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Global leaders made progress this year, but urgent work remains to ensure farmers, fishers and ranchers can feed a growing population on a changing planet. The post Four takeaways from a year of global action on food, agriculture and climate first appeared on Growing Returns.

From extensive droughts across the Great Plains and back-to-back hurricanes damaging vegetable and citrus crops in the Southeast, the last two production seasons have demonstrated the intensifying damage of extreme weather on America’s farms. In 2023 alone, natural disasters caused nearly $22 billion in crop and rangeland losses. While crop insurance is a critical safety …

By: Poppy Brittingham Open ocean aquaculture (also referred to as “offshore” aquaculture) is a nascent industry in the United States. As it exists now, the industry has the potential to positively contribute to domestic seafood supplies if executed well. However, if the risks and impacts of the farms are not well understood, it can cause …

A new report from Environmental Defense Fund provides critical insights into species that may be optimal for farming in open ocean environments.

We’ve come to our final blog in our series on sustainable aquaculture for EDFish. Now that we’ve covered aquaculture feed, escapes, and diseases, we’ll wrap up the discussion with a look at technology’s role in sustainable aquaculture. With appropriate investment and incentives, ocean farming technologies and innovations could address sustainability risks for farming seafood in …

Let’s continue the conversation on sustainable aquaculture. This is the third blog in our series exploring the sustainability of aquaculture—what we currently know, emerging advancements, and areas for growth. In our previous, we covered escapes in aquaculture, and before that, we discussed aquaculture feed.     In this blog, we are focusing on diseases in …

Open ocean aquaculture in the U.S. has the potential to create diverse local jobs, build a more climate-resilient domestic seafood supply, and minimize impacts on the climate and environment. However, achieving these benefits hinges on practicing aquaculture the right way.  So, what does the “right way” entail? What do we still need to know to …

Belching bovines are major emitters of methane in agriculture. A new seaweed food additive could help decrease cows' burps and therefore lower their methane emissions

As the world faces growing climate impacts and shocks, the need for a more sustainable and resilient food system has never been more urgent. Last year, the Kansas wheat harvest, known as a bellwether for global agriculture, hit a 60-year low due to severe drought. Record-breaking floods decimated European harvests in the same year.   Climate-driven …

The Wittmans are using sustainable farming practices today to ensure their family farm endures changing climate conditions. 

Is aquaculture sustainable? As with so many important questions, the inevitable—often infuriating—answer is, “it depends.”   As the U.S. looks to expand into open ocean aquaculture (usually between 3 and 200 nautical miles off the coast), we have the opportunity to get things right from the start. We can create diverse local jobs, build a more …

The FISH Act will support science and collaboration needed to secure a robust future for U.S. fisheries

A new poll released by Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) reveals voters are open to growing more seafood in U.S. waters if it adheres to strong consumer and environmental standards.

The reauthorization of the farm bill, which offers critical funding to support farmers and food businesses, is currently being debated in Congress. This is a crucial moment to support farmers and businesses—and major food companies need to make sure they take advantage of it. What is at stake? Billions of dollars in funding intended to …

Authored by Juan Pablo Hoffmaister, Associate Vice President for Global Engagement at Environmental Defense Fund  The international climate community is convening in Bonn, Germany, for the 60th sessions of the Subsidiary Bodies of the UNFCCC this June—and they will set the tone for the next year of global climate engagement. The sessions in Bonn are …

A community in the Philippines is exploring the major benefits of seaweed farming.

As farmers in the EU protest, climate change impacts are already making food production harder. The post EU must act to protect farms and food production from climate risk first appeared on Growing Returns.

In this must-read guide, Environmental Defense Fund and Deloitte equip food companies with actionable guidance to more strategically advance ambitious climate targets aligned with the Science Based Targets initiative’s (SBTi) guidance.

Pathways for six key commodities aligned with SBTi FLAG guidance for food companies to more strategically work toward climate targets.

New guide provides invaluable insights for food companies seeking a more strategic approach to drive climate impact.

Social networks play a pivotal role in shaping human behavior. To accelerate climate-smart practices, farmers’ social networks are crucial. The post How food companies can harness the power of social networks for scope 3 reductions first appeared on Growing Returns.

Social networks play a pivotal role in shaping human behavior. To accelerate climate-smart practices, farmers’ social networks are crucial.

African farmers like Joshua Zinzombe and Grace Gondwe are facing a hotter future with optimism and ingenuity as they look to lead a global food system transformation.

Blue foods, seafood and aquatic plants, can help sustainably feed the world.

Understanding the impacts of extreme weather on Kansas farms can inform solutions that support farmers in adapting to climate change.