"US regulators claim they are not legally required to regulate toxic PFAS chemicals in sewage sludge spread on farmland across the country, according to a court filing the government made this week in response to a lawsuit from an environmental watchdog group."

"By practicing agroforestry — growing trees alongside crops and livestock, for example — farmers can improve soils, produce nutrient-rich foods, and build resilience to climate change. Now, a movement is emerging to bring this approach to the depleted lands of the Corn Belt."

"Climate change is affecting our food, and our food is affecting the climate. NPR is dedicating a week to stories and conversations about the search for solutions.

Looking for solutions to our food needs in a changing climate? Add these episodes to your listening rotation! And visit the Climate Solutions Week podcast collection on the NPR app for even more recommended episodes."

Jack Mitchell reports for NPR September 9, 2024. [23]

"Urban wet markets are fertile grounds for viral transmission, experts say. Outbreaks of bird flu have already occurred."

"Fertilizer made from city sewage has been spread on millions of acres of farmland for decades. Scientists say it can contain high levels of the toxic substance."

"The nation’s largest dam removal project is nearly complete after a lengthy campaign by Native tribes to restore the river at the California-Oregon border."

"The virus is poised to become a permanent presence in cattle, raising the odds of an eventual outbreak among people."

"Recycled plastic can be more toxic than virgin plastic, yet the federal approval process to use it in food packaging is lax and leaving consumers at risk, researchers say."

"About 68 million people in Southern Africa are suffering the effects of an El Nino-induced drought which has wiped out crops across the region, the regional bloc SADC said on Saturday."