The woman who turns doomed bee swarms into thriving hives

The Bee Better Certified program encourages farmers to to build and restore habitat for native bees on their land. Doing so can earn them the certification, reduce the need to rent honeybees for pollinationion, and benefit the planet.

With shifts in climate change and environmental sustainability a concern, historical farming practices have had to shift to accommodate the changes. One practice that is showing promise are the cultivating of perennial crops.

"If I continued as a cardiologist, maybe I would save 2,000 or 3,000 lives over the next 30 years, But if I focus on this, I have the potential to save billions of human lives and trillions of animal lives," explains Uma Valeti a cardiologist turned clean meat founder and engineer. Valeti, along with a team of similarly minded colleagues are looking to market the first ever meat that doesn't come from killing animals.

Deforestation, overgrazing, and increased carbon emissions are familiar challenges as climate change continues to threaten our food systems. Author Eric Toensmeier discusses how "carbon farming" - or practices such as agroforestry, improved annual crop rotation, and better grazing practices are not only good for farmers - increasing yields and reducing land degradation - but good for capturing carbon and environmental health overall. Toensmeier also discusses how to get more farmers to practice these methods: improved financial models, government support, and a certification system.

The government wants more farmers turning waste methane into biogas to help combat the negative effects of global climate change. California is leading the initiative, largely through a cap-and-trade program.

Boutique chocolate makers like Taza Chocolate and Uncommon Cacao have developed a direct-trade "bean-to-bar" model that bypasses exploitative cocoa supply chains by purchasing directly from farmers at transparent, above-market prices.

Government agencies, trade groups, and businesses are working together to provide agroforestry training and environmental education to rubber farmers in Thailand. Cultivating rubber alongside other useful trees and crops is better for the environment than monoculture farms and increases farmers’ profits.

Entrepreneurs in the Caribbean are collecting harmful sargassum seaweed that washes up on the beaches and turning it into agricultural products that reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers. Red Diamond Compost, for example, uses growth-stimulating hormones from the seaweed to create a soil additive that improves plants’ ability to absorb nutrients.

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.

Tucson-based Mission Garden’s crops are thriving in a drought-stricken region because of the use of techniques and knowledge from the Tohono O’odham Nation to plant traditional local crops and native plants that can handle the lack of water.