Fishing nets are a necessary tool for fishermen around the world. But sadly, many of them end up in landfills, at best, and polluting the oceans, at worst. A man named Ian Falconer had experienced this firsthand. Hailing from Cornwall in the UK, he lived in a place known for its thriving fishing industry. Heartbroken after seeing discarded nets around the harbor near his home, he set out to find a solution. Using his background in environmental and mining geology, Falconer came up with an alternative. He and his team collected the old nets, and then they proceeded to shred them, melt the plastic, and turn them into nylon filaments for 3D printing. What started with experiments in his kitchen has grown into an international operation called 0rCA. Over its eight years of operations, 0rCA has raised $1.32 million in investment in over 40 countries. Thanks to this, Falconer has developed machinery that can turn over 45 pounds of nylon fishing nets an hour into filament. And all of the equipment needed conveniently fits in a shipment container, making it both easy to export and operate. According to the inventor, his recycling process has less than 3% of the carbon emissions of producing new nylon. In addition to recycling materials, this endeavor is key to keeping oceans clean. Falconer estimates that a million tons of fishing nets are discarded. Their lifespan has to do with the very purpose they serve. While they start as a transparent blue hue, they grow an algal biofilm with time, which turns them a cloudy gray. As they become more visible, fish start to avoid them, resulting in smaller catches. On top of that, since it can easily get tangled, many landfill operators don’t like taking them, or they charge fishermen a large sum to dump their used fishing nets there, and they often can’t afford to have them incinerated. Falconer found that the fishermen he has worked with are thrilled to be contributing to the solution by donating their old fishing nets, rather than making the problem worse. “They love that they can see where their nets are going,“ he explained. “Because if they’re just going into a skip and then get transported off, they’re out of sight, out of mind. So they love that they’re doing it in their community.” So far, countries like Brazil, Colombia, Ghana, South Africa, and Vietnam have expressed their interest in acquiring Falconer’s technology; a statement of how addressing a local issue can turn into a global answer. “You could have one of these at every harbor around the world, converting a costly and hazardous waste into a profitable raw material,” he told The Guardian. Meanwhile, several major companies that have invested in, partnered with, or used materials from OrCA include: L'Oréal: The beauty giant is a client, using OrCA's materials in its products and has participated in funding rounds. Mercedes-Benz and Ford: These automotive manufacturers are clients, using the recycled material to make car parts and help meet recycled plastic targets. Philips Lighting (now Signify): The lighting company is an industrial partner and client, using OrCA's recycled nylon in its products. Prada: The luxury fashion brand is a client of OrCA. Patagonia: The outdoor apparel company partnered with Bureo (another company in this space, using a similar model) to create outerwear jackets using the "NetPlus" fabric derived from recycled fishing nets.

The movement to urban areas has been happening for decades. At the same time, a stable and secure food supply remains fundamental to society. Young farmers are now needed to replace the retiring workforce and utilize innovative technologies to increase global food production to feed a growing population. A new generation of farmers, more digitally native and concerned with conscious living, could integrate new technologies and sustainable practices, contributing to the massive growth of regenerative agriculture. Smart farming methods would mean that young farmers could take advantage of smaller land units with higher yields, incorporating innovations like precision farming, hydroponics, and vertical farming. Agriculture also offers the independence of being self-employed, appealing to a generation looking for autonomy in their work. While the younger generation isn't necessarily against working in farming and agriculture - they do need the right opportunities and incentives. A successful shift will require a combination of economic incentives, education and training, technology integration, and cultural shifts. Attracting young people to consider farming as a career in 2025 may also require re-imagining agriculture as a sector poised for technology-driven entrepreneurs. With Agtech training in digital farming tools, precision agriculture, and AI-driven farming techniques, young people now possess the skills necessary to modernize agriculture in ways unknown to previous generations. A new UN report suggests that getting unemployed youth into agricultural jobs could change the future of food security, economic growth, and climate resilience, but coordinated action is needed to unlock their potential. “Youth are the future of agriculture, and it’s essential to provide them with the skills, knowledge, and resources to succeed.” ~ Dr.Kanayo Nwanze Former President, the International Fund for Agricultural Development The global economy could soar by $1.5 trillion IF youth are empowered in farming. ~ United Nations 2025

How a blend of coffee and spirits grew to become an iconic staple in bars worldwide

About 5 miles off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, a vast swath of giant kelp – which can grow nearly 3 feet per day—sways just below the surface of one of the world’s first open-ocean seaweed farms. Still in its research phase, the 86-acre project is operated by Ocean Rainforest, a company that aims to fight climate change by growing seaweed at scale: 1 million tons a year by 2030. Although an 86-acre terrestrial farm would be considered boutique, the Ocean Rainforest plot, floating in sight of the Channel Islands, represents a significant leap in size from the average U.S. seaweed farm of 1 to 4 acres—and a new frontier for ocean farming. Supported by $6.2 million in Series A funding, for a total of $22 million from U.S. and European governments, grants, and venture capital, Ocean Rainforest also operates seaweed farms in the Faroe Islands and Iceland that supply seaweed to the animal-feed, fertilizer, and cosmetic industries. OR’s goal of substantially decarbonizing these industries—with seaweed, instead of petroleum feedstocks, as raw material—depends on the success of this farm. Growing seaweed in the open ocean, with room to exponentially expand, means the Ocean Rainforest team is tackling how to anchor crops in hundreds of feet of water, withstand intense weather, and monitor a farm that lies many miles from shore. Most people know that seaweed appears in sushi rolls — but aren’t aware that it’s in their toothpaste and ice cream, too. The planet’s many species of aquatic macroalgae have countless uses, but so far the industry has been centered in Asia. Entrepreneurs are now trying to bring seaweed aquaculture to California Recent interest in seaweed, however, is focused on more than its commercial applications. Seaweed is seen as one potential solution to pressing ecological and social challenges. Because seaweed grows much more rapidly than terrestrial plants, and does not require the use of freshwater and arable land, it is seen as an appealing part of a solution to global concerns about food supply. Seaweed also removes carbon from both the ocean and the atmosphere as it grows — so if the crop is sunk into deep water rather than harvested, farmed seaweed offers a potential strategy for mitigating climate change. With many consumers looking for sustainable choices, seaweed is becoming very marketable. Many entrepreneurs are now seeing its potential and seeking to increase production along California’s expansive coastline.

