Change the Story, Change the World
"Sikkim has become India's first fully organic state by converting approximately 75,000 hectares of cultivated land into organic farmland. Sikkim had achieved the status in December, but a formal declaration will be made by PM Modi in Gangtok on January 18, an official said. The Pawan Chamling-led state government had in 2003 decided to make Sikkim a fully organic state." Read more.... Continue reading
"Life in Syntropy" is the new short film from Agenda Gotsch. It tells the story of Brazilian farmer Ernst Gotsch, who bought 1,200 acres of completely deforested land on the edge of the rainforest in 1984 and transformed it into a remarkably biodiverse working farm that reverses climate change by sequestering carbon. Watch video
"Natabar continues to find, save and share his indigenous rice seed with local farmers. To date he has managed to re-introduce over 350 varieties. "But it’s not just about the indigenous rice seed of India or about the survival of a sustainable agriculture system with the knowledge of over ten thousand years. "It's about a global phenomenon taking place where a non-sustainable system systematically destroys a sustainable one, where short term profit has the power to overwhelm common sense and … Watch video
"In 2011, the tiny mountain nation of Bhutan announced a lofty goal: make the country’s agricultural system 100 percent organic by the year 2020. If it succeeded, it would be the first country in the world to achieve the feat. "Bhutan — nestled in the Himalayas between India and China — only has about 700,000 people living within its borders, and most are farmers. It’s a majority Buddhist kingdom, and its culture reflects several key tenets of that religion — sustainable development, … Continue reading
"This wonderful series of 9 short films explores aspects of Living With The Land, from Natural Building with Kevin McCloud to Off-grid Living. Highly recommended for anyone interested in permaculture and building a sustainable future. "Produced by Permaculture magazine and Permaculture People, the films explore successful permaculture projects across a range of topics, such as large-scale, regenerative agriculture, forest gardening, urban permaculture and natural building." Continue reading
"From a harsh, uncompromising land comes a story of hope... "Yacouba Sawadogo, a peasant farmer from Africa has succeeded where international agencies failed. Over the last twenty years he has successfully battled against nature, and man, to become a pioneer in the fight against desertification. "But Yacouba's struggle is not simply an agricultural story, it is pure drama. It is about one man's conviction that now has the potential to benefit many thousands living in the Sahel region of … Watch video
"We are faced with two choices. The first is to continue our conventional agricultural practices that will ensure agriculture remains a large piece of the climate change problem. The other is begin to explore and implement agroecological practices that can turn agriculture into part of the solution. Surely, the choice is easy. We live in a time of great change and people are beginning to see through the propaganda of the system. It is no accident that agroecology is becoming a powerful new story … Continue reading
"In Irvine, California, a 7.5 acre plot of land was turned into 'The Incredible Edible Park' (now known as The Incredible Edible Farm) - a community garden that feeds 200,000 people each month. Every year, over 15,000 volunteers come through to help plant and harvest the food. The once unused plot of land was donated and is now run by an organization called the Second Harvest Food Bank." Read the full story by John Vibes.... Continue reading
Crops that have been around for centuries shouldn’t be allowed to disappear. Native Seeds/SEARCH recently hosted 25 Native American farmers for a workshop about the art and science of saving and growing traditional seeds. Read the full story to learn what participants are doing to strengthen seed security in their communities.... Continue reading
America's heartland is graying. The average age of a farmer in the U.S. is 58.3 — and that number has been steadily ticking upward for more than 30 years. Overall, fewer young people are choosing a life on the land. But in some places around the country, like Maine, that trend is reversing. Small agriculture may be getting big again — and there's new crop of farmers to thank for it. Continue reading