The Future of Food, Agriculture, and Aquaculture

[caltrek]

Artificial Intelligence Is Transforming Weather Forecasting − and that Could Be a Game Changer for Farmers Around the World
By Paul Winters and Amir Jina
September 3, 2025

Introduction:

(The Conversation) For farmers, every planting decision carries risks, and many of those risks are increasing with climate change. One of the most consequential is weather, which can damage crop yields and livelihoods. A delayed monsoon, for example, can force a rice farmer in South Asia to replant or switch crops altogether, losing both time and income.

Access to reliable, timely weather forecasts can help farmers prepare for the weeks ahead, find the best time to plant or determine how much fertilizer will be needed, resulting in better crop yields and lower costs.

Yet, in many low- and middle-income countries, accurate weather forecasts remain out of reach, limited by the high technology costs and infrastructure demands of traditional forecasting models.

A new wave of AI-powered weather forecasting models has the potential to change that.

By using artificial intelligence, these models can deliver accurate, localized predictions at a fraction of the computational cost of conventional physics-based models. This makes it possible for national meteorological agencies in developing countries to provide farmers with the timely, localized information about changing rainfall patterns that the farmers need.

Read more here: https://theconversation.com/ai-is-tran ... d-263030

[caltrek]

Years ago, I had the unhappy duty of accompanying my wife as we brought her recently deceased cat to a facility where the cat was cremated. Adjacent to the facility was a large field of strawberries. The operator of the crematory indicated to me that the field had been recently harvested and that the owners had indicated to her that it was quite alright for people to glean the field for strawberries that were missed in the harvesting process. I was amazed at how many strawberries were lying around in the field or still left dangling amongst the strawberry plant leaves. I can thus appreciate the possibility of developing a more efficient process for strawberry harvest. A cost-effective robotic harvesting process that minimizes such waste would be very desirable. Below is an article discussing one such possibility.

Researchers Design Robot that Can Find and Pick Hidden Strawberries
August, 2025

Introduction:

(Eurekalert) PULLMAN, Wash. -- Strawberries are delicate and hard to harvest—easily bruised and often hidden under a canopy of leaves.

This creates headaches for scientists trying to design robotic harvesters. Now a Washington State University-led team has designed one that combines an artificial-intelligence vision system, soft silicone “fingers,” and a fan that gently move leaves out of the way to get at hidden fruit.

Experiments in the lab and in outdoor fields showed that the harvester correctly detected strawberries 80% of the time, on average, and could classify whether the berries were hidden 93% of the time.

The design, development and testing of the robotic harvester marks a step toward making open-field robotic harvesting more commercially viable; it was the subject of a paper published in July in the journal Computers and Electronics in Agriculture.

The lead author was Zixuan He, who completed the work and earned his PhD at WSU before taking a position as a post-doctoral researcher at Aarhus University in Denmark. Co-authors included Manoj Karkee, a former WSU professor studying agricultural automation engineering who recently took a position at Cornell University; and Qin Zhang, professor emeritus and former director of WSU’s Center for Precision & Automated Agricultural Systems in Prosser.

Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1096996

[caltrek]

China’s High-oil Peanuts: Breeding Breakthroughs and Challenges
September 18, 2025

Introduction:

(Eurekalert) Peanuts are an important global oilseed crop, with China leading in production and consumption. High-oil peanut varieties, containing over 55% oil, offer notable economic and nutritional benefits. Agaonst this backdrop, in a new study published in Reproduction and Breeding, a team of researchers analyzed 238 such varieties across China, evaluating their agronomic performance, disease resistance, and genetic background.

“We found a notable trade-off: higher oil content often means lower protein levels, posing a challenge for breeders aiming to improve both traits simultaneously,” shares corresponding author Prof. Dr. Dongmei Yin from Henan Agricultural University. “Additionally, while many varieties showed resistance to major diseases like leaf spot, bacterial wilt, and rust, few exhibited high-level resistance.”

