States, but growing the crop comes with a host of environmental impacts. American soybean farmers are starting to do things differently, resulting in a much lower carbon footprint than many other soy-producing countries.

Ruscena Wiederholt

March 3, 2025

Food + Farming

From Seeds to Sales: Supporting Smallholder Farmers Where They Need It Most

Ghana-based agriculture tech company Farmerline helps smallholder farmers in 50 countries overcome barriers to finance, resource, information and market access — much of which is done through a digital platform.

Riya Anne Polcastro

February 11, 2025

Food + Farming

Is Wine’s Future in a Can?

Wine's quintessential packaging is responsible for a large chunk of its carbon footprint. Some wineries are taking advantage of the growing demand for more sustainable wine to try out alternative options like cans and lighter-weight glass, but is it catching on?

Ruscena Wiederholt

January 27, 2025

Food + Farming

Reducing Methane From Food Waste is a Climate Solution That Can Make a Difference Now

NASA satellite data shows the average industrial composting facility emits nearly as much methane as a landfill. We need another way to keep inedible, non-compostable food waste out of landfills and process it without emitting methane — and many cities and towns have a secret weapon that can do it.

Matt Tomich

December 17, 2024

Food + Farming

Building Measurable Metrics for Regenerative Farming

Regenerative agriculture is emerging as a way to reshape the agricultural sector to prioritize environmental and socioeconomic benefits. But a successful transition will require a set of measurable global metrics to support accountability.

Mary Riddle

December 16, 2024

Food + Farming

Why the Māori and a U.S. Business Came Together to Grow Seaweed

A Māori tribe in Aotearoa — the Māori-language name for New Zealand — is partnering with an innovative seaweed company to bring seaweed farming, and its economic and environmental benefits, to the country's northeast coast.

Andrew Kaminsky

December 12, 2024

Food + Farming

Digging Deeper: How Cover Crops Enhance Soil Health

Healthy soil is a limited resource, and new soil forms incredibly slowly. Some farmers are planting cover crops to protect their fields from erosion and reap the bounty of benefits they provide the soil.

Ruscena Wiederholt

December 5, 2024

Food + Farming

Billie Eilish Fans Take a Bite out of Climate Change with Plant-Based Pledge

Billie Eilish actively engages her fans to act on social and environmental issues. Concertgoers can pledge to eat one plant-based meal a day for 30 days through Support and Feed, for example. Founded by Eilish's mother, Maggie Baird, the organization calls for a shift to an equitable, plant-based food system.

Amy Brown

October 17, 2024

Food + Farming

A Tough Nut to Crack: Kind Snacks Tackles Sustainability in Almond Orchards

After a year of progress, the Kind Almond Acres Initiative is expanding. The California-based pilot project is a part of the company's plan to source 100 percent of its almonds from farmers practicing regenerative agriculture by the end of the decade.

Ruscena Wiederholt

October 10, 2024

Food + Farming

Can Rod and Reel Gear Save Nova Scotia’s Swordfish Harpoon Fleet?

A harpoon fishing fleet that's operated in Nova Scotia for over a century is struggling to catch enough swordfish to stay afloat. Adding rod and reel gear and offering charter fishing trips could increase its annual income by $2.5 million CAD and keep the sustainable fleet in operation.

Riya Anne Polcastro

September 23, 2024

Food + Farming

For MVP Dairy, Regenerative Farming is About Progress Over Perfection

While many wonder if cattle farming can coexist in a world increasingly focused on decarbonization and biodiversity, MVP Dairy believes incremental sustainability gains are important to recognize. It's improving its environmental impact through regenerative dairy farming practices.

Mary Riddle

September 19, 2024

Food + Farming

Brands Taking Stands

The More Farmers Know About Agrivoltaics, the More They Like It

Using the same land to produce crops and solar energy, a practice called agrivoltaics, is gaining popularity among developers and farmers. Will it scale up quickly enough to become a significant part of the energy transition?

Tina Casey

September 18, 2024

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Avocados: The Farm-to-Table Journey of America’s Favorite Fruit

Fair Trade Avocados Are Growing Rural Economies in Mexico

Fair Trade certification helps to foster sustainable development in growing regions and ensure economic stability for farmers. For Carlos Genel, an economist and second-generation avocado grower in Michoacán, Mexico, becoming a Fair Trade organization was a win for his community. 

Mary Riddle

August 27, 2024

Food + Farming

Should Refillable Packaging Be the New Norm?

The Paris Olympics Prove Reusable Packaging Is Possible On a Massive Scale

The Paris Olympics are the largest sports event ever to replace single-use beverage cups with refillable alternatives, and advocates hope it will send a clear message to event organizers and beverage brands that reuse is possible on a large scale. 

Mary Mazzoni

August 7, 2024

Food + Farming

Cocoa Prices Are Booming: What's Next?

Commodity prices are soaring as climate change hits key growing regions, but headlines on the subject often miss a crucial factor: Today’s price spikes stem from the longstanding exploitation of farmers, which stripped resilience out of these supply chains years ago, argues the executive director of Fairtrade America.

Amanda Archila

August 1, 2024

Food + Farming

Hybrid Grapes Are Paving the Way for Sustainable Vineyards

An astounding 70 percent of wine-producing regions are predicted to become unsuitable as global temperatures rise. Though often overlooked, hybrid grapes offer a path toward a more resilient, sustainable future for the industry.

