3 Ways Agri-Businesses Can Be Drivers of Equality
How can we level the field to ensure that women and men have equal opportunities in agriculture? First, by providing equal opportunities for women to obtain farm inputs, tools, training, and support. Secondly, by directly paying the person who hands over the crop to avoid money being sent to the husband for the wife or daughters’ labor. Thirdly, by mechanizing production to create employment opportunities elsewhere within the agricultural supply chain.
 
Scientists Just Grew Vegetables in ‘Martian’ Soil, but There’s a Catch
Scientists from the Dutch Wageningen University and Research Center say they have had surprising success with crops grown in a simulated Martian soil created by NASA. They’ve managed to make 10 species including peas and tomatoes yield produce by mixing in organic matter from Earth into the soil. This made it hold water better (the "moon" soil in particular is very hydrophobic) and provided nutrients for the growing plants.
 
Studies Offer Hope for Malnourished Children
Starving children have gut bacterial colonies that are “immature” compared with those of healthy children, and their mothers’ breast milk may lack sugars that can nourish the right bacteria. These children may not grow even when fed nutritious food, but recent studies show the problem can be fixed.
 
India to Launch Heat Wave Programs in Vulnerable Cities
After a devastating heat wave killed at least 2,500 people across the country last year, Indian officials are launching a program to protect people from extreme heat. India experiences severe heat waves almost every year. With climate change bringing higher temperatures, the country is bracing for even more challenging summers that will dry up forests, destroy crops, wipe out farm animals, and kill hundreds of people if they are not prepared.
 
Urban Farms Fuel Idealism. Profits? Not so Much
Can anyone earn a living urban farming? Not by much, according to a new survey of 370 urban farmers across the US, published this month in the British Food Journal. But researchers suggest that the modest profit to be had might not be as big of a downside as you think. Many urban farmers see themselves less as profit-driven businesses and more as social enterprises addressing concerns like food insecurity, education, and community-building.