From untouchable to organic: Dalit women sow change in India

Infrastructure Development Company Limited (Idcol), a government-backed Bangladeshi energy and infrastructure group, is helping bring solar power to homes in rural Bangladesh that once relied on dangerous kerosene or expensive diesel for electricity. The keys to Idcol’s expansion are financing plans that cater to lower-income people, as well as partnerships with 56 grass-roots organizations like the microfinance institution Grameen. Solar energy is reliable, clean, and more cost effective in the long run, and has become a lifeline for low-income Bangladeshis living beyond access of the main grid.

Seaweed is a sustainable and nutritious food source, which could be a solution to feeding a growing global population—the tricks getting people to eat it. Several Dutch companies are serving up seaweed in familiar formats like burgers, pasta, and falafel to make it an easier sell. They're also pioneering infrastructure to make farmed seaweed affordable.

Around the world, farmers are turning to permaculture and agrodiversity to create higher yields than chemical fertilizer while also avoiding the negative effects of conventional farming's focus on monocrop. Although results aren't fully conclusive, evidence does point to the success of low-impact farming strategies.

Farmers in Vietnam face rising sea levels but rejected the city's water engineering projects. They prefer gradual measures to cope with climate change so scientists have allowed the farmers to steer the conversation.

During the Industrial Revolution, farmers began harvesting monoculture crops which produced promising profits but proved harmful to the soil and weakened the immune capabilities of native plants. Lately, however, permaculture practices have been on the rise amongst farmers to better diversify their yields and reduce reliance on chemicals.

Fruit farmers in the Pacific Northwest are implementing mitigation strategies like shade, produce coatings, and water misters to protect their crops from extreme heat.

A grassroots campaign to encourage more environmentally sustainable diets called the Plant Based Treaty is picking up support across the globe. Pledgers make their own decisions on how to best take action.

When organic materials like wood chips and manure are heated in the absence of oxygen they create a black powdery substance called biochar. This material prevents the release of carbon into the atmosphere from the natural decaying process. And it has other beneficial uses like improving soil fertility, too.

Commitment to Kashmir (CtoK) incubates small cohorts of young craftspeople, providing financial resources, technology support, and mentorship to support the growth of their craft enterprises. Since its founding in 2010, CtoK has helped 37 people establish businesses within and despite the myriad challenges that exist in a conflict zone.

Farmers in Oklahoma adopted the practice of fencing cattle away from streams and providing alternative clean water sources, dramatically improving water quality, restoring local wildlife, and enhancing veterinary outcomes and productivity for local ranchers.