An anthropologist traces the origins and world travels of one of his favorite kinds of plants. ✽ As someone who…
What Problems Does Organic Cotton Solve?Organic cotton agriculture in India fails, resoundingly, to produce as much cotton as conventional methods. But what if that’s not the point?
How Long Have We Been in the Anthropocene?A global survey of scientists shines a light on the time depth of human impacts on Earth.
U.S. Farmers Made in BrazilA small group of Midwestern farmers have gone to Brazil to continue their tradition of farming—but what they have found is a far cry from the U.S. family farm.
Ancient DNA Illuminates Pastoralism’s Rise in AfricaA new study pieces together clues to the multistep process behind the origins of livestock herding in sub-Saharan Africa.
The Truth About “Sustainable” Palm OilIn West Papua, Indonesia, both conventional and “green” palm oil projects dispossess and exclude Indigenous people from their lands.
What’s the Cost of Quinoa?Many had hoped that quinoa production would lift farmers out of poverty and rehabilitate a war-torn nation—but the state of this seed remains uncertain.
Bracing for the Vanilla BoomSome of Madagascar’s farmers, made wealthy by this year’s vanilla crop, will spend their cash in crazy “hot money” sprees. But their profligate spending may not be as illogical as it first appears.
Following a New Trail of Crumbs to Agriculture’s OriginsArchaeologists have found tiny pieces of ancient bread from hunter-gatherers that predate agriculture by about 4,000 years.
Carbon Farmers Work to Clean Up the World’s MessIn Costa Rica—and increasingly in other countries—sustainable agriculture is taking on new meaning and value due to climate change.