Agriculture

Human-made fertilizers boost crop production, making it easier to feed more people with the same land. But chemical fertilizers made from ammonia and other chemicals can cause pollution. Beetle poop is cleaner and helps farmers reduce their carbon footprint.

Dan Saladino, author of “Eating to Extinction: The World’s Rarest Foods and Why We Need to Save Them,” talks with The World’s host Marco Werman about dwindling diversity within the global food system and how we can change it toward a more sustainable future.

You may see coffee prices rising at your local café: Brazil, the world’s largest exporter of coffee, faced extreme weather this year that has taken a toll on coffee crops across the nation.

Brazil outpaced the United States last year to become the largest soy-producing country in the world. Record exports are again expected this year. But, mass soy production is wreaking havoc on traditional farming methods.

American ginseng demand has dried up amid the United States’ ongoing trade war with China, economic impacts from the pandemic and anti-Asian rhetoric.