Agriculture
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi live in symbiosis with plant roots and are able to store up to 70 percent of organic carbon from leaf litter. (Mark Perkins/Flickr)
George Washington University
In many cases microbes are already helping the planet in underrated ways. Technological developments and advanced genetic engineering make microbiological innovation a major player in climate change mitigation.
Tilling loosens soil to enable roots to sprout more easily, however it also exposes pockets of 'uneaten' carbon to hungry microbes. (Allan Murray-Rust/Wikimedia)
Northwestern - Medill
From breaking down escaping methane from melting ice caps to storing carbon in non-tilled soils, microbes are already mitigating climate change.
A farmer works to transplant rice. (International Rice Research Institute)
Eco-Business
A pioneering, crowdfunding platform is bringing individual investors and farmers together for a shared stake in Philippines' agriculture.
Tanzania. (Hailey Smalley/SUNY-ESF)
SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry
Anthropogenic climate change is currently influencing rainfall and temperature patterns in East Africa. Here's everything you need to know about how East Africans are confronting these challenges.
Crop-raiding by migrating African elephants is a pressing issue for many farmers who border protected land. Bees provide an simple, ecologically friendly way to maintain harmony between elephant migrations and the farmers' livelihoods. (Hailey Smalley/SUNY-ESF)
SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry
Farmers in East Africa are using bees to deter crop raiding elephants and increase food security in the area.
Camp 41's amazing cooks — a team headed by the Brazilian grandmother we all wanted to adopt — kept the Planet Forward crew full of fresh, local fruits at breakfast and lunch. (Planet Forward)
Arizona State University
Planet Forward led a student storytelling expedition to the Amazon. Read Sydney's story of how she found her sense of comunidade — “community” in Portuguese — as she turned every corner in Brazil.
Dave Hunter, founder of Crown Bees, a bee nursery and supply business in Woodinville, Wash., speaks at the USDA event. (Eric Englert/Medill)
Northwestern University
The USDA gets public input on its Native Bee Monitoring Plan.
Ingredients from the farm and local stores to be used in a cooking class at Kalu Yala. (Kelley Czajka/Medill)
Northwestern University
Kalu Yala's culinary staff and interns are serving up sustainable and delicious meals in the Panamanian jungle.
Northwestern University
What are the financial and cultural challenges Kalu Yala is facing in recruiting Panamanian residents as interns and staff?
Northwestern University
Young people are exploring food systems through farming. We compared the group we met while in Panama with an urban farm on the South Side of Chicago.