Meanwhile, six varieties demonstrated broad resistance to five common diseases. The high-oil varieties thrive best in specific regions of China, particularly Northern, Eastern, and Central China, as these areas provide ideal growing conditions with longer seasons, distinct seasonal changes, and nutrient-rich, well-draining soils that promote oil accumulation in peanuts. “We’ve found that local cultivation practices and generations of genetic adaptation have created varieties specifically suited to these regions’ unique environments,” says Yin.

Key parent varieties, such as Kaixuan 016 and CTWE, which have been instrumental in developing these high-oil traits were also identified. These varieties have developed novel germplasm with both high oil content and strong heritability, which has enabled the release of these superior varieties, including Luohua 21 (61.04%), Luohua 9 (58.33%), Luohua 15 (57.30%), Luohua 19 (56.50%), Luohua 1 (56.45%), Luohua 4011 (56.20%), Luohua 11 (55.70%), and Nongdahua 206 (55.60%).

“However, expanding genetic diversity through wild relatives and modern molecular techniques will be essential to overcome current limitations,” adds Yin.

Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1098988

[caltrek]

What Happens When Artificial Intelligence Comes to the Cotton Fields
By Debra Lamb, Dr. Atin Adhikari, and James E. Thomas

September 23 , 2025

Introduction:

( The Conversation) Precision agriculture uses tools and technologies such as GPS and sensors to monitor, measure and respond to changes within a farm field in real time. This includes using artificial intelligence technologies for tasks such as helping farmers apply pesticides only where and when they are needed.

However, precision agriculture has not been widely implemented in many rural areas of the United States.

We study smart communities, environmental health sciences and health policy and community health, and we participated in a research project on AI and pesticide use in a rural Georgia agricultural community.

Our team, led by Georgia Southern University and the City of Millen, with support from University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, local high schools and agriculture technology company FarmSense, is piloting AI-powered sensors to help cotton farmers optimize pesticide use. Georgia is one of the top cotton-producing states in the U.S., with cotton contributing nearly US$1 billion to the state’s economy in 2024. But only 13% of Georgia farmers use precision agriculture practices.

Conclusion:

AI and innovation do not need to be urban or corporate to have a significant effect, nor do you need advanced technology degrees to be innovative. With the right partnerships, small towns, too, can harness innovations for economic and community growth.

Read more here: https://theconversation.com/what-happe ... s-26126

[caltrek]

How Packaging Shapes Asγ-aminobutyric Acid and Lactic Acid Levels in Broccoli Rabe Florets
September 21 , 2025

Introduction:

(Eurekalert) Freshness is central to the nutritional and sensory quality of vegetables, yet the conditions of storage and packaging can alter the pathways that govern nutrient content. A new study reveals how minimally processed organic broccoli rabe florets undergo profound metabolic and transcriptomic shifts during storage. Researchers found that carbohydrate reserves decline significantly in packaged samples, while stress-responsive amino acids and organic acids increase. Most notably, under low-oxygen conditions, florets redirect carbon into γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and lactic acid (LA) accumulation—compounds with known health relevance. By linking gene expression changes with metabolite profiles, the study maps the molecular routes that drive these alterations, offering insights for both quality preservation and consumer health.

Broccoli rabe (Brassica rapa subsp. Sylvestris), a traditional leafy vegetable in Italy and beyond, is valued for its pungent taste, resilience in organic farming, and richness in bioactive nutrients. Consumer demand for organic produce has surged, and minimally processed “fresh-cut” vegetables now represent a growing segment in retail markets. However, packaging and modified atmosphere storage can change internal gas balances, leading to nutrient loss or the buildup of unwanted volatiles. Past studies showed that post-harvest treatments may trigger the synthesis of stress metabolites such asγ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and LA. Due to these problems, it is necessary to conduct in-depth research on how storage and packaging influence the nutritional pathways of broccoli rabe.

