Agriculture

"The eight countries that share the Amazon basin have fallen short of an agreed goal to end deforestation. ... A joint declaration on Tuesday created an alliance to combat deforestation, but left each country to pursue its own conservation goals."

"The Amazon rainforest is a massive area, twice the size of India and sprawling across eight countries and one territory. It’s a crucial carbon sink for the climate, has about 20% of the world’s freshwater reserves and boasts astounding biodiversity, including 16,000 known tree species."

"Part of Los Angeles County is under an agricultural quarantine after officials detected an invasive type of fruit fly in Stevenson Ranch, near the city of Santa Clarita."

"Dune Lankard piloted the gleaming gill-net fishing boat to Simpson Bay, where eight buoys bobbed in the sunlight. The bright orange inflatables, connected by lines and spread out across five acres, provided the only indication of the ocean farm that lay beneath the water’s surface."

"Big-business lobbyists, including big agricultural and construction groups, are pushing to water down or stymie efforts at the federal and state levels to implement workplace heat protection standards."

"Since 2011, there have been more human swine flu cases reported in the United States than anywhere else in the world. Most have occurred at farm-animal showcases."

"Fruit and nut explorers traverse the US on an ecological mission to preserve the last cultivars of old and important plants".

"It was half past midnight on March 11 when a cacophony of sirens and shouting jolted Emilio Vasquez and his family from a sound sleep. “Get out of your houses immediately!” a voice barked in Spanish through a bullhorn. “The water is coming!”"