Every August 12, International Youth Day recognizes the contributions of young people to sustainable development. The 2026 theme, “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations,” reflects the different conditions young people face and the shared goals that connect their efforts.

This year’s theme is especially relevant to global food systems, which shape both the livelihoods and well-being of young people around the world. Globally, 44% of working youth were employed in agrifood systems in 202.  At the same time, food insecurity among young people increased from 16.7% in 2014–2016 to 24.4% in 2021–2023. These figures show how closely young people’s futures are tied to the challenges and opportunities within food systems.

Young people are playing an increasingly active role in responding to these challenges and shaping the future of food systems. Across different regions and circumstances, they are developing solutions that reflect the needs of their own communities, from agriculture and school food to public policy, food waste, and the commercial environments that influence what people eat. The five examples below show how young people are turning local ideas into action and contributing to broader food-system change.

Bringing Precision Agriculture to Farmers — Benin

Food insecurity continues to affect communities across the West African nation of Benin, particularly during the lean season when access to food becomes more difficult. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) projects that more than 201,000 people will face acute food insecurity between June and August 2026. These pressures increase the need for practical agricultural innovations that can help farmers improve productivity, use resources more efficiently, and strengthen resilience against disturbances.

Young agricultural researcher Marietta Gonroudobou founded Agro Hikari to connect scientific knowledge with farmers. The platform translates agronomic research into practical guidance and has expanded into digital agriculture. Gonroudobou has also developed a drone-based spraying solution designed to make agricultural input use more precise.

In 2026, the World Food Prize Foundation named Gonroudobou a Top Agri-food Pioneer. Agro Hikari also won the Benin edition of the Prix Pierre Castel and received €25,000 plus a year of mentorship. The project remains an emerging model, and this support provides an opportunity to test its precision-agriculture services at a larger scale.

Rethinking the Waste That Comes With School Lunch — United States

Disposable food service items contribute to a large stream of plastic waste in the United States, including the polystyrene trays still used in many school cafeterias. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the country generated about 80,000 tons of polystyrene containers in 2018, and less than 5,000 tons were recycled. In Houston, three fourth-graders brought attention to this issue by questioning the use of disposable polystyrene trays in their school cafeterias.

In 2025, River Oaks Elementary students Celine David, Maddie Woods, and Dora Cabarcas researched alternatives to polystyrene lunch trays. They gathered more than 250 signatures on an online petition and presented their findings to Houston Independent School District leaders. Their efforts helped prompt HISD to launch a pilot program testing alternative trays at River Oaks Elementary and Hogg Middle School.

Evidence from other school systems suggests that reusable serviceware can substantially reduce cafeteria waste. A 2026 study of California elementary schools found that schools using reusable trays and other serviceware reduced packaging and serviceware waste by about 5 kilograms less packaging and serviceware waste per day than schools that continued using disposable items. The HISD pilot will help the district assess how these alternatives perform in practice and whether they can be expanded more widely. The students’ campaign shows how young people can use research and community engagement to influence decisions within their own schools and communities.

Turning Youth Innovation Into Food-System Solutions — Indonesia

Indonesia faces a generational challenge in agriculture. Almost 80 percent of the country’s farmers are age 40 or older, while young people ages 15 to 29 account for about half of its unemployed population. Together, these trends highlight an opportunity to connect youth employment and entrepreneurship with the future of agriculture.

The 2025 Youth Innovation Challenge received more than 230 proposals and selected 18 finalists for mentorship and training. Winning projects included vertical farming that reuses kitchen waste, artificial intelligence for fruit-fly control, and circular systems that convert food scraps into farm inputs. Ten innovators shared Rp84 million in awards and presented their ideas to government representatives.

The program gave young people an opportunity to develop and refine their ideas while connecting with institutions that could support implementation. Initiatives like this can provide early support for locally  developed solutions, helping young innovators test what works and identify approaches with the potential to grow.

Challenging the Food Advertising Environment — United Kingdom

The food system extends beyond how food is grown and produced to the environments that influence what people see, choose, and buy. A 2025 University of Liverpool study found that 44 percent of surveyed outdoor advertisements promoted food or drinks, with one in four promoting unhealthy products. These advertisements appeared six times more often per kilometer in the most deprived areas studied.

Youth activists with Bite Back responded through the 2025 Commercial Break campaign. They placed youth-designed messages across 365 advertising spaces in London and called for stronger limits on unhealthy food marketing. Organizers estimated that the intervention prevented about 14.8 million people from being exposed to the advertisements that would otherwise have occupied those spaces.

UK-wide restrictions on less healthy food advertising on television before 9 p.m. and in paid online advertising took effect on January 5, 2026. However, the national rules do not cover billboards or other outdoor advertising, which remains a focus of Bite Back’s advocacy. The campaign demonstrates how young people can use evidence and advocacy to engage companies and policymakers around the food environments that shape consumption.

Bringing Youth Ideas Into Food Policy — Ecuador

Food loss and waste pose both environmental and food-security pressures in Ecuador. A 2025 report by the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic and the Global FoodBanking Network estimates that more than 900,000 tons of food are lost or wasted each year. The report  also found that 37 percent of the population experienced moderate or severe food insecurity between 2020 and 2022.

The World Food Forum Ecuador Youth Chapter has brought young people into national discussions about this issue. In October 2025, the chapter convened youth with government institutions, food banks, and civil-society organizations. The meeting helped gather evidence and advanced a coordinated proposal to reform Ecuador’s food loss and waste law.

In 2026, the chapter continued developing youth skills through training in project management, resource mobilization, and public policy. More than 30 young leaders from eight provinces participated in a May workshop that also strengthened connections among youth networks. Its work shows how youth groups can bring local concerns into formal policy discussions.

Cultivating Change

Global food challenges are complex, and they often result from deep, underlying, and interrelated factors that no single solution can address. Effective responses need to reflect the social, environmental, and economic conditions of each place. Meaningful progress therefore depends on understanding how a problem operates locally and developing solutions that respond to its underlying drivers.

The youth-led efforts featured here show how place-based action can create spaces for innovation. Young people are testing technologies, mobilizing communities, and engaging institutions around problems they experience locally. These experiments can reveal practices that work under specific conditions. Governments, companies, and nonprofits can then evaluate those lessons and adapt promising approaches elsewhere.

Youth-led ideas can have greater impact when young people have sustained support to develop and expand them. Mentorship builds technical and organizational capacity, financing provides the time and resources needed to strengthen promising initiatives, and partnerships with governments, civil society, businesses, and other institutions can create pathways for wider adoption. FAO research similarly highlights investment, meaningful participation in decision-making, access to skills and resources, and improved financing as key conditions for youth engagement in agrifood-system transformation.

International Youth Day is an opportunity to celebrate young people’s contributions while recognizing what they need to turn ideas to lasting change. It’s also an opportunity to turn that creativity into action. Young people can support EARTHDAY.ORG’s Canopy Tree Project, explore our Climate Education campaign, or join The Great Global Cleanup. Each offers a way to take action and mobilize others. This International Youth Day, find a challenge in your community and help cultivate a solution.

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Glyphosate is a common weed killer used by farmers around the world to control weeds, protect crops, and reduce the need for labor-intensive hand weeding, such as pulling weeds by hand or using mechanical tools to clear fields. It has also become one of the world’s most debated farm chemicals because of concerns about how its use affects soil, water, and people. At the center of the debate is a difficult food-system question: can the world reduce its reliance on chemicals like glyphosate while still growing enough food for a rising population?

Research on glyphosate has reached mixed conclusions. Supporters argue that glyphosate helps farmers control weeds more efficiently, protect crop yields, and reduce the time and cost of field labor. Critics argue that heavy reliance on glyphosate can harm ecosystems, contribute to herbicide-resistant weeds, and raise concerns about long-term effects on soil, water, and human health. This makes the debate difficult because both concerns are real: governments want safer food and healthier environments, but farmers also need reliable ways to protect harvests. In regions where hunger and food insecurity remain serious, those trade-offs become even harder to ignore. In 2024, hunger affected about 323 million people in Asia and 307 million people in Africa. These numbers do not explain every glyphosate regulation, many of which developed over years, but they show why the question still matters today. 

Any debate over glyphosate has to hold two truths at once: farmers need tools to protect harvests, and communities need food systems that are safer, healthier, and less dependent on chemical inputs. Across Asia and Africa, the debate is no longer just about weeds. It is about what ends up on our plates, how farmers grow our food, and whether today’s food systems can protect both people and the planet. 

