Kernza and the Promise of Perennial Agriculture

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Author: Monica Watrous | Published: March 16, 2018

ANAHEIM, CALIF. — At The Perennial restaurant in San Francisco, customers may order a crisp waffle, fresh-baked bread or a sourdough crumble made with Kernza, a perennial grain with deep roots that holds great promise for a sustainable food supply.

Kernza is an intermediate wheatgrass developed by The Land Institute, a non-profit organization in Salina, Kas., and is shown to have a positive impact on soil health, carbon sequestration and water retention.

“It’s a gamechanger,” said Rachel Stroer, chief operating officer of The Land Institute, during a presentation at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim. “After four decades of rigorous research and 20 years of intensive plant breeding, the first perennial grain has hit the U.S. market.”

Domesticated from a wild relative of annual wheat, the sweet, nutty grain soon may be found in cereals and snacks from General Mills, Inc., Minneapolis, which recently announced a collaboration with The Land Institute to commercialize Kernza. Patagonia Provisions, Ventura, Calif., sources the grain for its Long Root Ale, a craft beer brewed in Portland, Ore. Birchwood Cafe in Minneapolis serves pancakes and grain salads made with the grain.

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UK to Set Goal of Restoring Soil Health by 2030

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Author: Sami Grover | Published: March 14, 2018

Incredibly, this appears to be the first time the government has really tried to tackle this crucial issue nationwide.

Michael Gove, the UK’s Secretary of State for the Environment hinted at this in his ‘Green Brexit’ speech, but Rebecca Pow, parliamentary private secretary to environment ministers, appears to have confirmed to The Guardian that the upcoming agricultural bill to be published later this year will include a specific segment on soil health, and is likely to set a nationwide goal of restoring degraded soils across the country by 2030.

The specifics of what that means are still being ironed out, but the bill is likely to include soil health targets for soil health for farmers, as well as incentives for soil-friendly practices like crop rotation, cover crops, and the planting of hedgerows, wind breaks and other natural guards against erosion.

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Regenerative Organic Certification Wants To Be The Ethical Standard To Rule Them All

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The new standard combines the best of all the usual players–fair trade, humane, non-GMO–into one label that aims to set a new bar for sustainable, ethical agricultural production.

Author: Eillie Anzilotti | Published: March 14, 2018

Fair Trade Certified. Certified Organic. Non-GMO. Certified Humane–we’re used to seeing these labels scattered over products touting their ethical and environmental backgrounds.

But the brands and farmers meeting these standards often feel “like scouts with a sash full of merit badges,” says Jeff Moyer, president of the Rodale Institute, which advocates for organic farming practices.

Rodale is one of a handful of organizations working with the natural soap brand Dr. Bronner’s and Patagonia to roll out a new sustainability standard, which Dr. Bronner’s president Mike Bronner calls “one standard to rule them all,” because it will incorporate best practices from pre-existing standards–as well as new criteria–into one certification.

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AL GRANO: Mariposa monarca, adiós anticipado

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Por: Emmanuel González-Ortega | Publicado: 18 de marzo 2018

Hoy la supervivencia de esta especie de mariposa se encuentra en grave riesgo, más de 80 por ciento las poblaciones han caído desde mediados de la década de 1990. Especialistas pronostican la probabilidad de que entre el 10 y 57 por ciento de que la población se reduzca tan drásticamente y con ello terminaría la migración de mariposas monarca desde el norte de América.

Uno de los animales más representativos del norte del continente americano es la mariposa monarca (Danaus plexippus). Cada año, las monarcas  emprenden uno de los procesos de migración más largos y espectaculares de la naturaleza: las mariposas adulto viajan desde el sur de Canadá y noreste de los Estados Unidos hasta los bosques de oyamel en el centro sur de México o hacia bosques de California para invernar. Las mariposas monarca poseen un papel esencial en el ecosistema por su actividad polinizadora, además son alimento de aves, reptiles y mamíferos pequeños y son un caso ejemplar de co-evolución, dada su relación altamente compleja con una planta conocida como algodoncillo (Asclepia spp), que es la única planta huésped para los huevecillos que darán lugar a las larvas, que a su vez se transformarán en orugas, y después en mariposas monarca adultas.

