Eating the Earth | Decarbonizing our food systems

a man pours contents of a bag labeled proven into a cylindrical yellow bin

Food and farms

Chemical fertilizer is a climate disaster. Can high-tech biology fix it?

Startup Pivot Bio has developed a smarter way to get nitrogen to crops, and it has a new CEO who aims to supercharge growth.

By Michael Grunwald . 29 August 2023

Two employees in lab coats, gloves and hair nets stand next to stacked containers full of small green baby plants

Food and farms

Why vertical farming just doesn't work

Vertical farms save water, prevent pesticide pollution and avoid extreme weather — but their Achilles' heel is their massive electricity use.

By Michael Grunwald . 28 June 2023

a group of white, black and brown cattle in a verdant green field

Food and farms

Cattle are a huge climate threat. Smarter ranching can help

Ranchers in Brazil are testing new and improved techniques that can lower the climate impact of beef production by using less land and curbing cattle's burps and farts.

By Michael Grunwald . 17 April 2023

A small slider burger with a toothpick flag that says impossible

Food and farms

Afraid of high-tech food? Get over it

Too many Americans are squeamish about cultivated meat, alt-protein processed foods and GMOs, but we'll need to get used to them to avert a climate catastrophe.

By Michael Grunwald . 17 January 2023

A man stands near livestock on a hilly farm

Food and farms

What exactly is 'climate-smart agriculture'?

The new climate law will direct big bucks toward regenerative farming practices. But is that good climate policy?

By Michael Grunwald . 12 September 2022

Food and farms

3 smart ways the US can grow more food while emitting less carbon

A climate-friendly national food strategy would start with accelerating alternative proteins, reducing food waste and investing in agricultural innovation.

By Michael Grunwald . 8 August 2022

Food and farms

This super-tree could help feed the world and fight climate change

Startup Terviva aims to plant millions of pongamia — "miracle" trees that can grow on arid badlands and yield products similar to soybeans and olive oil.

By Michael Grunwald . 27 June 2022

A black chicken with red comb and wattles

Food and farms

What's the most climate-friendly way to eat? It's tricky

Plus, why climate hawks should heed the Chick-Fil-A cows and eat more chicken.

By Michael Grunwald . 6 June 2022

A tractor in a field harvests corn and transports it to a trailer

Food and farms

Biofuels are accelerating the food crisis — and the climate crisis, too

It’s crazy to put more food in our fuel tanks when there’s a war on. Or when there isn’t.

By Michael Grunwald . 19 April 2022

In the background, a tractor drives over a field. In the foreground, a Pac-Man-like character is about to swallow the Earth.

Food and farms

You think the energy problem is hard? Meet the food climate challenge

Slashing emissions from food and agriculture will be tough, but innovators are developing creative ways to do it, going way beyond Beyond Burgers.

By Michael Grunwald . 21 March 2022