A monthly update on the Worldwatch Institute's Food and Agriculture program's latest publications, events, and research on environmental, food, and sustainable development topics.
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Announcing Worldwatch's 2013 Holiday Sale
 For this month only, you can get discounts on some of our most popular books and reports. And, if you buy two or more books, you can get a copy of State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the Planet free!*
*A shipping and handling fee will be added to your total.
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Upcoming Events
November 20: Worldwatch's Tom Prugh will be presenting key themes from State of the World 2013: Is Sustainability Still Possible? at the Sustainability International Forum, Rome, Italy.
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Dear Naresh,
Agriculture offers opportunities to mitigate and adapt to climate change, according to a report released by the UN Environment Program me (UNEP) last week.
Worldwide, agriculture contributes between 14 and 30 percent of human-caused greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions because of its heavy land, water, and energy use-that's more than every car, train, and plane in the global transportation sector. Activities like running fuel-powered farm equipment, pumping water for irrigation, raising dense populations of livestock in indoor facilities, managing soils, and applying nitrogen-rich fertilizers all contribute to agriculture's high GHG footprint.
Sustainable agriculture practices-such as no-till farming, agroforestry, urban farming, improved water conservation, and cover cropping-however, present opportunities for dramatic emissions reductions within the sector.
The adoption of climate-friendly agricultural practices not only contributes to climate-change mitigation, but also enhances the sector's environmental sustainability. In the long-term, the adoption of such practices can provide other benefits such as higher yields, lower fertilizer costs, and increased profits.
As always, please don't hesitate to email me at swenzlau@worldwatch.org with any questions or comments.
All the best,
Sophie Wenzlau
Food and Agriculture Program
Worldwatch Institute
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The Emissions Gap Report 2013-which involved 44 scientific groups in 17 countries and was coordinated by UNEP-measures the difference between the pledges countries have made to cut emissions and the targets required to keep global temperature change below 2
°C. According to the report, certain sustainable agriculture practices present opportunities for dramatic emissions reductions. By tapping into the multitude of climate-friendly farming practices that already exist, agriculture can continue to provide food for the world's population and help to increase resiliency to the climate change.
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Almost all food begins with a seed. Even when people eat meat or other animal products, those animals were most likely fed on grasses or grains that began as seeds. Our planet is home to hundreds of thousands of species of plants, and it requires a diverse variety of seeds to satisfy nutritional and environmental needs. In this post, Nourishing the Planet takes a closer look at five seed banks that aim to protect biodiversity and help feed the world.
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With one of the lowest GDPs and highest malnutrition rates in the world, Ethiopia desperately needs food security investment and innovation. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) recently awarded a contract to CNFA, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, to implement the Agricultural Growth Program-Livestock Growth Project (AGP-LGP) in the country. The program, sponsored by USAID's Feed the Future initiative, will encourage growth in the farming sector by increasing the competitiveness and value of Ethiopia's livestock.
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Post-harvest food losses occur mainly in developing countries, and can be attributed to poor storage facilities, inadequate distribution networks, and low investment in food production. Improved storage conditions could drastically reduce this food waste, yet technologies must be affordable and realistic to be sustainable in these regions. Practical Action, a nongovernmental organization that works with farmers in Southern Africa, Latin America, and South Asia, encourages the use of earthenware refrigerators called zeer pots to help prevent post-harvest food waste. These pots can extend the shelf life of harvested crops by up to 20 days by reducing storage temperature.
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In A Community of Gardeners (2011), filmmaker Cintia Cabib offers an intimate look at the vital role that seven community gardens play in Washington, D.C. In addition to exploring these thriving community gardens, the film also provides a historical portrait of community gardens past. Gardens played an important role in the United States during World Wars I and II, as well as during the Great Depression, offering ways to supplement the national food supply, provide jobs for the unemployed, and improve morale across the country.
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