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A sustainable and climate-friendly food

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Researchers predict that climate change will negatively impact the yield and nutritional quality of most staple food crops, including rice, corn, and soybeans, due to factors like extreme weather events, rising temperatures, and altered precipitation patterns, potentially leading to reduced food security globally.   

As a result, many experts contend that alternative food sources – like insect farming and seaweed aquaculture – are part of the solution.  Additionally, expanding production of climate resilient food crops will also have an important role to play in global food security.

According to a new international study led by researchers from University of Vienna in Austria, chickpeas – also known as garbanzo beans – are a drought-resistant legume plant with a high protein content that can help combat food insecurity amid climate change.

In the study, which was recently published in the journal Plant Biotechnology, the researchers investigated the natural variations of different chickpea genotypes and their resistance to drought stress and achieved promising results.  The research team managed to grow many different chickpea varieties under drought stress in a field experiment outside of Vienna. The results demonstrate that chickpeas are a great alternative legume plant that can complement grain farming systems in urban areas.

The study highlights how the decline of plant genetic diversity poses a major threat to plant productivity and harvests.  In fact, while there are approximately 7,000 edible crops, two-thirds of global food production is based on just nine crop species. 

According to the research team, highly nutritious and drought-resistant legumes such as chickpeas are a “food of the future.”

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Chickpeas – sustainable and climate-friendly foods of the future

Photo, posted March 21, 2020, courtesy of Ajay Suresh via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Mississippi River Running Dry | Earth Wise

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Water levels in the lower Mississippi River are running very low.  During September, the readings in Memphis, Tennessee were within inches of the all-time low.  The situation is causing real problems for the grain export industry.

The water levels of the lower Mississippi are determined by the amount of rainfall in the upper Midwest.  At the point where the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers come together, about 90% of the water headed for the lower Mississippi has been accumulated.

Almost 400 miles of the Mississippi have experienced water levels at or below critical levels for shipping.  During September, parts of the Mississippi have been closed to ship traffic more than 20 times.  At least 36 vessels were reported to have run aground.

The low water levels on the river have caused shippers of soybean and corn exports to lighten their loads to keep the vessels from running aground.  They have also reduced how many barges they pull at once in order to be able to navigate shipping channels that have narrowed because of the reduced water levels.

Fall is the busiest grain export season for the region.  About 60% of grain exports from the Midwest leave the U.S. through terminals on the Gulf Coast.  The low levels of the Mississippi River threaten gridlock for this vital industry.  It has caused freight costs to be the highest since historic river lows last year caused U.S. grain to be less competitive globally.

Unfortunately, October is not normally a strong precipitation month, but the hope is that the El Niño now underway may lead to increased precipitation in the Southern U.S.

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Mississippi River Nears Historic Lows, Putting Grain Exports at Risk

Photo, posted March 8, 2023, courtesy of Errol Sandler via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Banning Neonicotinoid Pesticides | Earth Wise

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New York’s Birds and Bees Protection Act contains a targeted restriction on neonicotinoid pesticides. These widely-used insecticides are absorbed by plants and can be present in pollen and nectar, making them toxic to bees and other pollinators.

Among the largest applications of neonics (as they are called) has been in the form of coatings on crop seeds, such as corn and soybeans.  In 2019, Canada’s Quebec province strongly limited neonic use to protect pollinators and the environment.  The chemical industry vigorously protested the regulations and claimed that the restrictions would cause the collapse of the grain sector in Quebec.

Seed suppliers began supplying uncoated seeds in 2019 and now there is scarcely any use of coated seeds in the province.  Monitoring of over 1,000 agricultural sites has shown that there have been no crop failures related to the pesticide restrictions.  In fact, use of the neonics had no economic benefits. 

Naysayers warned that even more harmful pesticides or other farming practices would be used instead.  But that hasn’t happened either. Some farmers switched to much safer insecticides and others abandoned insecticide treatments altogether.

New York has faced similar opposition by farmers and chemical manufacturers to the Birds and Bees Protection Act and all of the same arguments that have been proven to be invalid in Quebec are being made in New York.  Most major environmental advocates in the state support the measures embodied in the legislation.  As usual, it boils down to a battle between economic interests and the health of the environment.

