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Farmers spot diseased crops faster with artificial intelligence

Matt McFarland

December 14, 2017 |

CNN |

Multi-Media |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Kearny, New Jersey

Oftentimes in farming, once farmers spot an issue with a crop, it is too late to save it. Artificial intelligence is changing that, starting with implementing the technology that is used to manage orchards into the practice of growing corn and soybeans.

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Meet India's dam-building grandmother

Aamir Rafeeq Peerzeda

December 12, 2017 |

BBC |

Multi-Media |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: India, Rajasthan

In Rajasthan, India, the Aakar Charitable Trust is building dams in previously drought-ridden areas using traditional practices that use the contours of the land to retain water. These check dams are cost-effective, partially owned by local communities, and do not displace residents; the trust builds an average of 30 dams each year, but they hope to ramp up construction in the future while cautioning that the method will not work for every topography.

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Farming in Minnesota: A Taste of Home

Rachel Cramer

December 12, 2017 |

The GroundTruth Project |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Scandia, Minnesota

Sustainable agriculture and farming is on the rise on a national level, but it's not often so simple to get into the practice, especially for those that are new to the U.S. A farmer training program based in Washington County, Minnesota is trying to change that by enrolling a small group of interested Somali-Americans in a curriculum focused on becoming the next generation of farmers in America.

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A harvest of sunshine

Isaac Anyaogu

December 11, 2017 |

Business Day |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Nigeria

Solar powered assistive technologies boost economic gains and quality of life for rural communities in Nigeria. Rural farmers can rent solar dryers for a faster and more efficient way to dry their harvests, which can earn them greater profits. Solar refrigeration kiosks also allow farmers to sell more by extending the shelf life of foods, while solar home systems provide an affordable way for rural communities to tap into electric grids to power appliances, opening up more possibilities for work, education, and ease of daily life. Many of these products and services are run by women entrepreneurs.

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Why An Ivy League MBA Went Back To Ghana To Help A Pineapple Farm

Amy Yee

December 08, 2017 |

NPR |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Ghana

Investment in African agriculture has wide-ranging impact because the industry provides 60 percent of employment in the continent. Injaro, founded by an investment banker, is a private equity fund that seeks to invest in African businesses. Injaro’s funds have helped to make Gold Coast Fruits one of Ghana’s largest employers and have helped revive a struggling pineapple farm. The steady investments have improved productivity as Gold Coast Fruits now produces up to 50 tons of pineapple.

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How to fight female genital mutilation with economics

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon

December 04, 2017 |

CNN |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Tanzania, Dar es Salaam

We rarely think of Female Genital Mutilation, which is the total or partial removal of the external female genitalia, as an economic practice. It’s often thought of in cultural terms. However, that’s exactly what Seleiman Bishagazi did. He realized the practice was popular in his community because poor families made a profit from it. So, he “decided to attack the issue with economics and education.”

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'Super beans' raise hopes in hunger-prone parts of Africa

Rodney Muhumuza

December 03, 2017 |

Associated Press |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Uganda, Nwoya

Food security due to land degradation is a growing concern in Uganda, especially in light of the massive influx of South Sudanese refugees streaming into the country and the instability of food donations to support them. A new, high-yield "super bean," specially bred by 'gene banks' in Africa for its rapid maturation rate, is helping Ugandan farmers to grow more of their own food with fewer resources and break the dependency on aid to feed their families.

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Tour Tahoe's Local Food Hub

Amy Westervelt

November 28, 2017 |

Mountain Independent |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Tahoe City, California

Dubbed an agro-ecology center, Tahoe is embracing a different approach to food stability through teaching local residents how to grow food in alpine climates. By picking up food from local farmers and transporting their food to market in a fair and equitable way, the Tahoe Food Hub was born to create and grow a local food system.

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These Montana ranchers are helping grizzlies, wolves and cattle coexist

Kristina Johnson

November 28, 2017 |

Ensia |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Tom Miner Basin, Montana

With the lifting of federal protection on top predators like grizzly bears, many are concerned that landowners will be more likely to shoot predators found on their ranches and farmland, risking the fragile stability of the Montana ecosystem. But a strategy of cattle herding called low-stress handling by range riders serves not only as a natural and efficient way to protect cattle from wolves and bears, allowing humans and wildlife to live in harmony, but also benefits the cattle and therefore the ranchers, producing superior quality beef.

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Liquid Gold: Women in Kenya Find Food Security In Beekeeping

Wesley Lang’at

November 27, 2017 |

News Deeply |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Kenya, Kipcherere, Baringo County

Environmental degradation and drought have led to conflict, poverty, and severe food insecurity in Kenya’s Baringo county. Hand In Hand International is helping communities rebound by offering training to women in entrepreneurship and new farming methods - particularly beekeeping - which provides economic empowerment, improves the ecosystem by boosting pollinator populations, and provides a steady source of nutritious food for those families eking out a living in these harsh landscapes.

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