The study, conducted by scientists at the National Research Council of Italy and collaborators, was published (DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhae274) on 28 September 2024 and typeset on 1 January 2025 in Horticulture Research. It investigated two genotypes of organic broccoli rabe across two production years, comparing freshly harvested florets with those stored fresh or packaged for four days. Using untargeted nuclear magnetic resonance profiling and RNA-seq, the team aimed to unravel the metabolic and gene expression changes that occur in different storage conditions, focusing particularly on the pathways leading to GABA and LA accumulation.

Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1099175

[caltrek]

Brassica Vegetables: Nature’s Hidden Nutritional Treasure
October 8, 2025

Introduction:

( Eurekalert) Brassica vegetables, including broccoli, kale, cabbage, and mustard greens, are rich in health-promoting compounds but remain underutilized in global diets. These crops contain a wide range of phytonutrients—such as glucosinolates, vitamins, carotenoids, phenolics, and essential minerals—that can reduce risks of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic conditions. Researchers have now comprehensively analyzed their nutritional profiles and highlighted strategies to boost their value through breeding, biofortification, and advanced biotechnologies.

The review underscores that Brassicas not only offer dietary benefits but also represent an untapped opportunity for developing functional foods that could improve public health and address widespread micronutrient deficiencies.

Poor diets lacking in vegetables and fruits are a leading cause of micronutrient deficiencies and chronic diseases worldwide. While citrus fruits are well-known for vitamin C and leafy greens for folate, Brassica crops provide a broader spectrum of nutrients, including cancer-fighting glucosinolates, antioxidants like carotenoids, and vital minerals such as calcium and selenium. Despite their global cultivation and economic importance, these vegetables are often undervalued in nutrition-focused policies and consumer choices. Growing evidence suggests that Brassicas can serve as affordable, natural interventions against nutrient gaps and non-communicable diseases. Based on these challenges, there is a need for in-depth research into the nutritional potential of Brassica crops.

A new review from the College of Horticulture, Hebei Agricultural University, and collaborating institutions, published (DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhae302)* on October 30, 2024 in Horticulture Research, provides the most comprehensive overview to date of the nutritional and health-promoting compounds in Brassica vegetables. The study highlights their roles in preventing chronic diseases and explores methods—including agronomic practices, conventional breeding, and metabolic engineering—to enhance their nutritional value. By framing Brassicas as “functional foods,” the authors call for renewed attention to these crops as essential tools in improving dietary health worldwide.

The review details the diverse phytonutrients in Brassicas and their impacts on health.

Read more of the Eurekalert article here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1101191

*For a presentation of study results as published in Hotriculture Research : https://academic.oup.com/hr/article/12 ... gin=false


caltrek’s comment: This suggests a slight variation on an age-old parental command: “Eat your (brassica) vegetables.”

[caltrek]

Study Finds East-West Divide, Within UK, in Lettuce Pest Threatens Crop Yields
October 8, 2025

Introduction:

(Eurekalert) Aphids attacking lettuce fields in England are showing surprising regional patterns that could complicate efforts to protect one of the country’s most important salad crops, new research has revealed.

The currant-lettuce aphid, Nasonovia ribisnigri, is a destructive aphid that feeds on outdoor lettuces. The new analysis found that populations in England are divided sharply between the east and west of the country. The finding, based on nearly two decades of genetic sampling, suggests that the pest’s movements are strongly tied to lettuce-growing regions and may not spread as widely as previously thought.

The study, which analysed insects collected from ten sites between 2003 and 2020, showed that while aphids migrate from the west into eastern lettuce fields, they rarely move in the opposite direction. Researchers say the pattern could be linked to the insect’s relationship with its winter host, blackcurrant and related Ribes plants, and its summer host, lettuce.

The findings come at a critical time for growers. Traditional defences against the pest, such as resistant lettuce varieties, have started to fail in recent years, leaving few effective alternative options for control. Despite this, populations of N. ribisnigri appear to have remained relatively stable, even as warmer temperatures and shifting weather patterns create more favourable conditions for the aphid.

Dr Dion Garrett, who led the study, also found that the insects are highly inbred and mostly reproduce in cycles tied to the seasons, a factor that may help explain their long-term persistence.

Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1101198

[wjfox]

Looks like our chocolate prediction for 2031 is well on the way to becoming a reality...

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Penguin and Club bars can no longer be called chocolate

20 October 2025

McVitie's Penguin and Club bars are no longer classed as chocolate after rising cocoa prices led the makers to switch to using other ingredients.

Club bars had previously been marketed under the slogan: "If you like a lot of chocolate on your biscuit, join our club".

But both treats are now described as "chocolate flavour" because the amount of cocoa they contain has been reduced after owner Pladis had to find cheaper alternatives to the main ingredient in chocolate.

The UK sources cocoa beans from West Africa and poor harvests as a result of severe drought conditions in cocoa-producing countries, such as Ivory Coast and Ghana, have led to restricted supplies and higher prices.

The change to the bars' ingredients was first reported by trade journal The Grocer, external.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c86737yg3jlo

[caltrek]

New Study Finds Stratospheric Aerosol Injection May Not be Enough to Save Coffee, Chocolate and Wine
November 4, 2025

Introduction:

(Eurekalert) A new study published in Environmental Research Letters reveals that even advanced climate intervention strategies may not be enough to secure the future of wine grapes, coffee and cacao. These crops are vital to many economies and provide livelihoods for farmers worldwide. However, they are increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns cause big variations in crop yields from year to year, meaning that farmers cannot rely on the stability of their harvest, and their produce is at risk.

The researchers specifically investigated Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI) as a way of mitigating climate change in the top grape, coffee and cacao growing regions of western Europe, South America and West Africa. SAI is a hypothetical solar geoengineering method that involves releasing reflective particles into the stratosphere to cool the Earth’s surface, mimicking the natural cooling effects of volcanic eruptions.

Researchers examined whether SAI could help stabilize growing conditions for the crops between 2036 and 2045. Using climate simulations across 18 key regions, they assessed crop suitability based on temperature, rainfall, humidity, and disease risk. While SAI did reduce surface temperatures, it failed to consistently preserve the conditions needed for successful cultivation of these crops. Only six out of 18 regions showed reliable improvement under SAI scenarios compared to a scenario without SAI.

The study found that unpredictable rainfall and humidity played a major role in undermining SAI’s effectiveness. Although SAI could bring down temperatures, it may not reliably manage floods and humidity, leading to inconsistent outcomes in crop yield and projected revenue.

“Reducing temperature with SAI alone isn’t enough,” said co-author Dr Ariel Morrison. “For instance, cacao species, while more tolerant of hot temperatures than coffee and grapes, are highly susceptible to pests and diseases caused by a combination of high temperatures, rainfall, and humidity. Natural climate variability also cannot be ignored – it leads to a wide range of outcomes under the same SAI scenario that could affect the livelihoods of farmers growing cacao, coffee, and grapes.”

Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1103848

[caltrek]

How Urban Farms Can Make Cities More Livable and Help Feed the World
By Matt Simon
November 14 , 2025

Introduction:

(Grist) If you’ve spent any time on a roof, you know that it’s not especially pleasant up there — blazing in the summer, frigid and windy in the winter. Slap some solar panels up there, though, and the calculus changes: Shaded from gusts and excessive sunlight, crops can proliferate, a technique known as rooftop agrivoltaics. And because that hardware provides shade, evaporation is reduced, resulting in big water savings. Plus, all that greenery insulates the top floor, reducing energy costs.

Long held in opposition to one another, urban areas are embracing elements of the rural world as they try to produce more of their own food, in community gardens on the ground and agrivoltaics up above. In an increasingly chaotic climate, urban agriculture could improve food security, generate clean electricity, reduce local temperatures, provide refuges for pollinators, and improve mental and physical health for urbanites, among other benefits.

With relatively cheap investments in food production — especially if they’ve got empty lots sitting around — cities can solve a bunch of problems at once. Quezon City in the Philippines, for instance, has transformed unused land into more than 300 gardens and 10 farms, in the process training more than 4,000 urban farmers. Detroit is speckled with thousands of gardens and farms. In the Big Apple, the nonprofit Project Petals is turning vacant lots in underresourced neighborhoods into oases. “You have some places in New York City where there’s not a green space for 5 miles,” said Alicia White, executive director and founder of the group. “And we know that green spaces help to reduce stress. We know they help to combat loneliness, and we know at this point that they help to improve our respiratory and heart health.”