Asia: A Patchwork of Bans, Restrictions, and Food-Safety Rules

In Asia, governments and communities want safer food and healthier environments, but they also know farmers rely on herbicides to control weeds, reduce labor and protect yields. So glyphosate policy is not moving in one direction. Some governments are trying bans or restrictions, while others are using food-safety standards, residue limits, and registration systems.

Vietnam

Vietnam shows how a country can restrict glyphosate domestically while still keeping the chemical inside its food-safety system. In 2019, Vietnam moved to ban glyphosate imports and suspended registrations for glyphosate products, citing health and environmental concerns. But Vietnam continued to maintain maximum residue limits for glyphosate in food, showing that glyphosate didn’t disappear from the regulatory system. Instead, this case shows the tension between reducing domestic use and still managing food trade, imported products, and residue rules.

India

India took a different path. In 2022, the government restricted glyphosate use so that it could only be applied through pest control operators. The order cited health hazards and risks to humans and animals. The government later clarified that this was not a full ban on the sale, distribution, or use of glyphosate-based pesticides. For farmers, however, this approach raises a practical challenge: if glyphosate can only be applied by trained operators, farmers need reliable access to those operators at the right time in the growing season. India’s case shows how a restriction can look clear in law but become more complicated in real fields.

Sri Lanka and Thailand

Sri Lanka shows why pesticide reform cannot rely on bans alone. The country banned glyphosate in 2015, partly because of health concerns, but later reversed course after pressure from tea, rubber, and other agricultural sectors. Thailand followed a softer version of the same pattern: it considered stronger restrictions but kept glyphosate legal under limits after farmer, trade, and agricultural pressure.

China, Japan, South Korea

Other Asian countries are taking a more regulatory approach. China, Japan, and South Korea are not mainly trying to ban glyphosate; they are managing pesticide risk through food-safety standards, maximum residue limits, testing, and import controls. China’s 2026 food-safety standard includes 10,749 maximum residue limits and 350 testing methods for 585 pesticides, showing how food safety is increasingly being handled through monitoring rather than prohibition. Japan applies its Positive List System to pesticide residues in food, and its import inspection plan has specifically flagged some foods, such as chickpeas, for the possibility of glyphosate residues over the MRL. South Korea uses its own Positive List System as well: since 2019, agricultural products without an established Korean MRL are generally subject to a default limit of 0.01 ppm, making residue control a strict compliance issue for both domestic and imported foods. 

Together, these cases show that regulation does not always mean a ban; in China, Japan, and South Korea, the main approach is to keep glyphosate inside a controlled food-safety system rather than remove it entirely.

The key lesson from Asia is that safer food systems need more than a simple choice between banning glyphosate and leaving it unregulated. Across Vietnam, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, China, Japan, and South Korea, governments are trying to reduce risk while still protecting food production, trade, and farmers’ ability to manage weeds. Without practical support for farmers, a ban or restriction may protect consumers in theory while creating new challenges in the field.

Africa: Fewer Bans, But Growing Pressure

In Africa, the glyphosate debate is even more closely tied to food security. More than 20% of Africa’s population faced hunger in 2024, and farmers are also dealing with drought, flooding, high input costs, and limited support. In that context, herbicides can become part of a survival strategy, even when communities worry about exposure and food safety.

South Africa

In early 2026,testing commissioned by the African Centre for Biodiversity in South Africa reported glyphosate and AMPA residues in everyday foods such as maize meal, wheat flour, bread, and infant cereal. Advocacy groups called for stronger action, while producers and industry voices emphasized compliance with existing safety limits. The disagreement is really about trust, people want to know not just whether food is legal, but whether it is truly safe for daily consumption.

Kenya

Kenya points to another growing trend: pesticide debates are moving into courts. In 2025, Kenya’s High Court allowed a pesticide-related petition to proceed as a class action, opening the door for affected communities to join. The case is broader than glyphosate, but it reflects a larger shift that pesticide exposure is increasingly being treated as a public-health, environmental justice, and food-safety issue.

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe shows a third response: using testing and food standards to address public concern. After a public allegation that maize meal imported and processed by Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe members contained harmful glyphosate residues, the Standards Association of Zimbabwe tested six mealie meal samples and reported that the detected levels were below the test method’s 0.5 ppm limit. Zimbabwe’s maize meal standard also requires maize meal to comply with Codex maximum pesticide residue limits. The result is not a ban or a lawsuit, but a regulatory response built around testing, standards, and public reassurance.

The challenge for Africa is turning concern into practical change. Stronger testing and enforcement matter, but farmers also need affordable alternatives, extension services, and support for soil health. Otherwise, pesticide reform can become another burden on the people already carrying the hardest part of the food system.

Can We Grow Enough Food Without Depending on Chemicals?

The need to grow enough food to feed its people drives how countries make regulations and laws governing the use of chemicals like glyphosate. As shown by actions in countries across Asia and Africa, there is no one specific answer. In some places, pressure from the population causes the government to act, while in other places, certain industries have more influence. At heart, the goal is the same – to provide a healthier food future while also protecting people from harm. 

One potential path to farming without chemicals is regenerative farming. Want to know more about regenerative agriculture and EARTHDAY.ORG’s research on food? Check out our Foodprints for the Future articles.

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The practices used in conventional farming help produce large amounts of food, which of course helps farmers stay in business. However these practices also contribute to climate change. The use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, plus planting the same crop over and over in the same field, leads to lower quality soil and increased vulnerability to pests. 

Managing a profitable farm and practicing good climate stewardship aren’t mutually exclusive ideas. Farmers have options that make it possible to grow large amounts of food and minimize their impact, including using regenerative agriculture techniques and installing agrivoltaic systems for solar power on their land. Let’s look at how both these paths improve a farm’s resilience and support the farmer’s economic well-being.

Saving the Soil Can Also Save Money

According to the Regenerative Agriculture Foundation, regenerative farming is any practice, process or management approach that enhances the functioning of the systems on which it relies that makes the land, community and bottom-line healthier year after year.

Regenerative farming practices include using natural fertilizers and cover crops, eliminating mechanical soil tilling, and integrating trees into farming. These methods help promote biodiversity and maintain healthy carbon levels in the soil; they can also reduce overall agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.

Regenerative farming also has the potential to increase crop yield – and also revenue – depending on how and where it is used. Organic farming, or the practice of using natural fertilizers, shows an average yield gain of 16 percent in tropical countries in Africa. In subtropical and tropical regions, using agroforestry, or integrating trees into crop land, results in a 7-16 percent increase in crop yield. Farmers that planted cover crops like legumes in areas with course-textured soil and not much rain saw an overall yield increase of 14 percent. 

However even when crop yields are smaller, regenerative agriculture can still result in higher revenue through decreased operational costs. A 2025 study looking at regenerative farming in the Upper Midwest compared a five-crop rotation system to a conventional corn-soybean rotation and found that the regenerative system can be just as profitable, particularly over the long term. After three years of a five-crop rotation, the revenue produced was similar to that of the two-crop system, likely because of the need for less spending on pesticides, spraying, fertilizers, and tractor use. 

Prioritizing climate sustainability doesn’t have to mean an unprofitable farm. Regenerative agriculture can offer financial stability, but it’s not the only option farmers have.

Harvesting Crops and Kilowatts

In the short term, switching to regenerative farming can be a financial risk due to unpredictable initial crop yields, so finding a secondary income source can be a lifesaver for farmers. Arivoltaics, or solar panels integrated into an agriculture system, allow farmers to earn money in two ways: from selling products and from producing or selling electricity. This extra energy income can help farmers become less affected by unpredictable crop price fluctuations and protect them from financial losses caused by extreme weather conditions.

However, agrivoltaic systems can be expensive to install because they require taller, stronger, and more complex structures than regular ground-mounted solar panels. Some studies estimate the cost to be about 5 to 40 percent higher than conventional solar panel installations, though newer designs and distributed manufacturing may help lower costs and improve payback period, which is already less than 10 years on average.

Solar Panels can Shade and Shelter

Even with the high installation costs, a 2025 systematic review found that agrivoltaic systems can provide several benefits beyond renewable electricity. These systems may improve water-use efficiency in hot climates by up to 150-300 percent through providing shade. They also enhance land-use efficiency by up to 200 percent, reduce the need for irrigation by 14 percent, and increase revenue by up to 15 times. In addition, shade from the panels helps reduce heat stress in livestock and the physical structure itself creates a shield, reducing potential wind damage to crops and the earth. 

However, these potential benefits don’t mean that agrivoltaics will work equally well everywhere. The success of these systems depends on the location of the farm, soil and crop type, and the layout of the solar panels. 

