The Guardian reports that the world is on track to lose two-thirds of wild animals by 2020:
“The analysis, the most comprehensive to date, indicates that animal populations plummeted by 58% between 1970 and 2012, with losses on track to reach 67% by 2020. Researchers from WWF and the Zoological Society of London compiled the report from scientific data and found that the destruction of wild habitats, hunting and pollution were to blame.”
Mother Jones reports on why farmers are huge Trump supporters:
“While farmers make up a tiny part of the national electorate—there are about 662,000 farms that are more than 180 acres in size, according to the latest US census numbers—they actually could make a difference in the election in a key swing state: Ohio, where Trump enjoys the support of 68 percent of farmers, the poll found.”
A British town wants to run entirely on food waste, according to The Atlantic‘s CityLab:
“This so-called distributed generation model is generally more efficient and resilient than the more-common centralized generation power network, especially if, as in Keynsham, the plants consume renewable sources of energy.”
How does ISIS profit from agriculture? Scientific American explores:
“In 2013 and 2014, the ISIS occupied large portions Iraq’s Ninewa Province and the Jazirah region of Syria, both known breadbaskets in the region. While it is not clear whether their occupation was strategic for the agricultural value, the usage of a book called The Management of Savagery by ISIS is notable. The jihadist manual serves to instruct how to build a statelike structure and recognizes the role agriculture could play in establishing a functional caliphate.”
GMOs aren’t all they were cracked up to be, the Times writes:
“Twenty years ago, Europe largely rejected genetic modification at the same time the United States and Canada were embracing it. Comparing results on the two continents, using independent data as well as academic and industry research, shows how the technology has fallen short of the promise.”
Edible East End reports on the return of clams to Shinnecock Bay:
“The Shinnecock Bay Restoration Program (ShiRP), on a mission to revitalize a deteriorating ecosystem, seeks to restock clam populations this fall as water temperatures drop. Starting mid-October and ending in early November, volunteers can help place clams into the bay’s ‘spawner sanctuaries.’”
Where does your Congress member stand on food issues? Modern Farmer has a handy breakdown:
“Every year for the last five, top food policy experts—including representatives from the Pew Charitable Trust, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the National Black Farmers Association, Oxfam, and more—have graded members of Congress on how they’ve voted on issues related to hunger, nutrition, food access, food and farm workers, food safety, local food and farming, and animal welfare.”