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Québec’s experience with pesticide ban offers a glimpse of what New York can expect

Photo, posted August 29, 2013, courtesy of the United Soybean Board / the Soybean Checkoff via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

A Miracle Tree | Earth Wise

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The world needs to be fed without destroying the environment.   We need to grow more trees to store more carbon on earth and reduce the amount in the atmosphere.  But meanwhile, we decimate rainforests to produce palm oil and grow soybeans.

A startup company in California called Terviva thinks they have a solution.  It’s called pongamia, which is an ordinary looking tropical tree.  It produces beans packed with protein and oil, much like soybeans.  However, it has the potential to produce much more nutrition per acre than soybeans and it is hardy enough to grow on pretty much any kind of land without the use of pesticides, fertilizers, or irrigation.  In short, it is a miracle crop for a hot and hungry planet that is running out of fertile farmland and fresh water.

Pongamia is not a new or rare tree.  It is common in India but grows all over the world.  It is often planted as an ornamental here in the U.S.

The initial idea for making use of the hardy tree was to use its oil as a biofuel.  The seeds of pongamia are known to have a bitter taste and disagreeable odor, which is why the seeds or oil were never used for human or animal feed.  However, Terviva has developed a way to de-bitter pongamia oil.  Once this is done, it becomes a golden-colored substitute for olive oil. It also has enormous potential as a protein for plant-based milks and meats, since it contains all nine essential amino acids.

Terviva has raised more than $100 million to further develop pongamia and is now partnering with Danone, a $25 billion multinational food company, to develop pongamia as a climate-friendly, climate-resilient, non-GMO alternative to soy and palm oil.

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This super-tree could help feed the world and fight climate change

Photo, posted December 15, 2015, courtesy of Lauren Gutierrez via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

A Food For The Future | Earth Wise

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Researchers predict that climate change will negatively impact most staple food crops, including rice, corn, and soybeans.  Therefore, climate resilient food crops – those that are salt, drought, and heat resilient – will have an important role to play in global food security.  Examples of climate resilient crops include quinoa, kernza, amaranth, millet, and tepary beans.    

According to a new study by researchers from Northwestern University, breadfruit – a starchy tree fruit native to the Pacific Islands – will be relatively unaffected by climate change.  Because breadfruit is climate resilient and well-suited to grow in regions with high levels of food insecurity, the research team suggests breadfruit could be a part of the solution to global hunger.

While it has ”fruit” in its name, breadfruit is more like a potato.  It’s starchy and seedless, and is closely related to jackfruit.  Breadfruit is nutrient-rich, and high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals.  It can be steamed, roasted, fried, fermented, and even turned into flour.  People in tropical regions around the world have been eating breadfruit for thousands of years. 

In the study, which was recently published in the journal PLOS Climate, researchers determined the climate conditions necessary to cultivate breadfruit and then looked at how these conditions are predicted to change in the future.  They examined two future climate scenarios: one that reflects high greenhouse-gas emissions and another in which emissions stabilize.

In both scenarios, the regions suitable for breadfruit cultivation were mostly unaffected.  Additionally, the researchers identified new suitable land where breadfruit cultivation could expand.   

As the climate continues to change, breadfruit might soon be on a table near you.

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Climate-resilient breadfruit might be the food of the future

Photo, posted August 11, 2007, courtesy of Malcolm Manners via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Healthy Soil Is Healthy For People | Earth Wise

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A new study by researchers at the University of Washington looked at the impact of regenerative farming practices on the nutritional content of the food that is grown. 

Regenerative agriculture involves farming practices that not only “do not harm” to the land but actually improve it by regenerating and revitalizing the soil.  The practices focus on topsoil regeneration, increasing biodiversity, improving the water cycle, and enhancing ecosystem services.  Examples are soil-building techniques that minimize plowing, the use of cover crops, and the planting of diverse crops rather than monocultures.

The study included 10 farms across the U.S. that followed soil-friendly practices for at least five years. The results were that the crops from those farms had a healthier nutritional profile than the same crops grown on neighboring, conventional farms.  In particular, there was a boost in certain minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals that are beneficial to human health.  Across the board, regenerative practices resulted in crops with more anti-inflammatory compounds and antioxidants.