La migración multi-generacional de las mariposas monarca comprende miles de kilómetros y empieza al final del otoño del hemisferio norte. Prácticamente el 99% de las mariposas monarca viajan hacia México. Aún no se conoce científicamente cómo es que las mariposas monarca –varias generaciones después- encuentran la ruta de migración hacia los lugares templados que visitaron sus ancestros para pasar el invierno, ni cómo encuentran la ruta de regreso, que coincide con el nacimiento de las plantas de algodoncillo al comenzar la primavera.

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El suicidio del Primer Mundo: impotencia democrática, desigualdad y precariedad

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Por: José Luis García | Publicado: 18 de marzo 2018

Sólo 20 años han bastado para que los desastres naturales por año se dupliquen y en el saldo millones de personas estén en riesgo si el planeta se calienta un par de grados. Las razones son cada ves más difíciles de entender, dado que es cada vez más elevada la proporción del PIB mundial dedicado a subvencionar al carbón, superando incluso al gasto público mundial en sanidad.

En las dos últimas décadas, el número de desastres naturales por año se ha duplicado, pasando de 200 a 400. Los hogares de 130 millones de personas están en riesgo de quedar sumergidos si el planeta se calienta un par de grados. En 2050 si no se hace nada puede haber 200 millones de refugiados climáticos. Son anuncios que provocan miedo. Y mientras, se estima que Big Oil gasta 115 millones de dólares al año para obstaculizar políticas en materia climática. De hecho, según los cálculos del FMI, el 3,9% del PIB mundial se destina a proporcionar subsidios al carbón. Este subsidio (5,3 billones de dólares después de los impuestos) es mayor que el gasto mundial en salud. La mano invisible, pues, no saldrá al rescate del planeta, pero todas las señales apuntan hacia un futuro basado en las energías renovables. En Europa, los precios de las renovables están cayendo. Portugal funcionó durante cuatro días consecutivos exclusivamente con energía renovable en mayo de 2016. La planta de carbón de Nanticoke (Ontario), que en su día fue la más grande de América del Norte, se está convirtiendo ahora en una instalación de energía solar. Japón está construyendo la mayor planta solar flotante del mundo y a día de hoy tiene ya menos gasolineras que puntos de recarga para coches eléctricos. En Estados Unidos hay el doble de puestos de trabajo en el sector de la energía solar que en el del carbón. Y en 2015 se invirtió por primera vez más dinero en energías renovables que en combustibles fósiles. La lista continúa. La mayoría de las estimaciones sugieren que se necesitaría entre un 1% y un 3% del PIB mundial para financiar la transición. Esta cantidad es todavía menor de la que actualmente se emplea en subvencionar a los combustibles fósiles. El cambio es posible. Y cambiará la economía.

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EPIC Receives Savory Institute’s Frontier Founder Award

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Founding brand partner of Land to Market™ program recognized for
commitment to verified regenerative sourcing

Published: March 12, 2018

BOULDER, Colo. (March 12, 2018) – EPIC Provisions™ was honored last weekend by the Savory Institute with its Frontier Founder Award in recognition of the pioneering company’s commitment to regenerative sourcing. The award was received during a news briefing for Savory’s Land to Market™ program, the world’s first verified regenerative sourcing solution, at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, Calif. The award was accepted by Taylor Collins and Katie Forrest, EPIC Provisions co-founders, who have championed Savory and its Land to Market program since its inception.

“This is a huge honor,” said Collins, as he received a ceremonial spear, commemorating EPIC’s willingness to be ‘tip of the spear’ for responsible sourcing. “When my wife, Katie, and I founded EPIC, our mission was to fuel a food production system that fosters a healthier, more responsible relationship with our bodies, our animals, and our planet. Savory’s Land to Market program means we can formally integrate a net positive impact on the land into our sourcing practices.”

Collins added, “The Land to Market program will create a pathway for a new generation of farmers, companies and consumers to come together to regenerate grasslands and soils around the world. That’s a legacy we can all be proud of”.

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El cambio climático azota el campo boliviano con pérdidas multimillonarias

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 Publicado: 18 de marzo 2018

La alimentación se ve amenazada por el cambio climático en Bolivia, en una misma geografía conviven sequía y inundaciones, cobrando más de 120 MDP en cosechas.

Los extremos climáticos mermaron la capacidad productiva del departamento de Santa Cruz, principal productor de alimentos de Bolivia, hasta alcanzar unas pérdidas que rondan los 120 millones de dólares, según la Asociación de Productores de Oleaginosas y Trigo (Anapo).

Los productores han visto cómo se han esfumado sus cosechas, lo que supone su único modo de vida, y se quejan de que nadie les haya apoyado económicamente ante las inundaciones y las sequías.

