Our Impact

“A biogas boondoggle” by Barry Yeoman looks at how the hog-farming industry in North Carolina is jumping on the renewable energy bandwagon. But critics say it is a form of greenwashing that does little to solve the air and water pollution problems from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs).

“The cafeteria as classroom” by Bridget Huber is the fourth part of our special series with Inverse on the environmental impact of food waste — and what can be done about it. Public schools feed a lot of kids, and nearly 40 percent of that food gets tossed in the trash. Fortunately, there are smart solutions — coming straight from the students.

“The rotten secret plaguing America’s grocery stores” by Bryce Covert is the third part of our special series with Inverse on the environmental impact of food waste — and what can be done about it. It explains why some grocery stores overstock food.

“Five gadgets to fight food waste” is the second part of our special series with Inverse on the environmental impact of food waste — and what can be done about it. Reporter Michael Parks presents readers with a guide to five gadgets claiming to tackle the issue. 

“A week in the life of a big-time food waster” by Christopher Ketcham is the first part of our special series with Inverse on the environmental impact of food waste — and what can be done about it. It explores how a typical U.S. citizen keeps a diary of his food mindlessness and tries to change his ways.

In “The crab kings,” by Andrew S. Lewis, FERN explores how Stalin, Putin, and climate change inadvertently turned Norway’s most desperate fishing spot into a global seafood capital.

In “The U.S.-Mexico tortilla war,” Alexander Zaitchik takes a close look at the trade dispute that is putting a spotlight on food sovereignty, GMOs, a controversial weedkiller, public health, and the fate of Mexico’s iconic white-corn flatbread.

“In California, a native people fight to recover their stolen waters,” by Teresa Cotsirilos, analyzes a study of centuries-old irrigation ditches that suggests theNüümü people could rightfully lay claim to the waters of Owens Lake.

In “The whole dam truth,” by Christopher Ketcham, FERN explores how despite hydropower projects being celebrated as tools to address the climate crisis, they are far from climate neutral and the downstream threats to biodiversity and indigenous sovereignty are significant and growing.

“Sludge report,” by Bridget Huber, visits Dostie Farm — a small, family-run farm in Maine that had to stop producing because of contamination from a class of chemicals known as PFAS, or “forever chemicals.” PFAS, which reliably repels water, grease, and heat, is used in all kinds of everyday products, from paper plates to rain jackets. These compounds don't break down in the environment, and have ended up almost everywhere, including in living creatures.

“The ranching industry’s toxic grass problem,” by Robert Langellier, takes a close look at America’s “fescue belt,” named for an exotic grass called tall fescue that dominates the region’s pastureland. Within that swath, a quarter of the nation’s cows — more than 15 million in all — graze fields that stay green through the winter while the rest of the region’s grasses turn brown and dormant. But the fescue these cows are eating is toxic. They lose hooves. Parts of their tails and the tips of their ears slough off. For most of the year, they spend any moderately warm day standing in ponds and creeks trying to reduce fevers. They breathe heavily, fail to put on weight, and produce less milk. Some fail to conceive, and some of the calves they do conceive die.

“Tribal nations want more control over their food supply” by Bridget Huber is the fifth and final part of our special series in partnership with Mother Jones. A pilot program included in the 2018 farm bill gave federal funds to the Oneida Nation to buy food grown on the reservation and by other nearby Native producers and distribute it for free to low-income members of its tribe and another, the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin. This program should be renewed and expanded when the farm bill is completed.

In “Growing tobacco in the United States no longer makes sense,” Duncan Murrell analyzes how tobacco kills millions each year, has little productive use, and even its farmers see the end coming.

“The essential workers missing from the farm bill” by Teresa Cotsirilos is the fourth part of our special series in partnership with Mother Jones. It explores how the farm bill has long supported farm owners — but not the people fueling their operations.

“The farm bill hall of shame” by Claire Kelloway is the third part of our special series in partnership with Mother Jones. Why is the farm bill such an important piece of legislation? Because it's at the center of issues ranging from persistent racial inequality in American agriculture to climate mitigation efforts.

In “Why are GOP governors taking food out of the mouths of poor kids?,” Bryce Covert analyzes how partisan politics are spoiling food subsidies for 8 million children.

“Want farmers to protect the environment?" by Tom Philpott is the second part of our special series in partnership with Mother Jones. Since 1985, the USDA has offered financial subsidies to farmers who take steps to protect the long term health of their land. Now, Congress should make conservation compliance mandatory as it negotiates the farm bill.

In “When must-pass meets mega-partisan,” the first part of our special series in partnership with Mother Jones, Lee Drutman and Dustin Wahl explore the urgent issues a new farm bill must address. The current impasse over the legislation is a sign of a political “doom loop” in which the incentives of extreme partisanship make even the most necessary laws hard to enact.