Coalfield Development, a nonprofit social enterprise in West Virginia, is working to turn former coal mining areas and mountaintop removal sites into farmland and forest, using farm animals to root out invasive plants and fertilize the depleted soil. These efforts have created dozens of full-time jobs, and residents are offered training and stipends to work on their […]
Espigoladors: Spain’s second chance for food, planet, and the socially excluded
In Spain, the art of gleaning – harvesting farmers’ unwanted crops – is feeding the hungry and creating employment for the socially excluded, while also reducing pressure on land use, reducing CO2 emissions, conserving water, improving diets, and changing society’s perception of food waste. Finding treasure in waste helps people and climate Espigoladors contributes to the […]
Helping Refugees Start Urban Farms
Plant It Forward Farms trains refugees in the city of Houston to set up their own urban, organic farming businesses. Although Houston resettles the highest number of refugees in the USA, many are unable to find meaningful work. This initiative helps them settle in their new home and earn good livelihoods. It also provides the […]
Regenerative Agriculture Protects the Land and Its Inhabitants
Regenerative agriculture is a type of farming that sequesters CO2 while improving water retention, soil health, and rainfall conservation. It uses techniques such as agroforestry, crop rotation, and rotational grazing, while excluding pesticides and factory farming. Many of the techniques used are an adaptation of indigenous and local farming practices. Regenerative agriculture can help communities […]
Interfaith Power & Light Helps Congregations Protect the Climate
Interfaith Power & Light is an organization helping thousands of diverse religious congregations limit their carbon emissions and organize campaigns to urge lawmakers to take action on climate change. Their programs help faith communities reduce their emissions by increasing renewable energy, energy efficiency, water conservation, and starting local organic farms. They also have a program that […]
Clam Gardens Restore Coastal Health and Indigenous Cultures
Coast Salish tribes in British Columbia, together with The Clam Garden Network, are reviving ancient clam gardens using traditional First Nations methods. These coastal gardens, maintained without the use of plastics or pesticides, provide habitat for sea life and improve local biodiversity. They also provide a sustainable, local, and healthy food source to the coastal tribes. The […]
Solar-Powered Gardens in Benin Reduce Poverty & Food Insecurity
The Solar Electric Light Fund is providing solar-powered pumps that combine with drip irrigation systems to women farmers in Benin. These pumps allow women to farm year-round despite the 6-month dry season, and save them from having to haul water by hand for long distances. As a result of the pumps, food production has increased […]
Changing the Conversation on Sustainable Development in Canada
Changing the Conversation is an organization in Canada that provides “a civil, open source inter-generational space where Canadians can come together to join or start a conversation around issues that matter to them and their communities.” They hold dialogues on issues such as energy, food security, waste, and rural revitalization. They also provide tools for […]
California Pays Farmers to Add Nutrients to Soil
California’s Healthy Soils Initiative has set aside $7.5 million for a program paying farmers to add nutrients to the soil, such as by adding compost or planting cover crops that return organic matter to the soil. This measure could help the soil and the plants grown in it absorb millions of tons of carbon dioxide every year. It […]
Transforming Women’s Health with Solar in Zimbabwe
Oxfam International’s Rural Sustainable Energy Development Project has equipped five health clinics in rural Zimbabwe with solar power, providing not just light but also reliable vaccine refrigeration and water pumps. Patients and expectant mothers no longer have to provide their own lighting when visiting the clinics, and clinic staff no longer have to use candles or cell […]