Will Californians Continue Opting for Grass-Free Yards?
In a state known for severe droughts, having a front yard that requires watering is becoming a thing of the past.
Agriculture
Iowa Just Struck Down Its Ag-Gag Law. Where Do These Laws Stand in the Rest of the Country?
Ag-gag laws effectively criminalized undercover investigations for three decades, but now, the courts are turning the tide in favor of animal rights activists.
How Buying a Christmas Tree From a Farm Helps Small Farmers Fight Bankruptcy
The millions of Americans who buy a Christmas tree at a farm this year are agritourists too.
North Carolinians Want to Hold Companies and Regulators Accountable for Toxic Hog Waste
Hog farms in North Carolina produce 10 billion gallons of untreated, toxic waste each year—and much of it ends up in the state's waterways.
What Will the New Farm Bill Mean for Key Programs Like SNAP?
After a fierce partisan fight, Congress has reached an agreement on SNAP, forestry, and conservation programs.
Half of Costa Rica's Regrown Forests Are Gone Within Two Decades
Secondary forests are vital parts of the ecosystem, but in Costa Rica many of them are re-cleared before achieving old-growth levels of biodiversity.
How to Feed the World Without Breaking the Paris Agreement
The world's population is expected to balloon to nearly 10 billion by midcentury.
Lawmakers Have Reached an Initial Agreement on the Farm Bill
Negotiators are one step closer to a bill funding crucial food assistance and agriculture programs.
Climate Change Could Devastate Crop Yields. But New Research Shows Farmers Can Adapt.
To keep up crop production, farmers must continue to adjust to a warming climate.
Why the FDA's Plan to Regulate Gene Editing in Animals Has Some Scientists Worried
The agency's new plan retains several key limitations on animal biotechnology, despite language promoting innovation.
Inside the Land Rights Struggle for the Descendants of Runaway Slaves in Brazil
Communities made up of fugitive slave descendants have been forced from their lands and denied their rights, a situation that may only get worse under newly elected president Jair Bolsonaro.
Oregon's Extreme Drought Looks Set to Continue
The Oregon drought this year is most striking because it covers many coastal areas known historically as some of the wettest in the country.
Here's What Trump Gets Wrong About California's Water Supply
No, the state does not really have plenty of water.
Behind the Partisan Fight to Eliminate the Country's Largest Conservation Program
With Congress at an impasse, sustainability advocates worry the farm bill could cut funds for conservation and give more to agriculture's biggest polluters.
What Hurricane Michael Meant for Farms, Oil Production, and Nursing Homes
Preliminary estimates of the damage are just coming in.
With Hurricane Michael, Southern Farmers Face a 'New Normal'
Extreme climate events wreak havoc on agriculture, and farmers are trying to adjust—but entrenched industry and government practices may be holding them back.
The Cost of Cleaning Up Nitrate Contamination Falls on America's Poorest Counties
A new report estimates that remediating contaminated small water systems could cost up to $666 a year per person.
What Will Happen Now That the Farm Bill Has Expired?
The current farm bill expired on Sunday, putting the debate over key USDA programs that protect public health and the environment on hold.
A New Study Reveals Global Drivers of Deforestation
Commodity-driven deforestation is most responsible, with farming and forestry also playing a major role in the global tree cover loss.
The Exceptional State: An Accounting
Where California outshines other states, and by how much.
The Trump Administration Calls for More Water and Less Regulation in California's Central Valley
The announcement prompted the California State Water Resources Control Board to postpone its vote on a proposal restricting agricultural water use in the Delta.
Inside an Unsuccessful Effort to Turn Vacant Lots Into Urban Farms
A tax incentive aimed at getting landowners to allow their unused lots to become urban farms has generated little interest in Los Angeles County.
Despite Billions in Relief Payments, American Farmers Are Still Hurting From Trump's Tariffs
An economist explains how the trade conflict with China continues to harm American farmers as well as the overall economy.
California Regulators Consider Conservation Protections for the State's Largest Estuary
Conflict over the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta has played out over decades of back-and-forth between regulators and farmers.