A 2026 PNAS study gives a good example of these mixed results. It found that agrivoltaics performed differently in locations across the U.S. Midwest. In the more humid, eastern Midwest, agrivoltaics reduced crop yields and farm profits, while in semiarid western Midwest locations, solar panel shade helped reduce water stress, improving crop growth. One lesson we can take from this study is that agrivoltaics may be most useful in hotter or drier climates.

Supporting the Farms of Tomorrow

While regenerative agriculture and agrivoltaics have their trade offs, they offer farmers a hopeful path forward. Regenerative agriculture can rebuild soil health, reduce dependence on expensive fertilizers and pesticides, and even increase yields when matched to the right climate and crop, while agrivoltaics add another layer of economic support and provide shade and wind protection. Together these practices show that farming does not have to choose between profit and environmental responsibility. When carefully planned for local conditions, regenerative agriculture and agrivoltaics can help farmers earn money, protect their land, and build farms that actively fight against global warming.

Check out our other articles on regenerative farming, soil health, and all things food.

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If I told you that most of the world’s food supply is grown on just 3-6 inches of dirt, you’d probably think that I was crazy. But that’s exactly why our top soil is so important. Top soil is the rich, fertile upper 3-6 inches of soil, and it’s where you can find most of the essential nutrients, microorganisms, and moisture that plants need to thrive. 

Throughout history, topsoil has been a key factor in the development of human civilizations. That’s why you have probably heard of “the Fertile Crescent.” This region in the Middle East was a hotspot for early civilizations because access to water and rich topsoil provided a perfect recipe for settled agriculture. 

However, our topsoil is disappearing. In 2024, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), issued a press release raising concern that, without action, 90% of soils could be degraded by 2050. Degraded soils have a loose texture, lack vital nutrients, and fail to perform important ecosystem services, like growing our food. In other words, soil degradation causes less plants and crops to grow, which in turn means there is less for us all to eat.

Making our soils healthy again is a goal we all need to rally around. But how exactly can we fix our top soil problem and still meet the intense demand for commercial agriculture? 

In the United States, one emerging solution is growing cover crops. Cover crops are grown in the off-season between cash crop harvests, but they aren’t meant to be harvested, they’re grown to support soil health. Planting them helps to improve soil organic matter, cycle nutrients, limit weeds, prevent compaction, and maintain the soil’s microbial ecosystem. 

The United States is the second largest agricultural exporter after the European Union, accounting for a staggering $176 billion in trade in 2024 alone. But this extensive production has led to 1.7 billion tons of soil eroded annually in the U.S. Now farmers are trying to identify low-cost, effective ways to reverse the damage and improve soil health. Cover crops are increasingly part of the solution. From 2017 to 2022, the land used to grow them has expanded by 17% across the U.S. In some states, it’s double that; in Texas, cover crop acreage grew by 50%.  Cover crops can help heal our soils and boost agricultural yields however, not all cover crops are created equal. Meet the heroes of the cover crop movement!

“Peas” Help Me!

There’s no denying the impact that these little green guys have on soil. As a member of the legume family, peas are nitrogen-fixers. They house special bacteria (rhizobia) in nodules on their roots that can take nitrogen gas from the air and “fix” it into a plant-available form in the soil. 

This natural process reduces the need for synthetic nitrogen fertilizer when growing a commercial crop, which both saves farmers money and helps to minimize the environmental impact of fertilizer runoff, which can cause harmful algal blooms in lakes and rivers.  As a cool-season annual, peas also help to keep the soil covered and protected from erosion during colder months.

“Rye” Not Improve Your Soil?

Cereal rye is a common choice for cover crops, especially in cooler climates; that’s probably why rye is the most widely used cover crop in Pennsylvania. Rye is also an excellent crop for suppressing weeds and preventing soil erosion during the winter. 

Rye’s extensive, fibrous root system helps preserve soil structure since it physically holds the soil in place, protecting it against erosion by wind and water. Rye also feeds soil microbes, which are tiny living organisms like bacteria and fungi that are vital for plant growth. 

When cereal rye dies off in the spring, the large amount of biomass (organic matter) left behind on the surface forms a thick “mulch.” This mulch reduces water evaporation and increases soil organic matter.

“Radish”-ally Effective!

Don’t let their small size fool you… tillage radishes (a member of the Diakon family) are champions of soil improvement. Their distinctive large taproot acts as a natural “bio-drill.” As the root reaches into the soil, it breaks up compacted layers, naturally improving the soil’s aeration and water infiltration. During the colder months, the plant dies and the taproot decomposes, leaving behind a deep channel. These channels create pathways for the roots of the next cash crop to be grown and help rainwater soak into the ground instead of running off.

“Bean” There, Done That

Faba beans are another excellent cool-season cover crop. Like peas, they “fix” atmospheric nitrogen, adding crucial natural fertilizer to the soil. If you prefer a late spring or summer cover crop, planting warm-season beans, like mung beans, quickly produces a massive amount of biomass. This high biomass increases soil organic matter, which enhances the soil’s water-holding capacity. 

“Oat”-side the Box

Like cereal rye, oats are a cool-season cover crop that are popular for their ability to suppress weeds, scavenge nitrogen, and limit erosion. Unlike beans, oats do not “fix” atmospheric nitrogen in the soil. Instead, this crop stores excess soil nitrogen until it decomposes, preventing nitrogen losses from the soil. With careful management to avoid soil compaction, an oat cover crop can also be used for livestock grazing, killing two birds (weeds?) with one stone! 

A Global Benefit

Looking beyond the United States, cover crops are being adopted across the world, including the European Union (EU) which has kept cover crops as a component of their 2023 – 2027 Common Agricultural Policy. This has led some EU nations, like France, to adopt compulsory cover crops with rules that mandate growing cover crops after summer harvests, a time when land would usually be left fallow, or unplanted. 

In China, cover crops are being promoted as a technique to improve main crop yield. This aligns with overall Chinese agricultural goals which prioritize high agricultural production due to growing population and limited arable land per capita. In 2015, the Chinese government enforced the “Zero-Growth Action on Fertilizer” which greatly reduced use of synthetic fertilizers. 

As a result, producers are turning to cover crops to improve soil health. So far, the shift seems to be working; despite being below the global average, a 2023 study found a 6.2% yield benefit in China after using legume cover crops. A 2021 study, found yield benefits around 12% when winter cover crops were added to subtropical rice systems. 

Even though cover crops are usually used by commercial farmers, the same benefits apply when you plant cover crops in your garden. So as you prepare for the next planting season, consider saving yourself a trip to buy potting soil or weed killer, and try out some of these cover crops. I promise your soil will thank you. 

If you’re looking for other ways to preserve our shared soil, consider supporting EARTHDAY’s Canopy Tree Project to reforest our planet; like some cover crops, tree roots improve soil stability and act as natural carbon sinks.

This article is available for republishing on your website, newsletter, magazine, newspaper, or blog. The accompanying imagery is cleared for use with attribution. Please ensure that the author’s name and their affiliation with EARTHDAY.ORG are credited. Kindly inform us if you republish so we can acknowledge, tag, or repost your content. You may notify us via email at davies@earthday.org or fielder@earthday.org. Want more articles? Follow us on substack.

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Each year, Americans give thanks and proceed to roast about 46 million turkeys. Most people believe it’s a deep-rooted tradition with roots in the “first Thanksgiving”, but that’s not quite true.

In fact, turkey became the star of this particular holiday less because of Pilgrim folklore and more because the 19th-century willed it into tradition by Sarah Josepha Hale, a writer and editor who relentlessly campaigned to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday. Hale is often described as the  “Godmother of Thanksgiving” and it was Hale who spent years romanticizing roast turkey as the essential New England feast. It was partly due to her efforts that President Abraham Lincoln, in 1863, declared Thanksgiving a national holiday. By then turkey was so closely associated with the idea of Thanksgiving that the rest of the country eagerly copied Hale’s menu. 

Before industrial farming and refrigeration took over, thousands of birds were literally walked to their death in massive “turkey trots” across America. 

Today, this “tradition” looks very different. Most U.S. turkeys are reared up in packed, windowless sheds and selectively bred to bulk up fast (which is why these birds can no longer fly). Because they’re bred to be so unnaturally large, they can’t even mate on their own, breeding is done by artificial insemination. Commercial turkeys’ lives last only about 14–20 weeks, before they are sent to the slaughterhouse.

So this year – Instead of the President pardoning two turkeys, why don’t we pardon them all? Here are nine tasty and soul soothing protein alternatives you can try this Thanksgiving to go full cold turkey on eating turkey!

