When the National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC) surveyed more than 3,500 farmers under 40 in 2017, 60 percent of the farmer respondents were women. And in 2012, the USDA Census of Agriculture found that 14 percent of principal farm operators were women, a nearly 300 percent increase since 1978, when it began counting women as farmers.
The Fate of a USDA Program That Helps Small Farms Survive Is Uncertain
A USDA study found businesses that received VAPG grants were significantly more likely to succeed compared to similar businesses that did not, and created more jobs. As U.S. farmers face unique economic challenges, the VAPG program may be discontinued.
A Global Solution to Post-Harvest Food Loss
Switching out traditional raffia baskets with plastic crates when transporting tomatoes in Nigeria can save fresh, healthy food and have multiple subsequent effects on nutrition in the region.
Could Changing the Way Chicken Is Sold Reduce Malnutrition in Kenya?
“These guys are feeding the poor but their financing is very poor,” says Bonnie McClafferty, GAIN’s food value chain director. “They are pretty much falling through the cracks because they’re too small for all of the big lending and they’re too big for microfinance.”
Can (and Should) Pasture-Raised Eggs Scale Up?
Vital Farms offers ethical and environmentally-conscious eggs to consumers at over 10,000 retail locations across the country. They support a growing number of small and medium-sized farms who follow high standards of care for the animals and the environment.
Chefs Serve Hospital Food That’s Better for Patients, Employees—and the Planet
While chefs have been a driving force improving school food for a long time, now they’re also stepping in to transform hospital kitchens, bringing with them expertise in healthy menu planning and fresh food sourcing.
Improving Supply Chains Can Help Ensure Nutritious Food Reaches the Poor and Malnourished
Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition is aligning supply chains with human need, for a better food system between farmer and consumer.
Robotics and Automation Are Transforming Food System Labor
From seed to table, a revolution in technology that prioritizes robotics and automation is on the cusp of transforming what the work required to produce, transport, sell, and serve food looks like.
What Does Food Waste Have to Do with Hunger?
While distributing food waste to the poor has long been used as a solution to food insecurity, the author of Big Hunger says the moral imperative around reducing waste has also contributed to the never-ending nature of both problems.
Wasted, Redefined: Could Beer Be the Next Food Waste Solution?
Advocates say there are many reasons turning citrus into saisons and sourdough into session IPAs could make a major contribution to both reducing and raising awareness of food waste.
How (and Why) a Soap Company is Changing the Food System
The skin-care company is now investing a surprising amount of time and capital in projects that affect how people eat—from GMO labeling to promoting regenerative agriculture—putting themselves at the forefront of efforts to build a more sustainable food system.
