Fred Iutzi is Working to Develop Kernza, a Sustainable Perennial Grain That Could Feed a Growing World Population
“The problem that agriculture has faced for 10,000 years is it started with the wrong hardware,” Fred Iutzi, president of The Land Institute, a research organization in Salina, Kan., told…
Perennial grain Kernza taking root in Minnesota
GOODHUE COUNTY, Minn. — If humans want to continue eating we need to continue farming. But many farming practices that have become common in the 21st century result in pollution…
15 Organizations Creating Healthier Soil to Save the Planet
One of the most important tools to combat climate change is right under our feet — soil. Unfortunately, the planet’s soil is being eroded at a rate of about one…
How a New Grain Could Help Combat Climate Change
Scientists in Minnesota and Kansas are developing a grain called Kernza, which, unlike most of our food crops, is a perennial plant with a whole host of environmental benefits. While…
Big ideas and the harsh deadline of climate change
SALINA, Kan. — Bill McKibben didn’t always make a habit of getting arrested. He was a wunderkind, a Harvard graduate who became a staff writer at the New Yorker at…
Kernza Has a Foot in the Door at Major Food Companies, and a Toehold in the MonDak, Too
There is just one food-grade Kernza line in the United States presently, and it just so happens to be from a facility in North Dakota. Healthy Food Ingredients, which specializes…
New Wheat Grass is Green in More Ways Than One
ST. PETER, Minn. (KEYC) — A new intermediate wheat grass, a first of its kind perennial crop, that’s been in the works for decades is hitting the soil and is…
10 Organizations Fighting Climate Change With Food
A recently published United Nations report warned that climate change threatens the world’s food supply. Diminishing water supply, increasing population growth, rising temperatures and deforestation combined with unsustainable land use create a…
With New Perennial Grain, a Step Forward for Eco-Friendly Agriculture
Some 40 years ago, Wes Jackson, a plant geneticist, founded The Land Institute on the prairie near Salina, Kansas. Concerned that modern agriculture destroyed native grasslands, he asked a question that came…
7 Sustainable Food Organizations To Donate To If You Want To Fight Climate Change
A new United Nations report warns that the world could soon face a global food crisis if key changes aren’t made. As the report described, certain agricultural practices contribute to…
Follow the Food – Why Soil is Disappearing from Farms
Follow the Food – a multimedia series by BBC Future and BBC World News – investigates how farmers, researchers and innovators are working to secure a sustainable long-term future for…
A Perennial Revolution
Since the dawn of agriculture, farmers have hit the reset button every year. That’s because most are dependent on annual crops, frequently working the soil to suppress weeds and nurture…