• Food

2020 Derecho Cost Iowa’s Farmers Hundreds of Millions

• climate change
• crop insurance
• farmers
• farming

by Natasha Lasky, ODP Staff Writer According to a new report from the American Farm Bureau Federation, the derecho and drought that hit Iowa last year destroyed $802 million in corn, soybeans and pastures. While crop insurance covered nearly $560 million of the losses, farmers had to pay another $243 million out of pocket. According […]

• Water

Water Restrictions Force Tough Choices for CA Almond Farmers

• almonds
• California
• farmers
• water

by Natasha Lasky, ODP Staff Writer California’s ongoing drought has forced state authorities to drastically cut water allocations for farmers, even to zero, while water transfers have delayed. As a result, farmers have had to abandon crops that require too much water, like almonds. Despite the USDA making projections for a record almond season, growers […]

• Land

Banks Threaten “Less Access to Credit” In Response to Federal Debt Relief for Black Farmers

• American Relief Plan
• BIPOC
• farmers
• loans
• National Black Farmers Association
• USDA

Black farmers have been hit the hardest by industry consolidation, predatory loan terms, and high foreclosure rates. Now, an effort by the Biden administration to provide $4 billion in debt relief for minority farmers is being met with staunch opposition from banks, who don’t want the financial support to Black farmers to cut into their profits on the loans.

Why This Matters: Since 1920, the number of Black-owned farms has declined from one million to under 40,000.

• Climate Change

Oh No! Climate Change Threatens Global Tea Production

• black tea
• climate change
• Drought
• extreme weather
• farmers
• Flooding
• heat
• Kenya
• tea

According to a new report from Christian Aid, Kenya, which produces half of all black tea consumed by the UK, may lose a quarter of its growing capacity by 2050, and the tea that makes it into drinkers’ cups may taste a lot different than before.  The decline of tea farming has implications for economies worldwide, including Kenya, India, China, and Sri Lanka.

Why This Matters: Tea is the most popular drink other than water globally and the tea industry employs more than 3 million people in Africa alone.

• Land

Women’s Land Rights Key to Mitigating Climate Change

• agriculture
• farmers
• Land use

by Amy Lupica, ODP Staff Writer Women have played an integral role in agriculture since its beginnings, but now only 14% of the world’s land is owned by women.  Experts say that gender inequity is an obstacle in optimizing climate mitigation through better land-use practices..  Despite women representing more than half of all people who almost exclusively on land and […]

• Land

A New Alliance for Farming’s Climate Impact

• dairy farmers
• farmers
• soil carbon sequestration

by Ashira Morris, ODP Contributing Writer The American Farm Bureau Federation, which has actively pushed back on reducing emissions from its sector, has joined environmental organizations in the newly formed Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance. The plan, as InsideClimate News reports, is for the alliance to work with Congress and the incoming Biden administration to […]