The participating farms grew one acre of a test crop – peas, sorghum, corn, or soybeans – for comparison with the same crop grown on a neighboring farm using conventional agriculture.  Analysis showed that the farms practicing regenerative agriculture had healthier soils, as measured by their organic matter – or carbon – content and by other tests. 

Organic farms avoid chemical pesticides, but they operate with a variety of farming processes.  Nonetheless, they have also been found to produce crops with higher levels of beneficial nutrients.  The biology of the soil in which crops are grown is an important factor for human health.  It isn’t just what we eat that matters; it is how we grow it.

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Farms following soil-friendly practices grow healthier food, study suggests

Photo, posted January 10, 2020, courtesy of Les via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

The Importance Of Double-Cropping | Earth Wise

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In agriculture, double-cropping is the practice of growing two or more crops or commodities on the same piece of land in the same calendar year.  In Brazil, grain production has increased more than fourfold between 1980 and 2016.  The country now stands as the world’s largest exporter of soybeans and the second largest exporter of corn.  There were two primary drivers of this increase in food production: cropland expansion and double-cropping. 

Cropland expansion has long been recognized as a key driver behind the increase in Brazil’s agricultural output.  But cropland expansion is also a threat to biodiversity by driving habitat loss, deforestation, and an increase in carbon emissions. 

A new study recently published in the journal Nature Food quantified for the first time the impact that double-cropping had on helping Brazil achieve its tremendous growth in grain production.  The international research team examined data from three key agricultural regions in Brazil: the Centre-West, Southeast-South, and Matopiba region.  These three regions accounted for 79% of soybean production and 85% of  corn production in 2016. 

Soybean fields account for more than one third of Brazil’s cropland.  While the increase in soybean production was largely a result of cropland expansion, the increase in corn production was a result of double-cropping. 

Between 2003 and 2016, the study found that double-cropping in Brazil offset the equivalent of approximately 190 million acres of arable land for corn production. (This is more than twice the annual harvested area of corn in the United States).

Double-cropping represents a way to produce more food without clearing more land. 

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The impact of double-cropping

Photo, posted July 15, 2009, courtesy of Daniel Bauer via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

The Corn Belt Is Losing Topsoil | Earth Wise

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According to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, more than a third of the farmland in the U.S. Corn Belt has completely lost its carbon-rich topsoil due to erosion.   The affected area is nearly 100 million acres and the amount of carbon loss is nearly 2 million tons.

The study, led by scientists at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, found that the greatest loss of carbon-rich topsoil was on hilltops and ridgelines.  This indicates that tillage – the repeated plowing of fields – was the primary cause of the erosion because loosened soils move downslope.

The loss of topsoil has reduced corn and soybean yields in the Midwest by 6%, resulting in a loss of nearly $3 billion a year for farmers.  In addition, the loosening of the topsoil increases runoff of sediment and nutrients into nearly waterways, worsening water quality.

Previous studies have shown that no-till farming practices can have a significant impact on reducing erosion.  A study published last November found that if farmers shifted entirely to no-till practices, it would reduce soil erosion from U.S. agricultural fields by more than 70%, as well as significantly reducing nutrient and sediment runoff. 

No-till farming is the practice of planting crops without tilling the soil.  Instead, seeds are planted through the remains of previous crops by planters or drills that cut seed furrows, place the seeds, and close the furrow.  Currently less than 15% of farmland in the upper Mississippi River watershed is farmed with no-till practices. 

Even partial changes in tilling practices could produce positive results for topsoil retention and for waterways.

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One-Third of Farmland in the U.S. Corn Belt Has Lost Its Topsoil

Photo, posted September 15, 2010, courtesy of the United Soybean Board / Soybean Checkoff via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Prickly Pear As A Sustainable Crop | Earth Wise

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The fruits and pads of opuntia, better known as prickly pear cactus, find their way into people’s diets in many arid and semi-arid places around the world.  In Mexico, the pads are known as nopales and are used in a variety of dishes.  The pears themselves are used in jams, salads, and juices.