Read more here: https://grist.org/cities/how-urban-far ... -america/

[caltrek]

Senate Finally OKs Plant-Based Milk in Public Schools
By Seth Millstein
December 9, 2025

Introduction:

(Sentient) For almost 80 years, the National School Lunch Act has required public schools to serve cow’s milk at lunch. But that may be about to change: Last month, the Senate passed a bill that would allow schools to include non-dairy milk alternatives on their lunch menus for the first time. It would also entitle students to dairy-free milk if a parent requests it, instead of requiring a doctor’s note.

The Whole Milk For Healthy Kids Act, which the Senate passed unanimously on November 20th, would significantly expand access to dairy-free milk for millions of students. It now heads to the House of Representatives, where its prospects for passage look good.

Health advocates cheered the bill, which would make it significantly easier for lactose-intolerant students to access milk that they can digest. The bill’s passage was also celebrated by environmentalists and animal rights activists, who’ve long denounced the climate impacts of dairy production and the painful practices that cattle endure in the industry.

“The amendments to the Whole Milk bill allow for a dramatic broadening of milk options for kids, including plant-based milks,” Dotsie Bausch, whose organization Switch4Good partnered with Animal Wellness Action to lobby for the bill, said in a press release. “It’s been a long-term ambition of our organization to end the cow’s milk mandate and monopoly in the National School Lunch Program.”

Read more here: https://sentientmedia.org/senate-final ... sed-milk/

caltrek’s comment: This article presents an example of how government policy can help or hinder the introduction of new food products into the nation’s diet.

[caltrek]

Could Genetically Engineered Fungus Help Replace Animal Protein?
By Alexandra Tey
December 3, 2025

Introduction:

(Sentient) Scientists grew a microscopic fungus into a more efficient — and meat-like — edible protein by tweaking just two genes with CRISPR gene editing.

A team led by researchers at Jiangnan University removed two genes from the genome of Fusarium venenatum, the fungus used in the meat substitute Quorn. The newly modified fungus is more nutritious and less resource-intensive than the original strain — and much more so than meat. The authors reported that the modified strain, which they call FCPD, produced 88% more protein while consuming 44% fewer nutrients than the original fungus. The paper was published in Trends in Biotechnology on November 19.

“We successfully made a fungus not only more nutritious but also more environmentally friendly by tweaking its genes,” corresponding author Xiao Liu says in a press release. André Damasio, a microbiologist at the State University of Campinas in Brazil who was not involved in the research, tells Sentient that the researchers were “very successful” at increasing the fungus’s growing efficiency.

This efficiency could help popularize mycoprotein with consumers by bringing down costs, says Damasio, who is also the scientific adviser for the mycoprotein startup UpDairy. “If you reduce the sugar amount, you directly can reduce the price of the final product,” he says.

Read more here: https://sentientmedia.org/could-fungus ... protein /

[caltrek]

Urban Foragers Are Mapping Edible Plants Around the World
By Grace Hussain
December 16, 2025

Introduction:

(Sentient) Ethan Welty and Caleb Phillips originally started Falling Fruit so they could keep track of edible plants in their city. The two are avid foragers, often sourcing their fruits and vegetables for free from city streets and public spaces.

Foraging can help people save money and prevent food waste. And for Welty, one of the biggest benefits of Falling Fruit is that it can help people learn about the “different plants that have some sort of edible use” in their city. For instance, it’s a useful tool in community education programs, like urban foraging trips, as well as in classes that teach people how to prepare the foraged fruits and vegetables they brought home, says Garrett Broad, associate professor in communications at Rowan University.