1) Tempeh, Tofu’s Crunchy Cousin

Tempeh is tofu’s crunchier cousin; the one who definitely brings their homemade kombucha to Thanksgiving. Made by fermenting whole soybeans, it clocks in at 31 grams of protein per cup, making it one of the highest-protein plant foods around. Thanks to fermentation, it’s also full of probiotics that support gut health and digestion. 
Because it’s dense and chewy, it makes an ideal stand-in for meat, and like other soy products, it uses far less land, water, and energy to produce than animal proteins. This Thanksgiving, you can make a stuffed butternut squash with tempeh that will make even the turkey lovers get curious.

2) The Classic Nut Roast!

Thanksgiving isn’t complete without nuts and seeds which deliver protein, healthy fats, and festive flair all in one bite. Peanuts pack 38 grams of protein per cup, almonds 30 grams, pistachios and cashews 25 grams each.  Nuts also come loaded with healthy fats, vitamin E, and magnesium, helping reduce inflammation, and improve heart health.

A simple nut roast is a humble yet hearty vegetarian centerpiece for Thanksgiving, made by combining a blend of chopped nuts, breadcrumbs, sautéed onions, and garlic. The mixture is enriched with fragrant herbs like thyme and parsley, held together by eggs or a flaxseed substitute, and seasoned with salt, pepper, and sometimes a savory touch like Marmite or soy sauce. Shaped into a loaf, it is baked until its exterior is golden brown and slightly crispy, while the inside remains moist and tender. 

The aroma of toasted nuts and herbs will fill your kitchen as it cooks, promising a comforting, rich dish that pairs wonderfully with roasted vegetables and gravy. This straightforward preparation highlights the natural flavors and textures of the nuts, delivering satisfying, savory notes in every slice. It’s delicious with cranberry and all the trimmings and comes cruelty free.

3) Lentils are the Tiny Titans of Thanksgiving

Lentils may be tiny, but they pack the kind of stats that make nutritionists weep with joy. Just one cooked cup delivers 18 grams of protein along with a whopping 90% of your daily folate, a nutrient essential for red blood cell health and pregnancy support. Besides, folate lentils provide iron, magnesium, and B vitamins which are crucial for energy and immune support and they are  also loaded with fiber to keep digestion on track and help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. 

Environmentally, lentils are low-impact heroes — they require very little water, grow quickly, and naturally improve soil health as they grow. Plus lentils are affordable and you can buy them in cans or dried!  If you are a fan of Beef Wellington, you can make a really cool vegetarian alternative with lentils –  vegetarian Lentil and Butternut Squash Wellington is not only delicious but cost effective too. .

4) This Protein has Bean Around the Block 

Talk about proteins being a human diet staple and you have to talk beans!  Beans have been a reliable food source for more than 9,000 years, and honestly, they deserve a lifetime achievement award for service to the human gut.

One cup brings in about 15 grams of protein, plus fiber, iron, magnesium, and potassium which support heart health, digestion, and even helps ease PMS and mood symptoms. 

Beans are also soil-restoring superstars thanks to nitrogen fixation, a natural process that allows them to pull nitrogen from the air and enrich the soil so farmers can use fewer chemical fertilizers. They’re water-efficient, budget-friendly, and wildly popular; global bean consumption is on track to hit almost 20 million metric tons by 2026, with the industry expected to top $10 billion by 2033. Now that’s bean business!

This Thanksgiving, you can have some fun and impress everyone with White Bean Sage Vegan “Meat”balls with Pomegranate Mandarin Sauce.

5) Only Chicks We’re Having are Chickpeas

Another plant protein that’s been around for ages is chickpeas, which have been a staple in human diets for nearly 10,000 years: wayyyy longer than Thanksgiving! 

They were first domesticated around 10,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent, an area that includes parts of modern-day Syria. Chickpeas spread throughout the ancient world, cultivated in the Middle East, South Asia, Ethiopia, and the Mediterranean basin. Archaeological evidence shows chickpeas were part of diets in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt from at least 3300 BCE onwards.

With nearly 15 grams of protein per cup, along with fiber, folate, iron, and magnesium, they’re a nutritional win from every angle. They’ve been shown to reduce hunger by up to 70% compared to refined carbs, making them a perfect foundation for a hearty holiday loaf. 
They also help lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and, like other legumes, enrich the soil through  nitrogen fixation, while using relatively little water to grow.  Chickpeas are basically the triple threat of plant proteins: filling, healthy, and Earth-approved.

6) Switching it up with Edamame

Edamame are in fact immature or baby soybeans, But there’s nothing junior about the protein they provide – 17 grams per cup, and they contain all nine of essential amino acids that your body can’t make on its own. 

They’re also rich in fiber, calcium, iron, and antioxidants, all of which support heart health and may even help ease menopause symptoms. A diet high in soy foods has been linked to lower risks of certain cancers, and like all soy crops, growing edamame uses far fewer resources than livestock. 

They cook in minutes and taste great straight out of the pod, making them the snack hero you didn’t know you needed. This Thanksgiving, put edamame & mung bean pasta with caramelized onions on the table.

7) Tofu, the Shape-Shifting Sponge

Tofu may have a reputation for being bland, but hear us out: it’s a 22-grams-of-protein-per-cup, flavor-absorbing, sustainability superstar. Made by pressing soy milk into soft blocks, tofu brings iron, calcium, and magnesium to the nutrient party, along with isoflavones that may improve bone health, reduce hot flashes, and support heart health.

Tofu is great fried in the air fryer and delicious with stir fried vegetables and sweet sticky chilli sauce. Plus tofu is very affordable!

8) Seitan (aka Wheat Meat That’ll Have You Questioning if It’s Really Vegan)

Seitan is the turkey stand-in with the most “wait, is this meat?” energy. Made from wheat gluten, it’s incredibly high in protein; about 64 grams per cup, rivaling chicken in density. 

It’s also low in fat, calories, and carbohydrates, all while soaking up marinades like a champ. It’s perfect for roasts, cutlets, or anything that begs for gravy. While it’s not gluten-free, it is one of the most convincing meat textures in the plant kingdom.

9) Already Planning for Peas

Peas often already find themselves on our Thanksgiving plates, so why not make them more than just a third rate side dish. Peas serve upwards of 8 grams of protein per cup and are high in fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants. 

Peas grow well in cool climates with minimal weekly water, making them one of the most sustainable protein crops globally. 

They’re great for mashed pea “purée,” pea patties, or stuffing add-ins. Plus, their subtly sweet, fresh taste pairs beautifully with all the rich, cozy flavors of a holiday table — proving that sometimes the greenest dishes pack the biggest punch.

Now that you know all the possibilities, are you ready to take turkey off the menu?

Curious about the bigger picture behind the foods on your plate? Check out our new series, made with the Pulitzer Center –  UNDERREPORTED EARTH: “TREE TALES” – you can watch the TRAIL here.  Tracy McVeigh from The Guardian, speaks to three incredible Pulitzer supported investigative journalists, who dive into the global impact of meat and resource extraction on forests and communities in Brazil and the Congo Basin. 

Elisangela Mendonça, reveals how the Amazon rainforest is threatened by the beef and bovine collagen industries; Josephine Moulds, explores how fossil fuel auctions put the rainforests of the Congo Basin at risk; and Ana Bottallo, documents local communities defending Amazonian mangroves from predatory fishing.

Episodes are now out across EARTHDAY.ORG social media on X: (Episode 3: X, Episode 2  X , Episode 1: X), Facebook: Ep.1,Ep.2, Ep.3  and YouTube:  Ep.1, Ep.2, Ep.3.  For more information on sustainable food systems and regenerative agriculture, click here.

This article is available for republishing on your website, newsletter, magazine, newspaper, or blog. The accompanying imagery is cleared for use with attribution. Please ensure that the author’s name and their affiliation with EARTHDAY.ORG are credited. Kindly inform us if you republish so we can acknowledge, tag, or repost your content. You may notify us via email at davies@earthday.org or fielder@earthday.org. Want more articles? Follow us on substack.

The post Happy Thanksgiving But Maybe Give Turkeys a Break! appeared first on Earth Day.

The potential that one acre of land holds is vast. Take a minute to imagine a plot of land, about the size of a football field, lush with different grains, fruits, and vegetables. In this image, agriculture and terrain work in symbiosis to paint a vibrant landscape in front of you. Now think of the most recent road trip you took.  

As a California native, frequent drives up and down the Interstate 5 (I-5) are the norm. This highway connects most of the West Coast, linking California, Oregon, and Washington. While the route runs parallel to the Pacific Ocean, the California portion rarely touches the coast, cutting through the middle of the state.  Along the highway, you can spot extensive fields of corn, wheat, almond trees, or tomatoes (among other crops). Looking out into the homogenous expanse, you will find yourself face to face with a historical, environmentally taxing practice; monocropping. 