A five-year study by the University of Nevada Reno College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources investigated the prospects for cactus pear to become a major crop like soybeans and corn and to help provide a biofuel source.

As the climate changes, dry areas are going to get dryer and drought issues will increasingly affect traditional crops.

The study looked at the particular opuntia species called the spineless cactus pear and found that it had the highest fruit production while using up to 80% less water than some traditional crops.  Cactus pear can be used for both human consumption and livestock feed.  As a perennial crop, once the fruit and pads are harvested for food, the remaining biomass can be used for biofuel production.

Corn and sugar cane are the most utilized bioenergy crops right now, but these use three to six times more water than cactus pear.  The cactus pear productivity is on par with corn and sugar cane, but not only do they use a fraction of the water, they also have higher heat tolerance.

Over 40% of land area around the world is classified as semi-arid or arid.  There is enormous potential for planting cactus for carbon sequestration.  If nothing else, it makes great sense to grow cactus pear crops in abandoned areas that are marginal and may not be suitable for other crops.

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Study shows cactus pear as drought-tolerant crop for sustainable fuel and food

Photo, posted April 16, 2020, courtesy of Kevin Dooley via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Hacking Photosynthesis | Earth Wise

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A team led by the University of Illinois has been pursuing a project called Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency or RIPE, which has the aim of improving photosynthesis in order to provide farmers with higher-yielding crops in an increasingly challenging climate.  Photosynthesis is the natural, sunlight-powered process that plants use to convert carbon dioxide into sugars that fuel growth, development, and for us, crop yield.

If we think of photosynthesis as a factory line composed of multiple machines, the growth of plants is limited by the slowest machines in the line.  The RIPE project has identified some steps in photosynthesis that are slower than others and are attempting to enable plants to build more machines to speed up those slower steps.

The researchers modeled a total of 170 steps in the process of photosynthesis to identify how plants could manufacture sugars more efficiently.  In the study, the team increased crop growth by 27% by resolving two constraints:  one in the first part of photosynthesis where plants turn light energy into chemical energy and one in the second part when carbon dioxide is turned into sugars.

The researchers effectively hacked photosynthesis by adding a more efficient transport protein from algae to enhance the energy conversion process. 

In the greenhouse, these changes improved crop productivity by 52%, but in field trials, which are a more important test, these photosynthetic hacks boosted crop production by 27%.

Ultimately, the team hopes to translate these discoveries to a series of staple food crops, such as cassava, cowpea, corn, soybean and rice, which are needed to feed the world’s growing population this century.

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Photosynthetic hacks can boost crop yield, conserve water

Photo, posted June 14, 2017, courtesy of Alex Holyoake via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

An Upside Of Climate Change

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In contrast with most countries in the world, the main political factions in the United States have very different views of climate change.  Somehow, one side of the aisle remains skeptical about the changing climate even as temperature records are broken, arctic ice disappears, and powerful storms become increasingly common.

But putting aside the increasingly inexplicable political schism about climate change, there are instances where the consequences of the warming climate are not all dire.  In fact, there are places where climate change is having a positive effect.

One such place is West Virginia, where research studies are finding a real upside to the changing climate.

A recent study of the climate in West Virginia over the period from 1900 to 2016 found the maximum temperatures trended downward, average minimum temperatures ascended, and annual precipitation increased.  On average, West Virginians are now seeing cooler summers, warmer winters and wetter weather.

Given these changes, there have been big changes in agriculture.  Yields of important crops like hay, corn, winter wheat, and soybeans have all increased.  The winter season has shrunk by as much as 20 days and the growing season itself has increased by approximately 13 days.  A number of crops that historically did not fare well in West Virginia may now become viable.  It may even be possible to pursue double cropping, meaning that the longer growing season may allow farmers to raise one crop, harvest it, and then raise and harvest a second crop within the same year.

In the big picture, climate change is shaping up as a global calamity, but for a few people in certain places – such as West Virginia – it may have some real upside.

