Farmers harvest wheat on Qalyub farm in the El-Kalubia governorate, northeast of Cairo, Egypt. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

Don't Call It Wheat: An Environmentally Friendly Grain Takes Root
Normal wheat dies every year, and farmers have to till the soil and plant new seeds. Not only does that mean more work, but the process also causes erosion, which makes farmland less healthy and can carry sediment and agricultural chemicals into nearby waters. That's where Salish Blue comes in. It's a perennial, wheat-like grain that adapts to wet weather, and it's different from previous attempts to create a wheat substitute because it's genetically stable.

Inside the Race to Invent a Fish-Free Fish Food
Even though commercial fish farms can be more sustainable than ocean fishing, the food those fish eat is made from things like soy, corn, chicken meal, blood meal, and fish meal—composed of cheap species that humans don’t eat very much. But lots of other ocean animals do eat them; they’re kind of the linchpin of marine ecosystems. In response, researchers have developed a vegetarian food for farmed fish made from sustainable resources, which could one day be a solution to this global problem.

Guest Commentary – The Rise of Science, Technology, and Innovation at USAID
A new report from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine concludes that USAID’s new focus on crafting problem-focused alliances has made it easier for external organizations to bring forward new ideas and financial resources to solve tough problems. These partnerships are expected to increase the scope and cost-effectiveness of agency efforts, enabling USAID to reach millions more people.

Study: African Farmers Have a Surprise Economic Weapon – Trees
Households in several African countries grow more trees than scientists previously realized, and those trees may account for an average 17% of a farm's income. Overall, 30% of landholder respondents said they grew trees on their land for agricultural reasons like selling timber or fruit. Women particularly stand to benefit from trees grown for timber, because they often have to travel long distances to fetch firewood from forests.