Farming
California's Central Valley Is Designing the Future of American Agriculture
Inside a climate-controlled laboratory at the Duarte Nursery outside Modesto, an experiment is taking place that could help determine what food we will eat for decades to come.
The Young Hands That Feed Us
An estimated 524,000 children work unimaginably long hours in America's grueling agricultural fields, and it's all perfectly legal.
A Modernized New Deal Could Revive the American Agriculture Industry
U.S. agriculture needs to make a systemwide shift that cuts carbon emissions, reduces vulnerability to climate chaos and prioritizes economic justice.
How Common Is Price-Fixing in the Food Industry?
The DOJ intervened in a lawsuit alleging Tyson Foods, Perdue Farms, Sanderson Farms, Koch Foods, and Pilgrim's Pride conspired to increase chicken prices.
How Anti-Immigration Policies Are Leading Prisons to Lease Convicts as Field Laborers
Under lucrative arrangements, states are increasingly leasing prisoners to harvest food for American consumers at a rate not seen since Jim Crow.
Missouri Outlaws Rural Residents' Last Line of Protection Against CAFOs
Under the new law, local standards regulating industrial-scale livestock operations cannot be stricter than any of those set by the state.
How to Craft Climate Financing That Helps Minorities and Lower-Income Americans
We can help build a non-extractive economy by offering non-exploitative loans to people of color and the formerly incarcerated.
How the Trade War Has Affected American Farmers
In his State of the Union address, Trump is likely to claim that his strategy balanced trade policy. But the state of the trade war indicates otherwise.
Can Sustainable Agriculture Survive Under Capitalism?
Without a drastic change to the system, sustainable agriculture risks becoming an esoteric side note—or simply another way for those with money to live healthier lives than those without.
Could Pasture-Raised Pork Provide a Sustainable Future for Hog Farming?
North Carolina has acutely felt the downside of a massive, environmentally damaging pork production industry, but a better model may be emerging.
Viewfinder: Farming Conifers for Christmas Trees in Northern Germany
Two men carry freshly cut conifers to be used as Christmas trees at the Gut Kuehren plantation in Kuehren near Kiel, northern Germany.
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.
For Some Migrant Worker Children in College, a Free Sandwich Can Make All the Difference
For decades, a small federal program has been helping the students of farmworkers win at college by smothering them with support.
In South Sudan, Veterinarians Work to Stave Off Famine
Veterinarians have become an integral part of the humanitarian response to malnutrition in the war-torn country.
How Litigation Has Become Rural America's Best Bet to Curb Farm Pollution
Those living near factory farms have to contend with noxious odors, toxic emissions, and swarms of insects, and have had little success in obtaining relief—but that is changing.
Ripple Effects of Climate Change Could Damage Mountain Gorilla Populations
As global warming forces farmers in northwestern Rwanda to move to higher elevations, the fragile gorilla population will be put more at risk.
Viewfinder: Violent Clashes Between Farming Communities in Nigeria
Nigeria is facing an escalation in clashes between farmers and herders over land use and resources that is deepening along religious and ethnic lines.
How Chicken Activists in California Broke the Law to Start a Reasonable Debate About Animal Cruelty
A protest in Petaluma, California, prompts the question: Do we have a right to help farm animals that are suffering?
In Kenya, Agroforestry Is a Win-Win for Indigenous Communities and Conservation
Locals in one of the country's vital biodiversity hotspots have found that traditional farming methods are helping them produce more crops while preserving the forest.
Could Hemp Be a Lifeline for Struggling Farmers?
Hemp, which produces valuable CBD oil, is set to become recognized as an agricultural crop this year, and could provide a much needed influx of revenue for Western agriculture.
Uncovering the Literal Roots of Your Ideology
New research suggests our ancestors' agricultural practices may have shaped our beliefs and assumptions.
Dispatches: Re-Discovering Terra Preta in Amazonia
News and notes from Pacific Standard staff and contributors.
Maasai Women Grow Their Economic Prospects by Harvesting Aloe
In a remote village in Kenya, where it is difficult to cultivate crops, women have begun reshaping their fortunes by harvesting aloe plants and turning them into beauty products.
Viewfinder: Workers Excavate Sand From a Riverbed in India
Indian laborers excavate sand from the dry riverbed of Sabarmati river near Gandhinagar, India, on March 15th, 2018.