Since launching in 2013, Falling Fruit has mapped over 4,000 different species of edible mushrooms and plants — including fruit trees, berries and herbs — across almost 2 million publicly accessible foraging spots in cities around the world. “To some extent,” Welty tells Sentient, it turns the city into an arboretum.”

Amazing that they accomplish so much on a shoe-string budget:

Conclusion:

Falling Fruit is completely sustained by app sales, with annual expenses sitting at about $2,000. The app costs $1 to download and rakes in roughly $6,000 per year, allowing the nonprofit to pay its operating costs and build up savings.

Welty and the other volunteers are preparing for the next phase of Falling Fruit, including the launch of a new website with additional features such as more details on seasonality. Ultimately, Welty hopes that these updates to Falling Fruit can “grow the demand so that we can start to affect change and design our cities differently in the future,” he says. “Most of the vegetation in the city is actually planted, and so that’s an opportunity” for a more edible landscape.

Read more here: https://sentientmedia.org/urban-forage ... le-plants

[caltrek]

More Than 71% of Americans Oppose Common Factory Farming Practices
By Gaea Cabico
December 18, 2025

Introduction:

(Sentient) Nearly all livestock in the United States is raised in industrial facilities, where animals are often kept in cramped, harsh conditions. A new poll suggests that most American adults consider standard factory farm practices — including battery cages and routine mutilations — unacceptable.

Disapproval of common animal agriculture practices ranged from 71% to 85%, according to a survey of 1,049 Americans conducted by Faunalytics, an animal advocacy research group. Respondents were most opposed to confinement methods, such as battery cages for laying hens (85%), gestation crates for pigs (84%), and crowded barns for broiler chickens (82%).

Slaughtering practices like killing pigs in gas chambers and killing chickens while they are shackled were the least objected to. Even so, the majority of respondents still opposed these measures, with 71% and 77% calling them unacceptable, respectively.

The survey’s findings give animal welfare advocates additional insight into a legal line of argument. If further public opinion data also find that these animal agriculture practices are not widely accepted, there is an argument that they may not be exempt from many state anti-cruelty laws.

Legal advocates “could argue that the court must interpret common acceptance according to what is understood by ordinary people. So then they can therefore cite our poll,” Andrea Polanco, the lead author of the Faunalytics research, tells Sentient. “For people who are working in policy, they can use this data to introduce ballot initiatives.”

Read more here: https://sentientmedia.org/americans-op ... act ices/

caltrek’s comment: One wonders if the unpopularity of current factory farm practices will result in future changes?

Also, I think liberals need to think through how changed practices might affect food prices and affordability for lower-income households. Even if such changes in practices have little impact, messaging will be important. You can count on Republicans making the argument that more regulations mean higher costs.

[caltrek]

Inflatable Robot Arm Picks Apples
By Tina Hilding
January 12, 2026

Introduction:

(Futurity) A low-cost, simple robotic apple picker arm may someday help with fruit picking and other farm chores.

The inflatable arm can see an apple, then extend and retract to pick a piece of fruit in about 25 seconds. Weighing less than 50 pounds with its metal base, the two-foot-long arm is made of a soft fabric filled with air that is similar to, but stronger than, the wacky inflatable arm-flailing tube men that are used in outdoor advertising.

The research appears in the journal Smart Agricultural Technology: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a ... ia%3Dihub

The Washington State University team is collaborating with researchers at the Prosser Research Extension Center and with Manoj Karkee at Cornell University to adapt the arm to an automated moving platform that is also being developed to move through orchards.

“The uncomplicated nature of the design makes it low-cost, easy to maintain, and highly reliable for a soft robot,” says Ming Luo, an assistant professor in WSU’s School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering and corresponding author on the work.

Read more here: https://www.futurity.org/robot-arm-pic ... 3319462/

[caltrek]

Rural America Needs to Band Together Against Corporate Greed
By Suzan Erem
March 4, 2026

Introduction:

(Other Words) Last year, John Deere announced plans to go 100 percent robotic by 2030. That’s right: in just four more years, the world’s largest tractor manufacturer plans to replace every corn and soybean farmer with robots.