En un viaje al campo cruceño, organizado por el Instituto Boliviano de Comercio Exterior (IBCE), el presidente de Anapo, Marcelo Pantoja, reconoció el grave impacto de fenómenos como La Niña con inundaciones en el norte, o la intensa sequía de la parte del este de Santa Cruz.

“Ha sido un año muy difícil, hemos tenido eventos muy dispares en diferentes zonas del departamento. En la zona Norte perdimos 400.000 toneladas de soya”, comentó Pantoja.

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How to Change the Climate Story: Paul Hawken

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Want to avoid climate disaster? Abandon the “wussy” language of climate mitigation as well as war metaphors, and develop more positive ways of thinking about the issue, said American environmentalist Paul Hawken at a recent conference in Sydney.

Author: Vaidehi Shah | Published: March 14, 2018

To generate effective, universal action that will solve the problem of climate change, the global community needs to abandon the “wussy” language of climate mitigation and rethink the “negative” sports and war metaphors that are pervasive in discussions about the issue.

This was the advice offered by American environmentalist, author and activist Paul Hawken at the recent Purpose conference in Sydney.

Speaking to a 500-strong audience at Commune in Sydney, Hawken said that the term “climate mitigation”, which is commonly found in government policies, international negotiations in the annual United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) conference, and scientific reports isn’t strong enough.

“When you are heading down the wrong road towards a cliff, the only thing that makes sense is not to slow down and go over the cliff slowly, but to stop and turn around,” said Hawken.

This is why, instead of the prevailing narrative of mitigating climate change, Hawken champions the notion of reversing global warming. Last year, Hawken co-founded the Drawdown Project, which maps, measures, models, and describes the 100 most effective, economically viable and scaleable solutions to reverse global warming.

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Regenerative Organic Certification Launched in US

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Author: Michelle Russell | Published: March 14, 2018

A new organic certification programme has been launched in the US, aimed at improving fairness for farmers and workers, as well as addressing animal welfare and ecological land management.

Launched at last week’s Natural Products Expo West show in California by the Regenerative Organic Alliance, the Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) is a holistic agriculture certification encompassing “robust, high-bar standards”.

The Regenerative Organic Alliance is led by Rodale Institute, a US non-profit that supports research into organic farming.

In 2014, research by Rodale Institute estimated that if current crop acreage and pastureland shifted to regenerative organic practices, 100% of annual global CO2 emissions could be sequestered in the soil.

Founding members of the certification include Compassion in World Farming, Grain Place Foods, Maple Hill Creamery and White Oak Pastures.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic standard is the bedrock of the new certification: only products certified under the USDA programme are eligible to meet the Regenerative Organic Certified criteria. With the requirement farms achieve organic certification as a baseline, the ROC standard addresses next-level soil health and also adds in requirements for animal welfare and farm labour.

“Regenerative Organic Certification does not aim to supplant current organic standards. Instead, this certification aims to support these standards while at the same time facilitate widespread adoption of holistic, regenerative practices throughout agriculture,” Rodale Institute said. “It builds upon the standards set forth by USDA Organic and similar programs internationally, particularly in the areas of animal welfare and farmer and worker fairness.

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Note to USDA: The Time for Regenerative Agriculture Is Now

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Lessons taught by a Kansas farmer continue to guide Blogger Ron Nichols years later about the importance of soil to agriculture.

Author: Ron Nichols | Published: March 12, 2018

It was Kansas farmer Gail Fuller who “took me to school.”

“You should be ashamed,” he told me bluntly.

As an employee (at the time) of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, I had assumed our 80-plus years of conservation work would insulate us (and me) from such a scathing rebuke. I assumed we were the ultimate “good guys” when it came to soil stewardship.

“Your agency came up with ‘T,’” Gail said in a tone that rang of indictment. (“T” is a concept developed by the Soil Conservation Service, now the NRCS, that established the minimum soil loss or erosion rate required to sufficiently reduce soil organic content and harm crop productivity. That rate, which is still used today, is measured in tons of soil per acre.)

“Tolerable loss of soil? Do you really think there’s such a thing as a ‘tolerable’ loss of soil?” he asked. “We should be rebuilding our soil.”.

After absorbing the initial impact of Gail’s candid reprimand, I realized he was right. “Okay,” I said, “but can soil regeneration be done profitably on a large scale without reducing productivity? “

“It can and it is. Right here on my farm,” he said.

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