Monocropping is actually an extreme sub-practice of monoculture, which is growing the same crop species, but allowing for crop rotations – where the same crop species might be grown but rotated among different fields over seasons or years.  In 2022, just ten crops dominated 63% of global farmland, supplying 83% of the world’s harvested food calories, and yet only 37% of these crops are directly used for human consumption.

The rest are used for other industrial purposes like to support the growth of the animal agriculture industry.  Around 70% of global agricultural land is used to grow food for livestock, Other crops are used to make biofuels.

This focus on a small number of crops prioritizes uniformity and efficiency over biodiversity and soil health. As a result, the ecosystems and soils where these crops are grown become exhausted and degraded because the natural balance is disrupted by this lack of variety. In other words, agriculture is dominated by a monoculture system that neglects diversity, which harms the environment and soil vitality over time.

Why Did Monocropping Take Off? 

There are reasons farms chose to monocrop. For larger farms with access to big agricultural machinery, it can make sowing and harvesting more efficient. Which is why it’s common when farming crops such as corn, soybeans, and wheat. Economically, there is more security in this type of farming too. Harvests are more consistent , and it saves money not having to purchase different kinds of fertilizers as these crops thrive with nitrogen based fertilizers.

The industrialization of farming began in the United States in the 1940s, and is known as the Green Revolution.  This movement has strong connections to the work of Norman Borlaug.

Borlaug, born in 1914, was an American agronomist and plant pathologist known as the “Father of the Green Revolution.” He developed high-yield, disease-resistant varieties of wheat starting in the 1940s, particularly in Mexico, which dramatically increased food production. His semi-dwarf wheat varieties, combined with modern farming techniques, helped Mexico, India, and Pakistan overcome food shortages during the mid-20th century. His work is credited with saving over a billion people worldwide from starvation and earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970. 

His central objective was to increase productivity in the agricultural sector to feed more people – it was his obsession with high-yielding varieties (HYVs) of crops (such as wheat or rice) that made this possible. These crops are highly specialized versions of the original crop, but specifically cultivated on the basis of desirable gene mutations. 

HYV strains, such as  “miracle wheat”, especially thrived in monoculture farmed land and benefited from nitrogenous fertilizer.  They were an agricultural game changer, as yield nearly tripled. Plus government agricultural policies at the time, also favored monocropping practices with subsidies. Subsidies came in the form of monetary or other kinds of federal support.

But while monocropping can seem like the betterment of agricultural endeavors, the price of temporary productivity is being paid, with interest, by the environment.

Stark Reality of Monocropping 

To begin, intensive monocropping severely impacts soil quality by accelerating soil erosion more than organic farming practices do. This nutrient depletion weakens the soil, reducing its fertility and structure, and forces farmers to rely heavily on synthetic fertilizers to replenish what the soil loses and to sustain plant growth. Over time, this cycle not only degrades soil health but also leads to further environmental issues such as reduced microbial diversity, poorer water retention, and increased vulnerability to pests and diseasesIn 2020, the USDA reported that fertilizer costs accounted for 33-44% of corn farming operating coasts and 34-45% for wheat operating coasts.  So, not only is this practice disastrous for our soil, it’s got a hefty price tag.

In organic farming, methodical crop rotation is used to introduce other plant species, like clover,  that restore the soil nutrients naturally that the prior crop exhausted. Beans are regarded as “nitrogen fixers” because they can deposit nitrogen into the soil, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers. 

While natural ecosystems are diverse, and have symbiotic relationships that contribute to the survival of the whole, monocropping has helped lead to 75% of the world’s crop varieties being lost in the last century alone. 

Our crops are also becoming more susceptible to highly specialized diseases. An excellent example of this is the 1950s banana extinction. Gros Michel was the name of the dominant variety of bananas at the time, and in comparison to our current variety (Cavendish bananas), were less likely to bruise and sweeter. The Gros Michel species were swept into extinction by the Panama disease (a soil related fungal disease). The resilient Cavendish bananas survived this fungus, and are now produced at a volume of 50 million tonnes annually and account for about half of global production. But these bananas are at risk of facing the same fate as their sibling variety.

Due to the uniformity and single genetic lineage of these bananas, both strengths and weaknesses are shared.  Fusarium Tropical Race 4 (TR4) is a soil-borne fungus that targets banana roots. This disease could wipe out entire plantations in a single outbreak, and the lack of biodiversity within bananas accelerates this process.

The lack of diversity in monocropping means that if a disease evolves to infect one plant, it can quickly spread through entire fields with no natural barriers to stop it. The optimal solution, which applies to most monoculture problems, is to diversify plant production, and invest in cultivating different varieties of bananas.

Variety Isn’t Just the Spice of Life—It’s the Survival of It

Polyculture is the flip side of this agriculture coin, and necessitates growing a variety of plant species on the same land, for the goal of diversification. Polycultures preserve soil health, because the variety of plants balance consumption and replenishment of nutrients in the soil. The root structures of different plants help with water filtration, strengthen soil structure, prevent nutrient depletion, and reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers.

Polycultures can even increase crop yields. In certain instances, they produce 80% more food per acre than their monoculture counterparts. Increased yields like this one, can be attributed to the interconnectedness of the plants, largely represented by the term agro-symbiosis. This is a form of symbiosis that is mutualistic, as every plant involved benefits from the exchange. 

A benefit of this relationship is the deterrence of pests. An entomology study from 2019 showed that as plant species diversity increased within a plot of land, so did the ratio of natural enemies to crop pests. Natural enemies are insects that are in nature’s arsenal as defense against pets.  The implementation of polycultures can support their impact on pest management, by creating habitat niches.

Polycultures also equip plants with climate resilience. Weather has profound effects on crop yield, especially extreme conditions such as droughts, heat waves and excessive rain.  The resilience of polyculture plots to these conditions are an amalgamation of the aforementioned factors.  Rich soil health also strengthens soil structure, creating stronger foundations for the plants.  The surge in biodiversity keeps the ecosystem balanced and stable, so failure as a whole is unlikely.

Looking Across the Pond 

There are many inspiring stories of success when it comes to sustainable agriculture.  One prominent example is the work of UK trailblazer Patrick Holden.  He was the former head of the Soil Association and is the current founder and CEO of Sustainable Food Trust.  During Holden’s time at the Soil Association the charity’s staff and sales of organic produce in the UK grew significantly.  He was one of the primary contributors to paving the UKs organic produce landscape, with notable achievements.  

One such being the work he did on the Organic Livestock Standards Committee, where efforts were made to ensure organic certification credibility and organic livestock standards. His current work with the Sustainable Food Trust, is a framework style approach for farm sustainability and redesigning systems to integrate ethical practices.

Small Actions, Big Harvests

By choosing to support polyculture farming, you’re doing more than improving what ends up on your plate; you’re helping rebuild ecosystems, reduce pesticide use, and protect the planet’s natural balance. If you’re interested in learning more about regenerative agriculture, you can read more articles here. You can also take the EARTHDAY.ORG Pesticide Pledge, which helps safeguard vital pollinators.

For an even greater impact, consider advocating for transparency in pesticide use. Hidden deep in the Interior Appropriations Bill (Section 453) lies a clause that shields chemical companies from public accountability about the health risks of their products. Learning more helps push for the honesty our environment deserves.

Together, small actions can sow the seeds for lasting change and move us closer to a food system that nourishes both people and the planet.

This article is available for republishing on your website, newsletter, magazine, newspaper, or blog. The accompanying imagery is cleared for use with attribution. Please ensure that the author’s name and their affiliation with EARTHDAY.ORG are credited. Kindly inform us if you republish so we can acknowledge, tag, or repost your content. You may notify us via email at davies@earthday.org or fielder@earthday.org. Want more articles? Follow us on substack.

The post One Crop to Rule Them All? The Hidden Dangers of Monoculture Farming appeared first on Earth Day.

Pop quiz! See if you can name the five famous figures described below:

A Grammy award winning superstar with “Ocean Eyes.” A migrant rights activist who co-founded the National Farm Workers Association. A legendary F-1 racer with the words “Still I Rise” tattooed across his back. A Swedish environmental and human rights activist bent on meaningful action over words. A popstar-actress stunning audiences in her most recent performance as Glinda in a film adaptation of Wicked.

What do these giants of the 20th and 21st centuries have in common? I’ll give you a hint: it has everything to do with fruits and veggies and nothing to do with meat. They are all vegans!

For those in need of a refresh, veganism is a spectrum of animal-product abstinence, ranging from those who don’t consume meat, eggs, and dairy-products to those who also avoid honey, leather, and any animal-tested products from their lives. Generally, vegans try to avoid exploiting animals for any purpose, including in their diets but also through entertainment — some vegans avoid zoos, aquariums and any form of ‘safari’ or marine parks that force animals to perform. 

