Organic farmers are entrepreneurs who are sensitive to ecology, yet their convictions can sometimes seem counter-intuitive. New research indicates some surprising motivations.
An Iowa farmer holds some of his soybeans.
Reuteres/Kia Johnson
In the early 20th century, voters in rural Australia began to organise politically for the first time – and proved crucial to the ousting of the reformist Labor government in 1913.
A John Deere tractor makes its way through floodwaters in Fargo, North Dakota.
AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
US agriculture is dominated by large farms that rely on chemical inputs. In contrast, regenerative farming makes land and water healthier by mimicking nature instead of trying to control it.
The law is ambivalent when it comes to trespassing, and photographing or filming the property owners.
from shutterstock.com
Aussie Farms’ have map showing locations where farms or producers treat animal cruelly has caused outrage with many claiming it is illegal. So, what does the law actually say about this?
Ethiopia has harnessed the value of irrigation technologies.
Shutterstock
Fertilizer is a key source of nitrogen pollution which fouls air and water worldwide. Current regulations target farmers, but focusing on producers could spur them to develop greener products.
A farmer in Bubi near Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, shows damage to his maize crop caused by the fall armyworm.
Aaron Ufumeli/ EPA
Farmers should use biopesticides - naturally occurring substances that kill pests such as the fall armyworm - instead of using pesticides, which are often highly toxic.
A family from the Central American migrant caravan at the U.S.-Mexico border in Tijuana.
Reuters/Lucy Nicholson
Donald Trump portrays migrants as a foreign problem ‘dumped’ on America’s doorstep. That view ignores the global forces that bind nations together, including trade, climate change and colonization.
City fringe agriculture gives farmers unique access to direct markets and provides those living in cities the opportunity to connect with local growers.
Foodprint Melbourne
To improve access to locally grown food and help prevent disruptions to supply chains caused by climate change, we need to support farming on the fringes of cities.
Morrison has made dealing with the impact of drought one of his.
priorities since becoming prime minister.
Lukas Coch/AAP
The fund is to provide support against future droughts, helping primary producers, non-government organisations and communities prepare for and respond to their impact.
Farmers who invested in natural assets during the Millennium Drought are coping better with lack of rain now.
AAP Image/Perry Duffin
Barnaby Joyce on facing the drought and rural women
Some in the Nationals would like Barnaby Joyce back in the leadership before the election. Joyce says if the leadership were offered, he would be up for it - though he insists he is not canvassing.
Many farmers are now facing a future in which it is much harder to make a living off the land.
AAP Image/Dan Peled
A decade ago, only a third of farmers accepted the science of climate change. But surveys show attitudes have shifted in recent years as the farming community begins to confront what the future holds.
Land is a contentious and emotive issue.
Jon Hrusa/EPA
A recent summit in Ottawa on what’s known as agroecology has shown that more equitable and sustainable methods of producing food are not only possible, they’re beginning to spread around the world.