Artificial nests for barn owls help farmers befriend these natural rodent killers

The Viet Nam Farmers Union rolled out a train-the-trainer program focused on encouraging rice farmers in Vietnam to take up more sustainable practices. This style of training helps farmers overcome any hesitation towards trying new methods by allowing them to learn from their peers and see the success of demonstration plots.

Several organizations in Vermont banded together to create the Bird-Friendly Maple Project. The program encourages maple syrup makers to safeguard their forest habitats for birds using agroecology practices like keeping a diverse variety of native trees. Operations that meet the requirements receive an official label for their products.

Minnesota-based Tree-Range Farms is teaching farmers to practice regenerative poultry farming. The chickens are raised in two fenced-in plots of land alongside trees and perennial plants, switching locations when the plants in one plot are grazed down. The practice improves soil health and, therefore, water and carbon sequestration.

A trial experiment with three farmers and several California universities is looking to better understand how to farm with little or no chemicals. No-till farming can boost soil health and better store carbon, but it’s not a perfect system. These farmers are testing how to reduce soil disturbance, use cover crops, and diversify their species of crops, yet so far, they haven’t found much success. “Figuring this all out has been ‘a school of hard knocks,’” says one of the farmers.

Cassava, a root plant that feeds and supports over 800 million people across the globe, is ready for an improvement. As part of the Next Generation Cassava Breeding project, scientists are exploring how to increase the plant’s yield and help it withstand climate conditions to feed more people. Through hydroponics and technological testing of seed varieties, cassava is finally getting the attention and funding it needs.

There's a movement rising to promote better cattle farming practices through the use of healthy soil, which means introducing more carbon into the land. Farmers throughout the agriculture industry are finding that by feeding cattle in carbon poor pastures, they are able to rejuvenate the land through leftover carbon-rich hay and manure.

Malawian farmers have been hit hard by climate change over the last two farming seasons, and have thus seen a drop in agricultural production. To combat these losses, agriculture experts have begun implementing climate-smart farming practices that allow them to "sustainably increase productivity, enhance resilience (adaptation), reduce greenhouse gas emissions where possible, and help with achievement of national food security and development goals" according to the Food and Agricultural Organization.

Kashmiri farmers are using traditional farming techniques in degraded wetlands to revive lotus stem cultivation. One farmer’s restored two-hectare plot produced 12 quintals of lotus stem in the first season, earning approximately $1,600. By 2023, at least 15 households across three villages had successfully restored their own plots using the same methods. Farmers converting waterlogged fields now earn between $1,600-$2,200 per hectare per season.

The Appalachian Rekindling Project uses strategic outreach and holistic education tactics to spread awareness of and teach about seed saving and land rematriation, strengthening connections between Indigenous peoples and the Appalachian region.

Bayero University Center for Dryland Agriculture’s Tissue Culture Lab empowers local farmers with advanced research and technology to adapt to climate change and increase food security and nutrition. So far, 22 communities have benefited from the Lab’s expertise, leading to increased food production and fewer health problems caused by inadequate diets.