In terms of benefits, a vegan diet comes with decreased risks of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and lower LDL-C cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

On a societal level, if more of us went vegan it would dramatically reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions associated with animal farming — from clearing forests for pasture to the production of animal feed and especially reducing the methane emission and waste from cows, pigs, chickens, and other farmed animals. A single cow produces between 154 to 264 pounds of methane gas every year, collectively the world’s 1.5 billion cattle, raised specifically for meat,  release 231 billion pounds of methane  into the atmosphere each year. 

As World Vegan month marches on this November, let’s explore some of the most influential vegan figures of the last couple of decades, from activists to athletes to singers. Each one has found something meaningful in their animal-free diets and each one touts the benefits, either for health reasons, out of environmental concern, or from a deep-seated love for our fellow animals.

On Tour & Beyond: Billie Eilish

Singer-songwriter and outcast anthem queen Billie Eilish refuses to shy away from taboo topics — including those around body image and diet. The 23-year-old popstar grew up in a vegetarian household and eventually initially switched to a vegan diet over body insecurities. However, her beliefs deepened once she learned about the animal cruelty rampant in the dairy industry.

On her 2024-25 tour for the album Hit Me Hard and Soft, Billie has requested that arenas serve plant-based options. At the O2 Arena in London, the menu featured vegan chipotle tacos, peri-peri halloumi wraps, and corn naan. Additionally, Billie advocates for sustainable venue practices, encouraging fans to bring reusable water bottles and selling merchandise made from recycled cotton.

From the Farm: César Chávez

Founder of the National Farm Workers Association (now the United Farm Workers), César Chávez worked tirelessly for the rights of farm and migrant workers. Made famous by his powerful leadership and nonviolent tactics, Chávez participated in the Delano Grape strike and the 340-mile march from Delano to Sacramento in 1966.

And Chávez didn’t just fight for human rights. He took compassion and nonviolence to their logical next step: animal rights.

For the last 25 years of his life, Chávez was a dedicated vegan and took pride in converting friends and family to plant-based diets. He called for the end of animal exploitation, just as he had for workers in his early life.

Athletes Galore! Lewis Hamilton

Legendary British F-1 racer Sir Lewis Hamilton has the respect of every one of his peers. He’s risen to the top of the all-time pole positions list, surpassing even his idol Ayrton Senna. From his rookie performance in 2007 to his seventh Formula-1 championship, Hamilton consistently outperforms expectations, reaching for the top. And, he credits much of his success to his vegan diet.

Hamilton went vegan in 2017 out of concern for the environment, citing animal cruelty and pollution. He says his diet keeps him in peak physical condition. For those interested in following his lead, Hamilton recommends a gradual transition rather than full-throttle veganism. “Don’t go hard,” he says. “Because it is hard. You’ve just got to taper things off.” After switching, the racer discovered a love of vegan pancakes and avocado toast.

An Activist’s Stance: Greta Thunberg

From the her beginnings outside of the Swedish parliament holding a cardboard sign emblazoned with the words “Skolstrejk för klimatet” (school strike for the climate) to her numerous attempts to reach Palestine with humanitarian aid, social and environmental activist Greta Thunberg has cemented herself as an outspoken proponent of human and planetary rights. And her dedication to the environment isn’t confined to her public life.

Thunberg went vegan in 2013 at the age of 10. In 2012, she collaborated with vegan charity Mercy for Animals in the short film For Nature which explores the ecological costs of animal farming on biodiversity, deforestation, and greenhouse gas emissions.

From the Stage: Ariana Grande

One of the quintessential pop stars of her generation, vocal powerhouse Ariana Grande has packed her career with awards and chart records, building an iconic and instantly recognizable image. And, a part of that famous image involves advocating for animal rights and a plant-based diet.

Grande went vegan in 2013, curbing her junk-food diet to lose weight and find confidence in her body image. Beyond her own health and happiness, the singer is very vocal about animal product consumption and animal rights. In an interview with Viva!, Grande said she didn’t think humans should be drinking milk from cows. In November 2020, she founded Orange Twins Rescue, a Los Angeles based nonprofit that gives abandoned animals a second chance.

Taking Inspiration from Our Idols

Veganism isn’t exclusive to celebrities and activists. Like Billie and Ariana, a plant-based diet may help you feel happier, healthier, and more positive about your body. Like Lewis, you might find yourself with more energy and fewer allergies. Or, like Greta and César, the fight for animal rights may push you to make a difference within your own life and diet. Whatever the case, there are options out there to begin a sustainable vegan transition. 

If you want to learn more about how the cattle industry and predatory fishing is impacting the Brazilian rainforest and mangroves – please watch our brand new series UNDERREPORTED EARTH – “TREE TALES”– IG TRAIL.  Tracy McVeigh from The Guardian speaks with three top investigative journalists about their groundbreaking reporting: Elisangela Mendonça uncovers how the Amazon rainforest is being threatened by the beef and related bovine collagen industry. Josephine Moulds takes us into the Congo Basin, where fossil fuel auctions are endangering one of the world’s most vital forest ecosystems. Ana Bottallo travels deep into the Amazonian mangroves to witness how local communities fought to protect their forests from predatory fishing  — and to have their voices heard.

The episodes go live November 17/18th/19th across EARTHDAY.ORG social media  on Facebook: Ep.1, Ep.2, Ep.3   and YouTube:  Ep.1, Ep.2, Ep.3.Remember plant-based diets are one of the most effective ways to fight climate-change in your own life. Meatless Mondays or Veganuary are structured time periods to try animal-free diets without jumping straight into a full-on diet change. For more information on food and regenerative agriculture, click here. Find more information on the history of veganism here.

This article is available for republishing on your website, newsletter, magazine, newspaper, or blog. The accompanying imagery is cleared for use with attribution. Please ensure that the author’s name and their affiliation with EARTHDAY.ORG are credited. Kindly inform us if you republish so we can acknowledge, tag, or repost your content. You may notify us via email at davies@earthday.org or fielder@earthday.org. Want more articles? Follow us on substack.

The post 5 Famous Figures Who All Share One Major Lifestyle Choice appeared first on Earth Day.

What do pumpkin pie, banana bread, and apple cider all have in common? Not only are they perfect fall foods and drinks, the fruits that make up these sweet treats are all products of  animal pollination. It is estimated that 35% of the world’s food crops need animal pollinators to reproduce, which is one out of every three bites of food you eat. Without pollinators, the world would lose many crops we take for granted like coffee, chocolate, and strawberries. 

Pollinators include animals such as bees, butterflies, birds, and bats. As they move from flower to flower collecting nectar, they spread pollen and help plants reproduce. In recent years, however, the United States has seen a sharp decline in pollinator populations—driven by the oss of habitat  from urban development and deforestation, as well as harmful agricultural practices that destroy wild spaces and expose pollinators to toxic chemicals.

Pesticides Kill Pollinators

Conventional, often industrialized, farming relies heavily on pesticides and fertilizers to increase crop yields, but these chemicals have significantly contributed to the decline of pollinators. 

Even when exposure doesn’t kill them immediately, sublethal doses of common insecticides like imidacloprid can impair bees’ navigation, reduce reproduction, and disrupt colony health. Imagine a bee returning to its hive, carrying contaminated pollen on its legs and body. As it interacts with other bees, the toxins spread silently, weakening or even killing its hive-mates. 

What begins as a single exposure can ripple through the entire colony, undermining the health and productivity of one of nature’s most essential pollinators. One study found that over  90% of pollen samples from agricultural hives contained traces of multiple pesticides.

In addition, pesticide drift often spreads these toxins beyond treated fields, threatening wild pollinators and nesting habitats nearby.

To reverse this trend, regenerative agriculture focuses on restoring soil and ecosystem health by minimizing synthetic chemical use, like pesticides, promoting natural pest management, and creating pollinator-friendly habitats by protecting wildflower meadows and woodland to help both farms and ecosystems thrive together.

It’s The Blooming Economy, Stupid!

From a consumer perspective, it is undeniable that pollinators are crucial to the growth of everyday food items. However, even from an economic standpoint, pollinators are irreplaceable and invaluable drivers of the global food economy.

In the United States alone, pollinators contributed over $18 billion in crop production revenue annually as of 2022. They are able to increase crop yields; for example, the weight of a cherry can increase by 2.8% when pollinated by bees, and animal pollination can help increase the weight and quantity of watermelons per plot. 

Animal pollination improves the global crop output by an extra $235 to $577 billion annually as of 2016. Without pollinators, an estimate from 2009 showed that 5 to 8% of crop production would be lost each year around the world. 