Farmers won’t own the machines, of course. Right now they can’t even repair a machine because the software is only licensed to them. (And with consolidation, they don’t own their choice of seed, fertilizer, pesticide, or herbicide. And they don’t have much choice where to sell what they grow, either.)

More time off from driving the tractor sounds pretty good ‘til it starts sounding like unemployment. Farmers who enjoy watching the game from their cab better get ready, because soon enough tractors won’t even come with cabs.

We can focus on tariffs and trade policy and all those other things impacting farmers now. But without a dramatic change, those policies will affect only a handful of very rich and powerful people who are buying out everyone else.

Companies like Agrobot and Tortuga Agri-tech are already selling robots that pick fruit and vegetables and weed bots that can tell baby ragweed from baby carrots, god bless ‘em. In fact, it’s hard to find an article that isn’t absolutely glowing about “agritecture” and “agri-tech.”

Read more here: https://otherwords.org/rural-america-n ... e-greed/

[caltrek]

California Bill Aims to End Spraying of Crops With Toxic “Forever Chemicals”
By Liza Gross
April 10, 2026

Introduction:

(Mother Jones) California Assemblymember Nick Schultz is leading an effort to phase out the use of pesticides containing toxic “forever chemicals” to safeguard the nation’s produce.

Schultz (D-Burbank), introduced AB 1603 earlier this year to ban the use, sale, and manufacture of PFAS pesticides in California starting in 2035. The state is the nation’s top agricultural producer, its fruits, nuts ,and vegetables landing on plates across the US.

California has passed so many laws to get these highly persistent, harmful synthetic chemicals out of homes and the environment, Schultz said at a briefing Wednesday, he was shocked to learn that pesticides with intentionally added PFAS are regularly sprayed on the state’s crops. “I was even more startled to find out that these PFAS pesticides are present on the fruit and vegetables that we purchase at the grocery store, on the fruits and vegetables that we feed our families,” he said.

More than 2.5 million pounds of pesticides containing PFAS were sprayed on California crops between 2018 and 2023, according to an analysis of state pesticide use data by the Environmental Working Group, which is co-sponsoring Schultz’s bill with other public interest and health groups.

EWG also detected residues of at least one PFAS pesticide on nearly 40 percent of conventional produce grown in the Golden State. The group always advises consumers to wash their produce. But it’s unclear whether rinsing fruits and vegetables laced with chemicals designed to resist water would have any effect.

Read more here: https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2 ... hemicals/

[weatheriscool]

[caltrek]

Manure Digesters Help Cut Methane — But They Also Leak
By Gaea Cabico
April 8, 2026

Introduction:

(Sentient) California, the United States’ top dairy producer, is heavily investing in manure digesters to curb methane emissions from its dairy farms. These systems are touted for breaking down cattle manure and other organic matter in an oxygen-free environment, capturing methane and converting it into clean energy.

But new research suggests these systems are leaking methane, a potent greenhouse gas — sometimes in volumes large enough to limit their climate benefits. Analyses from other researchers have also suggested that manure digesters are less effective than earlier, more optimistic analyses estimated, and need to be paired with other strategies for curbing greenhouse gas emissions from the dairy industry.

Researchers tracked methane emissions at 98 California dairies from 2016 to 2024 using satellite and airborne observations, comparing levels before, during and after manure digesters were installed. While methane emissions fell by 25% on average, the digesters themselves emerged as the largest source of emissions post installation, the study found. The research was published in Environmental Research Letters on March 24.

The findings highlight the need to monitor manure biodigesters, where they are used, and quickly alert operators to methane leaks. “When they leak or they don’t work effectively, they can create large amounts of methane that might turn it into a greenhouse gas problem, instead of a solution,” Alyssa Valdez, a PhD candidate at University of California, Riverside and the lead author of the study, tells Sentient.

Despite this concern, Valdez sees manure digesters as a useful tool when closely monitored, just not a standalone solution to the dairy industry’s contribution to the climate crisis.

Read more here: https://sentientmedia.org/manure-diges ... so-leak/