How Can Coffee Become a Better Tool for Development
While the fair trade movement is credited with bringing the plight of the farmer to the attention of consumers, it is criticized for many of the steps it has taken along the way. Looking for alternatives to fair trade, coffee roasters and retailers from boutique shops to big brands are adopting other certifications or developing programs of their own. So what can the global development community do to support the approaches that work?

Finnish ‘Pulled Oats’ Maker Wants a Bite of the Meat Substitutes Market
Nordic oats and broad beans are the main ingredients for a new plant-based product that looks like pulled pork and tastes a bit like chicken which a Finnish start-up company hopes will soon be tempting consumers' growing appetite for meat substitutes. Maija Itkonen and Reetta Kivela, founders of the Finnish food technology start-up Gold and Green Foods, call the product "pulled oats."
 
Food Testing Start-Up Looks to Stand out with a New Wrinkle
Companies big and small are looking for ways to make food testing faster, more accurate, and less expensive. A Philadelphia start-up, Invisible Sentinel, has developed a patented technology called Veriflow that uses a hand-held device to detect the DNA of micro-organisms like E. coli, salmonella, and listeria quickly and at a relatively affordable price. The technology has been approved by AOAC International, an association that sets standards for microbial food testing.
 
Japan Begins Work on 'World's Largest' Floating Solar Farm
The Japanese electronics multinational Kyocera has begun work on what it says will be the world’s biggest floating solar farm, able to provide electricity for nearly 5000 households when it is completed in 2018. Space-starved Japan has already seen several floating solar farms built as part of the country’s drive to exploit more renewable energy in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima disaster. The main reason to build on water is a lack of space, as building on land is cheaper.
 
Building a Farmer-Centered Movement for Seed Biodiversity
It’s estimated that nine out of every 10 bites of food people eat every day is because of planting of seeds. And that’s why it’s so important to protect the world’s seed supply. The Bauta Family Initiative for Canadian Seed Security is an organization that works closely with farmers to build a more secure, diverse supply of seeds.