Between 2015 and 2016 in the United States, 44% of managed honey bee colonies were lost mainly due to infectious diseases. In North America, over one-fifth of native pollinators have an elevated risk of extinction. A loss in pollinator populations would be detrimental not just to the U.S. economy, but the world. 

Cover Crops and Flowering Plants

While crop rotation — growing different types of crops on the same land each season — has become an increasingly common practice in farming, monoculture still exists. Monoculture is the practice of growing the same crop on the same land year after year.  While monoculture crops like soybeans are more economically efficient, it is a system that increases the risk of disease and pest outbreaks. The lack of diverse plant and animal species weakens natural pest controls, and monoculture crops drain nutrients from the soil and use large amounts of pesticides, harming the pollinators that come into contact with them. 

One powerful way to offset the damage of monoculture farming, and give pollinator numbers a much needed boost, is through cover cropping on farmland. A cornerstone of regenerative agriculture, cover crops literally blanket the soil, preventing soil nutrients loss and providing a feast of flowering plants to attract and support pollinators. 

Different varieties of cover crops can be planted, allowing them to support diverse populations of pollinators. Some examples of cover crops are sunflowers, barley, and oilseed radish, which all support pollinator populations through their flower blooms. Cover crop choices can allow for crops that bloom during different seasons, ensuring that pollinators have a year round source of nutrients. Additionally, these plants can help support pollinator habitats, and even improve soil health. 

Farm Better

Regenerative agriculture supports pollinators through minimizing use of pesticides. In order for agriculture to be qualified as Regenerative Organic Agriculture, there must be no use of chemical fertilizers or synthetic pesticides. Instead, integrated pest and disease management (IPM) is important for preventing the spread of harmful pests while protecting beneficial insects.  

IPM uses various methods to deter pests. Crops are consistently monitored to identify the early signs of pests and disease outbreak. Additionally, crop rotation is important for deterring pests by preventing pests populations from building up over time. Planting pest-resistant rootstocks such as tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants can also serve as natural deterrents against harmful insects. The use of IPM strategies lessens the need for synthetic pesticides, protecting both pollinators and plants from harmful chemicals. 

Farming with the Forest

Agroforestry is another key component of regenerative agriculture, where trees and shrubs are integrated into crop and animal farming systems. Crops are grown and livestock reared in alleys between rows of trees, that in turn can produce timber, fruit and nuts. Agroforestry protects topsoil, increases crop and livestock productivity, and improves surrounding air and water quality. 

However, the additional benefits of agroforestry help pollinators too – by providing habitat, nesting, and egg-laying sites for birds and insects while also lessening their exposure to pesticides. This supports all biodiversity, providing more food sources for pollinators through flowering trees and shrubs such as blueberries and raspberries, increasing the quality of their habitat, pollination services, and crop yields.  

Be The Change

Animal pollinators are essential to us all, not just environmentalists because without them, over a third of the world’s crops would disappear. Yet modern farming  practices are harming both the environment and the pollinators themselves. Shifting to sustainable agricultural methods is crucial to protect these vital species and ensure our food systems thrive.

It is not just pollinators, we are at all potentially at risk from pesticides. These chemicals don’t stay on the farm either; they travel through the food supply chain straight to your kitchen table where they can poison our families. Children are especially at risk; they take in more pesticide per pound of body weight than adults, and their developing brains and organs are particularly vulnerable to these toxins. 

Despite this, Congress is considering a measure that would make it harder, if not impossible, to hold pesticide manufacturers accountable even when their products harm people. A small clause in the Interior Appropriations Bill known as Section 453 would destroy legal frameworks used by the public to sue chemical companies when they fail to disclose the health risks of their products. Section 453 would also block state and local governments from taking their own measures to protect communities from pesticides.

Glyphosate, the most widely used pesticide in the world, was classified by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer as “probably carcinogenic to humans” in 2015. Many countries have banned or restricted it, but U.S. regulators have been slow to act. A new study even found it caused cancer in animals at doses considered “safe” by the E.U. There is scientific consensus that glyphosate can cause serious health issues, but Congress seemingly wants to make it illegal to warn the public of these dangers on product labels.Tell Congress: We Need Protection from Poison Pesticides and ask them to oppose Section 453 and keep our communities safe from dangerous chemicals. Plus, If you are interested in learning more about how to support a more pollinator-friendly agriculture industry, check out EARTHDAY.ORG’s Renewable Agriculture campaign, and discover how agriculture can be used to help the planet not harm it.

This article is available for republishing on your website, newsletter, magazine, newspaper, or blog. The accompanying imagery is cleared for use with attribution. Please ensure that the author’s name and their affiliation with EARTHDAY.ORG are credited. Kindly inform us if you republish so we can acknowledge, tag, or repost your content. You may notify us via email at davies@earthday.org or fielder@earthday.org. Want more articles? Follow us on substack.

The post The Buzz About Regeneration: How Farmers Are Protecting Pollinators and the Planet appeared first on Earth Day.

Those “eco-friendly” snack bars you bought this week? Chances are, the label was more marketing than truth. 

Feeding the world comes with a heavy environmental cost. In 2022, food production accounted for 29.7% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Beyond that, agriculture drives deforestation, water pollution, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and raises serious concerns about farm animal welfare.

All of this damage is intrinsically woven into our food system, so it’s no surprise that customers have been seeking out more sustainable options. Food companies have picked up on this trend, dressing their products up in ‘green’ marketing to appear environmentally responsible. In reality that doesn’t always mean they are actually doing better for the planet. 

Greenwashing is when companies mislead customers into believing they are doing more to protect the environment than they actually are. Greenwashing takes many different forms, like misleading claims about plastic recycling capabilities, or even products labeled as biodegradable when they don’t actually break down easily unless they go through another  industrial process. On food packaging, this often means vague labels like ‘eco-friendly’ or ‘all natural,’ or just plain old ‘green’.

Greenwashing also involves the using visual symbols of nature, like a leaf or a tree, to convey the same message. Earlier in 2025, Snapple entered a lawsuit regarding the company’s marketing of their tea as “all natural,” despite the fact that they contain citric acid, which is considered synthetic by the Food and Drug Administration. In 2014, General Mills’s Nature Valley bars came under fire for their ‘natural’ claims, despite also containing synthetic ingredients. 

Eco-friendly? Prove it!

While it feels good to come home with a grocery bag full of “sustainably sourced” pasta, “farm fresh” tomato sauce, and “pasture-raised” cheese, topped with “pesticide-free” basil. And vague eco-buzzwords may seem enticing, we as consumers need hard evidence to back these claims up. . In the United States, these labels lack a legal definition, which means there are no enforceable standards, and companies can use them freely without providing evidence.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) polices food labels on packaged goods, but only when the wording has a legal definition. Since words like “eco-friendly” or “all natural” are legally undefined, the FDA doesn’t have the authority to get involved in their use.

It might make sense for the FDA to handle these claims, but since greenwashing falls under advertising, this work shifts to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC is in charge of advertising claims to ensure that companies aren’t misleading customers. Their Green Guides provide companies with standards for making truthful environmental marketing claims.

This might seem great for us consumers, but in reality these guidelines have not been updated since 2012, and they aren’t legally binding. The FTC has a more comprehensive legal framework for addressing greenwashing, but its enforcement ability is limited and stronger oversight is needed for this type of marketing.  Vague labelling is misleading and gives a false sense of progress and worse, it distracts from the bigger problems we are facing in agriculture and food supply chains.

What Should You Look Out For?

If buzzwords like “natural” and “green” aren’t enough to guarantee sustainability, then what can we rely on?  That’s where trusted certifications come in; backed by third-party oversight, rigorous standards, transparency, and actual accountability.

The USDA Certified Organic label allows farms or processing facilities to call their products organic but to earn the certification, farms must adopt organic practices. That means protecting soil and water quality, conserving habitats, and avoiding the use of synthetic fertilizers and genetic engineering altogether. If any rules are broken, there are financial penalties and even the risk of losing their organic certification. 

The Non-GMO Project butterfly seal isn’t given out to just anybody. There is a rigorous multi-step process involving third-party administrators, verification fees, and annual renewals. To be given the butterfly seal, the product must avoid genetically modified organisms (GMO). Crops must fall below a strict GMO threshold, and farms and facilities need to keep GMO and non-GMO ingredients separate. The Non-GMO Project verification does not guarantee that products are GMO-free, as such a claim is not legally or scientifically defensible but it is a serious attempt to help consumers find non-GMO foods as best it can. Risks of GMO contamination still exist in seeds, crops, and ingredient supply as many of these non-GMO and GMO products share processing and supply chains. . 

