To Feed Humankind, We Need the Farms of the Future Today
The world population is expected to grow to 9.6 billion by 2050, and if we want to avoid mass malnutrition, we’re going to have to up our food production by 70% by 2050. That means we’re going to have to make some large-scale changes to how we farm. According to Dan Glickman, former Secretary of Agriculture, “exporting modern farming practices globally will do a lot to feed a lot more people.”

Worms in the Kitchen: How Food Waste Could Be Solved By the Humble Invertebrate
Mealworms are able to live on a diet of styrofoam without any health implications, researchers have found. Microorganisms in their gut break down the plastic foam into carbon dioxide and excreted pellets, which can potentially be reused as soil for crops. The study found that 100 worms munched through about 37-39 milligrams a day - about the weight of a small pill.

GreenWave Ocean Farming Model Scoops $100,000 Sustainability Prize
GreenWave’s ocean farming model is designed to address overfishing, mitigate climate change, restore marine ecosystems and provide jobs for fishermen. Each species is carefully selected to address a certain environmental challenge, such as fixing excess nitrogen, in the case of oysters, or seaweed that soaks up CO2. Requiring zero input, such as fertilizer, these farms are designed to have a negative carbon footprint.
 
The Power of Off-Grid Power
Business models for off-grid energy are rapidly evolving in ways that allow consumers to buy small, on-demand increments of power. Simpa Networks allows consumers to use their cell phones to pre-pay for a few hours of power while also purchasing solar equipment on an installment plan. Consumers get power immediately, rather than hoping for grid-based power to reach them.

In Mauritius, Gourmet Rice Points to a Brighter Future
Fierce global competition and the rise of new cane-growing superpowers is leading sugar cane farmers to look for ways to shore up their income, and their futures. While Mighty Rice, as it is called, was developed by cross-pollination in Bangladesh, its slick black-and-white packaging exalts the volcanic soil and rain-fed streams of Mauritius—marketing the benefits of the place it is grown as much as the food.