Ruscena Wiederholt

July 12, 2024

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Avocados: The Farm-to-Table Journey of America’s Favorite Fruit

For These Farmers, Growing Avocados Sustainably is a Family Tradition

Enrique Audiffred, a third-generation farmer and second-generation organic avocado grower in Michoacán, Mexico, is among those turning to technology to produce the prized green fruit in a more environmentally sustainable way.

Mary Riddle

June 27, 2024

Food + Farming

Moving the Breadbasket: Climate Change and the Future of American Agriculture

California is the United States' leading agricultural producer, but as climate change intensifies, growing some of those crops elsewhere becomes an important part of ensuring a stable food supply. The World Wildlife Fund is promoting that transition in the Mid-Mississippi Delta region.

Mary Riddle

June 27, 2024

Food + Farming

A Free Tool is Bringing Farmers and Buyers Together to Eliminate Food Waste

A sizable portion of the 2.5 billion tons of food that's wasted every year never leaves the farm. A new, free tool from the World Wildlife Fund is helping growers and buyers work together to get more food out of the field and onto consumers' plates.

Riya Anne Polcastro

June 7, 2024

Food + Farming

Shaking It Up: Shake Shack Embraces Carbon Neutral Milk

Shake Shack is using carbon neutral milk from Neutral Foods in its namesake milkshakes to reduce its carbon footprint. Meanwhile, Neutral is helping dairy farmers make sustainable changes with technical and financial assistance.

Ruscena Wiederholt

June 3, 2024

Food + Farming

The Solutions Effect

The Apps Fighting Food Waste

Entrepreneurs are designing mobile apps to reduce the more than a billion tons of food wasted by households, retailers and food service businesses each year. These forward-thinking founders want food waste reduction to be as easy as ordering takeout or curbside grocery pickup.

Taylor Haelterman

May 31, 2024

Food + Farming

Drink Up for the Planet: How Spirits, Beer and Wine are Going Green

Companies in the alcohol industry are turning to a myriad of novel methods to create more sustainable spirits, wines and beer. Going organic and upcycling food waste are just some of the ways they're reducing the environmental impact of their operations.

Ruscena Wiederholt

May 31, 2024

Food + Farming

How Agrivoltaics Innovation is Creating New Opportunities for Farmers

The emerging field of agrivoltaics is encouraging solar technology innovation while allowing farmers to take advantage of new clean energy systems that can co-exist with crops and livestock.

Tina Casey

May 24, 2024

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Avocados: The Farm-to-Table Journey of America’s Favorite Fruit

On the Move: How Avocado Exports Work

While farm workers play a crucial role in the avocado's journey from orchard to table, thousands of buyers, packers, marketers and logistics professionals are just as critical to the industry’s growing success.

Mary Riddle

May 14, 2024

Food + Farming

This Organization Pays Farmers to Grow and Protect Forests in India

Farmers for Forests is helping to reforest India and sequester carbon by paying farmers to grow fruit trees on historically barren land in a practice known as agroforestry.

Mary Riddle

May 10, 2024

Food + Farming

Should Refillable Packaging Be the New Norm?

What School Lunchrooms Can Teach Us About Normalizing Reuse

Schools are particularly well suited as testing grounds for budding reuse models. We spoke with Crystal Dreisbach, CEO of Upstream, a nonprofit change agency working to accelerate reuse systems across North America, to learn more.

Mary Mazzoni

May 8, 2024

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Avocados: The Farm-to-Table Journey of America’s Favorite Fruit

Meet the Family Farmer Growing Your Avocados

Michoacán, a Mexican state on the western coast, is at the heart of the country's avocado sector and produces 73 percent of all avocados grown in Mexico. It is also where Martin Mendoza calls home and where he has been growing avocados since he was 16 years old.

Mary Riddle

April 17, 2024

Food + Farming

Sustainability on Tap: Exploring the Organic Beer Market

Craft beer is booming in the United States, and organic options and environmentally-friendly brewing practices are growing in popularity alongside it. While organic still makes up a minority of beer sales, the segment is poised to take off.

Ruscena Wiederholt

January 5, 2024

Food + Farming

Are Paper Bottles the Future of Beverage Packaging?

Some beverage brands are considering paper bottles as an alternative to plastic and glass, but is paper really a better option?

Abha Malpani Naismith

October 31, 2023

Food + Farming

This New Marketplace Aims to Encourage Farmers to Adopt Sustainable Practices

Tech company DTN is collecting data on 19 major grain, oil seed and legume crops across 35 states in preparation for a new sustainable marketplace in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The idea is for grain buyers to make purchases based on sustainability — and for farmers to fetch a higher price for making the switch.

Riya Anne Polcastro

August 15, 2023

Food + Farming

It’s Time to Invest in Sustainable Rice

Proven methods can cut the climate and water footprint of rice farming substantially. But more private-sector finance is needed to scale these practices around the world. It’s time for CEOs to take the leap — not only to save their businesses, but also to prevent climate and hunger disasters. 

Carlos Manuel Rodriguez

July 14, 2023

Food + Farming

Congressional Leaders Revive Legislation Aimed at Justice for Black Farmers

Aimed at addressing a history of bias within agriculture, the proposed legislation includes provisions to support a new generation of Black farmers while protecting Black farmers who are at risk of losing their land.

Amy Brown

February 2, 2023