Serving Up School Lunches of Tomorrow

New planting and harvesting techniques and improved seeds are transforming farmers' fortunes and boosting harvests in Nigeria, where rice is a staple food but local supply fails to keep up with high demand. Farmers are also relying on agriculture apps like RiceAdvice and WeedManager, which quickly determine fertilizer quantities and identify harmful weeds.

A Ministry of Agriculture project called "Seeds of Life" grants local farmers genetically-solidified seeds in order to fight food insecurity in the country. The farmers will produce the crops and sell them back to both the Ministry and the community, thus expanding access to quality food and stimulating the local economy. Since the program has started, maize production has increased 50%, rice production increased 25%, and sweet potato production increased 65-130%.

Limited fertile land and scarce water make traditional farming difficult in Kenya, so several organizations have begun teaching women how to farm out of sacks. The practice is spreading throughout Kenya and to other African nations.

The Mvskoke 4-H Ocmulgee Club, in collaboration with Oklahoma State University and MCN Food Distribution, teaches Muscogee (Creek) Nation students hands-on pecan tree planting and food sovereignty skills rooted in Mvskoke cultural tradition.

The Ghana Cocoa Traceability System (GCTS) is a digital platform that traces cocoa beans from individual farm plots to export ports. The system uses GPS mapping, barcode-labeling, and mobile data capture to register farmers with unique digital IDs and document their production. This creates transparency in the supply chain and connects farmers directly to purchasing systems, payment mechanisms, and agricultural support services. In the pilot phase, the system successfully mapped over 40,000 farms and registered more than 20,000 farmers, 40% being women.

The Sankofa Community Farm High School Internship Program in Philadelphia supports 25 students each summer (and 12 during the school year) by teaching them how to farm, bringing these skills back to their communities, and connecting them to college opportunities. The internship program is just one part of Bartram Garden’s network of programs that teach about African heritage and food justice. Through these programs, Bartram distributes over 15,000 pounds of food and teaches over 10,000 students each year - all while keeping the local produce affordable to the surrounding areas.

As climate change continues to advance, its impact on farmlands has become more pronounced and increasingly devastating. Farmers and researchers in both South Africa and Nepal are working towards solutions to problems specifically related to climate change. Centered on developing technology, these farmers have found success with NASA satellite imagery as well as local clinics.

Community leaders are working together to address the issue of food insecurity in Mansfield, caused not just by lack of access to grocery stores and fresh food sources, but also often by unemployment, high housing costs, low wages, poverty, and health care costs. The North End Local Foods Initiative is installing food gardens in these communities, creating access to fresh produce, to educational opportunities, recreational activity and more.

In Nigeria, climate change has led to food scarcity causing some farmers in rural Abuja communities to adopt sustainable agricultural practices. Also known as smart agriculture it encompasses things like reducing pesticide use, using extracts from neem plants, and using warm castings as a fertilizer. Farmers say the practice has improved the soil, increasing water retention, and sequestered carbon.

Grasslands are important players in carbon sequestration. In the U.S. and Kenya some farmers are switching to regenerative grazing. For some this entails concentrating herds of cows and resting paddocks for long periods of time, and for others it means reseeding native grasses. This all forms part of a larger global network to restore grasslands.