Certified Humane has its own multi-step process, which includes fees, inspections, and intensive reviews. The verification ensures that a farm’s animals are never kept in cages or crates; they are allowed to move freely and behave naturally. Animals must be fed quality food free of antibiotics or growth hormones. They have set animal care standards for individual species ranging from cattle to red deer but even here it’s hard to police every farm or brand who bears their symbol.

Our Wallets Have Power

Knowing the difference between greenwashed labels and trustworthy certifications trying to do the right thing – helps! Here’s a cheat sheet to refer to next time you’re at the grocery store:

• Showing, not telling: don’t fall for the labels with no explanations. Buzzwords like “natural” and “eco-friendly” don’t tell the whole story. Look for details!
• Look for the seal! Certifications like USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project, and Certified Humane require fees and inspections; not just any brand can claim these labels! 
• Check the databases. Certifications provide a product database for you to check your favorite brands. Here for USDA Organic, here for Non-GMO Project, here for Certified Humane. 

At the end of the day, these greenwashing labels are another attempt at curbing the blame of the climate crisis on the individual, rather than making true changes within the industry itself. 

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World Vegan Day celebrates people who don’t eat meat or other animal products, including eggs, milk, cheese, honey, or even whey. No animal based cheesecake, mayonnaise, or buttercream frosting. No smoked salmon or gelatin gummy bears. And absolutely no jerk chicken. 

But what vegans lose in choices, they make up for in fulfilling love for our planet and fellow animals. Besides, there are plenty of plant-based, dairy-free options out there — many of which are more wholesome than non-vegan products. 

What is more, some vegan and vegetarian diets come with reported health benefits. Vegetarian diets are associated with lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and decreased risks of cancer, Alzheimer’s, and worsening arthritis symptoms.

A 2016 study by Oxford Martin Scholars predicted that if a global shift was made towards a vegan diet, an estimated 8 million lives could be saved by 2050 compared to current global eating trends. The same study also estimated that food-related greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced by 29–70% if more of us went vegan.

Veganism exists along a spectrum, all vegans reject eating meat and dairy products but some choose not to eat honey or many reject using any animal-based products such as leather or pearl. Most vegans make personal commitments to support animal welfare and reduce causing harm to animals in every instance that they can. 

So, where did veganism come from and what kinds of peoples has it touched throughout history? Who were the first vegans and how has veganism changed over time? 

Early Religions and Vegan Ethos

The first religious vegan community dates back to 7000 BCE on the Indus river in a village known as Mehrgarh. Hinduism, a religion known for its reverence for living beings and for adhering to a non-meat diet, traces its philosophical roots back to this village. Later texts attest to their practice of nonviolence towards animals:

Hindus aren’t the only religious group to embrace plant-based diets. In the Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament, the book of Genesis describes the Garden of Eden as a paradise where humans and animals were originally herbivorous. 

Genesis 1:29 states that God gave the first humans “every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it” for food. Verse 30 adds that “every green plant” was provided for all living creatures. According to this interpretation, Adam and Eve were originally plant-eaters, and the animals of the earth and sky were not meant to hunt or eat one another. This story has often been cited as an example of a divinely envisioned harmonious, plant-based world.

Jainism, a religion originating in India, takes the vegan ethos probably further than many others. Like Hinduism and Buddhism, Jainism adheres to principles of ahimsa, the ethical principle of non-violence toward all living beings.

For especially strict believers, like Jain monks, ahimsa includes plant, insect, and microbial life — any living thing with a soul or jiwa. Interrupting a creature’s jiwa caused perpetrators to incur karma, the accumulated effects of past actions. Strict Jain monks take extra precautions: they filter water to avoid ingesting tiny organisms, and they avoid eating after sunset to prevent accidentally harming insects that come out at night.

Jains follow a highly careful, plant-based diet relying on eating fruits, grains, legumes, and vegetables that grow above the ground, avoiding root vegetables, meat, eggs, and honey. Some  Jains consume dairy. 

Greek Philosophers and Veganism

Pythagoras (570-490 BCE) was a Greek philosopher whose work influenced the minds of Plato, Aristotle, and contributed greatly to Western rational philosophy. Pythagoras was so closely tied to abstaining from meat and fish that before the term vegetarian became popular in the 1800s, vegetarian and vegan diets were known as ‘Pythagorean’.

Other plant-based diets had slightly different name variations, such as ovo-vegetarians, which allows for the consumption of eggs, or lacto-vegetarians, which allows for the consumption of milk. But all of these historical diets centered around the complete abstinence of eating meat.

Pythagoras didn’t leave behind a written record of his lifestyle so what we do know about his diet and values comes from the writings of his contemporaries and followers. Neoplatonist philosopher Lamblichus wrote that Pythagoras avoided all animal flesh as a prerequisite to peace. Ovid recorded in his own works this Pythagorean quote: “Animals share with us the privilege of having a soul.”

Plato followed in Pythagoras’s footsteps. Though he may not have been a strict vegan himself, his work and teachings draw inspiration from Pythagoras and attribute abstinence of meat with a desire for peace, health, and happiness.

The West and Veganism

The roots of vegetarian and vegan thought in the West trace back to the Renaissance when humanists and clergy began raising ethical questions about eating animals. For example, humanist Desiderius Erasmus (1466‑1536) in his satirical work In Praise of Folly criticized the ceremonial violence of hunting as absurd and beast‑like — “And then what pleasure they take to see a buck or the like unlaced… In all which they drive at nothing more than to become beasts themselves, while yet they imagine they live the life of princes.” 

The tradition of avoiding meat eventually moved into more structured vegetarianism, when in the United Kingdom the Vegetarian Society was founded in 1847 under the chairmanship of Joseph Brotherton, offering a formal platform for abstaining from eating animals.

Across the Atlantic, the Ephrata Cloister  (Pennsylvania, USA, founded 1732) was a religious community whose members embraced a largely vegetarian diet as part of their ascetic devotion. While their vegetarian practices didn’t immediately spark a nationwide movement, they are historically significant as one of the first documented American communities to embrace a plant-based diet for ethical/religious reasons.

Their writings and lifestyle were noted by contemporary observers and later historians, linking them to the broader history of vegetarianism in the West.

In more recent decades the shift from vegetarianism to veganism — abstaining from all animal‐derived products — has accelerated across Europe and the US. 

Market research shows that plant-based food sales have surged, with the European market expected to reach $16.7 billion by 2029, growing at roughly 10% annually. Social initiatives like Veganuary, launched in 2014 in the UK, have attracted hundreds of thousands of participants globally, reflecting a broader cultural embrace of vegan lifestyles. Rising awareness of animal welfare, environmental concerns, and health benefits has made veganism increasingly visible and influential, transforming both markets and daily diets.

Meanwhile the contemporary vegan movement draws on that long ethical heritage of non‑violence, compassion for animals, and reconsidering dietary norms. Whether you see it in the quiet gardens of 18th‑century Pennsylvania, the moral treatises of Renaissance scholars, or the bustling vegan cafés of London and New York, the continuous thread is this: food is not just fuel, but a statement of values and how we relate to other beings and the planet.

The Modern Vegan Movement

The modern vegan movement took off in 1944 when the word “vegan” was coined by animal rights activist, Donald Watson, and a group of friends in England. They wanted a word to describe a lifestyle that excluded all animal products, not just meat — meaning it would cover dairy, eggs, and other animal-derived products as well. They took the first three and last two letters of “vegetarian” to create “vegan”. That same year, Watson co-founded The Vegan Society in the UK, which remains the primary organization promoting veganism worldwide.

Watson used the past year’s epidemic of Tuberculosis in cattle to support his new movement, claiming that a vegan lifestyle helped prevent people from ingesting contaminated food. At the time of his death in 2005, there were 250,000 self-identified vegans in Britain and 2 million in the U.S.

Today, many people around the world have embraced plant-based lifestyles. Data from 2023 estimates that there are approximately 88 million vegans worldwide. India leads the charge — in 2024, the plant-based powerhouse counted 10% of its population as vegan where most other Western countries’ counts remain under 3%. 

As we celebrate World Vegan Day, let’s remember to respect other peoples’ dietary practices and learn more about them. Consider trying Veganuary, a global movement supporting people who’d like to try going vegan in January. Meatless Mondays are another option to dip your toes in and gradually reduce meat in your diet. 

Plant-based diets are packed with protein, fiber, and goodness. Whatever your preference, plant-based diets offer a host of health benefits for both you and our planet. Don’t be afraid to go out there and try something new.

Going plant-based is one of the most effective ways you can help fight climate change. Learn more about food and regenerative agriculture here.

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