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The positive implications of…climate change? WVU researcher sees agricultural, food availability and economic possibilities

Photo, posted November 12, 2014, courtesy of Mike via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Climate Change And Nutrients

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Ending hunger isn’t a question of producing enough food.  Globally, enough food is produced to feed all 7.7 billion people on the planet.  But despite this, approximately 1 in 9 people go hungry.  Conflict, natural disasters, and extreme poverty are some of the main drivers of global hunger. 

Climate change is another.  The more frequent and intense extreme weather events increase food insecurity and malnutrition by destroying land, livestock, crops, and food supplies.  Climate change makes growing crops harder every year, especially for those who lack the tools and technology to adapt. 

But the challenge of reducing hunger and malnutrition is to not only produce foods that provide enough calories, but to also produce foods that make enough necessary nutrients widely available.  According to new research, climate change is projected to significantly reduce the availability of critical nutrients such as protein, iron, and zinc over the next 30 years.  The total impact of climate change could reduce global per capita nutrient availability of protein, iron, and zinc by 19.5%, 14.4%, and 14.6%, respectively.

While higher levels of carbon dioxide can boost growth in plants, wheat, rice, corn, barley, potatoes, soybeans, and vegetables are all projected to suffer nutrient losses of about 3% on average by 2050 due to the elevated CO2 levels.

The study, which was co-authored by an international group of researchers and published in the peer-reviewed journal, Lancet Planetary Health, represents the most comprehensive synthesis of the impacts of climate change on the availability of nutrients in the global food supply to date. 

Climate change is complicating the quest to end global hunger and malnutrition. 

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Rising CO2, climate change projected to reduce availability of nutrients worldwide

Photo, posted April 30, 2015, courtesy of Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Hacking Photosynthesis

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There is an enzyme known as RuBisCo that is involved in carbon fixation, the process plants use to convert carbon dioxide into sugar molecules.  The RuBisCo molecule is inside the leaves of most plants and is probably the most abundant protein in the world.

RuBisCo picks up carbon dioxide from the air and uses energy from the sun to turn the carbon into sugar molecules.  This process of photosynthesis is pretty much the foundation of life on Earth.

Wonderful as it is, the process is not perfect.  RuBisCo is not very selective in grabbing molecules from the air.  It picks up oxygen as well as CO2 and it produces a toxic compound when it does that.

Plants operate a whole other complicated chemical process to deal with this toxic byproduct and uses up a lot of energy along the way, leaving less energy for making leaves or food that we can eat.

A research program at the University of Illinois called Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (or RIPE) has been trying to correct this problem; they have been trying to hack photosynthesis.  And they may well have succeeded.

Using genetic modification on tobacco plants, they have shut down the existing detoxification process and set up a much more efficient new one.  The result is super plants that grow faster and up to 40% bigger.

The next step is to get it to work on plants that people actually rely upon for food, like tomatoes, soybeans and black-eyed peas (which are a staple food crop in sub-Saharan Africa where food is scarce.)

It will be years before we know if the process can really produce more food and be safe, but it may end up leading to a major increase in crop productivity.

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Scientists Have ‘Hacked Photosynthesis’ In Search Of More Productive Crops

Photo, posted June 10, 2013, courtesy of Boon Hong Seto via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Small Grains In Corn Country

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Large portions of the Midwest are called the Corn Belt and for good reason.  Overall, about 90 million acres or 140,000 square miles of the United States are planted with corn and about half of that is in Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and Minnesota.  In most of the Corn Belt, the corn is planted in rotation with soybeans.  Both are warm weather crops and the soil is left barren for nearly half of the year when the two crops are out of season.

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Wind Farms And Ordinary Farms

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Farmers in many places have found additional sources of income by allowing wind turbines to be built on their land.  One example is the Amazon Wind Farm, which is a massive project of over 100 turbines near Elizabeth City, North Carolina.  The 494-foot tall turbine towers scattered over 34 square miles are rising up above farms that grow corn, wheat and soybeans.  It is the first utility-scale wind farm in the Southeast.

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Declining Insect Populations

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There has been lots of discussion about the decline in bee populations and its dire consequences for agriculture.  We have also talked about the efforts to save the monarch butterfly, whose numbers have been dropping dramatically over the years.  But the rest of the insect world does not get much attention.  For the most part, we think of insects as a nuisance or as potential pests.

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