"Though we might wish otherwise, progress often starts small and takes time. An organic country and an organic world are inspiring visions for our health, our environment, our climate, and our animals. But to get there, we have to keep taking steps, learning lessons, and celebrating good news and developments as they come. "In a mountainous region in eastern India, Sikkim is now a 100% organic state, with no chemical pesticides or fertilizers and no GMOs. "This matters because it shows that … Continue reading
Natabar Sarangi: The Seed Farmer | The Source
"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
This Tiny Country Is Going 100 Percent Organic
"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
Living With The Land
"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
The Man Who Stopped the Desert – Trailer
"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
Agroecology: A New Story for a New Age
"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
‘Incredible Edible Park’ Feeds 200,000 Hungry People Every Month!
"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
Sowing and Distributing Centuries-Old Seeds | Indian Country Today Media Network
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
The Lessons Ancient People Have for Us
"Most “modern” people find it difficult or impossible to imagine a world where community is more important than possessions, yet this is how about one percent of the world’s population still lives, and how most of our ancestors lived for 100,000 years." Read more about how the fundamental lessons of ancient tribal cultures can inform the 'new story', by author Tom Hartmann.... Continue reading