In 2015, NOAA Fisheries scientists reported seeing a record number of juvenile snow crabs during their annual research survey in the eastern Bering Sea. But just 3 years later that picture had dramatically changed. Between 2018 and 2019, the abundance of juvenile snow crabs declined by roughly half. By 2021, the survey found the fewest snow crab on the eastern Bering Sea shelf since the survey began in 1975. More than 10 billion crab disappeared from this region in the period 2018 to 2021! The massive decline in Alaska's snow crab population, specifically in the Bering Sea, was attributed to a marine heatwave and subsequent starvation. The warmer waters disrupted the crabs' normal food supply, leading to mass mortality and a 90% population drop. Alaska's Department of Fish and Game reported in 2022 that it was forced to make the tough decision to close the fishery for the first time in history. After little sign of rebound, it was canceled again for the following year, and then Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy asked U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo to declare a fishery resource disaster for the 2023-24 Bering Sea snow crab fishery as well. In essence, a warming climate and a severe marine heatwave created a perfect storm for the snow crab population in the Bering Sea, resulting in economic disaster when the value of the fishery plummeted from $227 million to $0! In October of 2024, after a two-year hiatus, the Bering Sea snow crab harvest was back on, but signs of recovery were modest, and so was the allowable catch. The harvest was limited to 4.72 million pounds, a level that is a far cry from the 45-million-pound quota used in the 2020-21 season and in earlier years. Now, in 2025, fishermen are once again allowed to catch snow crabs — but they continue to face uncertainty as the species has only rebounded to a small fraction of what it once was. In real time, the industry challenges have far reaching consequences, extending to fish markets and on to dinner tables thousands of miles from Alaska. In many places, prices of Alaskan seafood have shot up nearly 60% in just a few years. What the customer has to be aware of…more of what you'll be eating will be imported, more of what you'll be eating will be less regulated, and more of what you'll be eating will be caught with destructive fishing gear. For now, it's a modest lifeline for fishermen who find themselves drifting deeper into the unknown.

Bren Smith is a part of a new generation of fishermen focused on ecological redemption. After the cod stocks crashed in his home of Newfoundland in the early ‘90s, he joined the ranks of fishermen working the salmon farms in Northern Canada, where they were promised that aquaculture was the answer to overfishing and unemployment. Smith described how his dreams became ashes in his mouth when he discovered that the salmon farms were the equivalent of industrial pig farms at sea, pumping fish full of antibiotics and food coloring, polluting waterways, and growing livestock that were neither fish nor food. Disillusioned, he kept searching for a way to remain on the water, to make a living but not at the expense of ocean ecosystems. He ended up in Long Island Sound where forward thinking regulators had opened up shell-fishing grounds for the first time in decades to attract young fishermen into a new industry. That began Smith’s 15-year journey into regenerative ocean farming. Shellfish like mussels taught him that we can farm to restore rather than deplete. As farmers, our crops can breathe life back into the oceans while feeding local communities. In terms of sustainability, mussels and other shellfish blow land-based food out of the water. They require zero inputs—no feeds, no fertilizers, no fresh water—making them the most sustainable form of food production on earth. Ocean farming offers the first opportunity in generations to build a food system from the bottom up. In 1979, Jacques Cousteau, the father of ocean conservation, predicted this opportunity: “We must plant the sea...using the ocean as farmers instead of hunters. That is what civilization is all about — farming replacing hunting.” But good food grown for both people and the planet must also be delicious! Smith reports that one of the most enjoyable meals of his life was an afternoon spent with a gaggle of culinary wizards at the home of Patagonia’s Yvon Chouinard, where he tasted literally dozens of different mussel recipes. Smith’s conclusion: The creativity of each dish was proof that, in the right hands, mussels have the potency to be the gateway drug to a new “climate cuisine” that is both delightful and hopeful!

The US restaurant industry attracts millions of patrons each year, and it’s clear that Americans love to go out to eat. The food business is changing, however, due to the growth of restaurant technology and online ordering. These statistics shed some light on this ever-changing industry. Fifty-one percent of Americans now use delivery services to purchase meals from restaurants. Over 25% admit ordering takeout or getting delivery at least once a week and 34% spend an average of $50 when ordering food online. In comparison, 26% reported their typical online food order being close to $25, while 14% stated that they spent upwards of $100. In a recent study, 56% of 1,000 Americans reported that they typically ate out in a restaurant at least 2 to 3 times a week. In the same study, 10% of the participants said that they ate out 4 to 6 times a week, while 6% said they ate at least one meal out every single day. The study also found that respondents who earned an annual salary of $40,000 to $50,000 per year spent the most money eating out at restaurants; on average, spending $117.82 weekly, which equated to 12.25 to 15.31% of their income. As a whole, people demonstrate that they care intensely about the quality of their experience at a restaurant. The percentage of people who research an establishment before visiting is higher in the restaurant business than in any other type of industry! 90% of visitors research a restaurant online before going. While many people might think that the opinion of a professional critic would be more trusted, it turns out that the average restaurant attendee wants to hear from other diners like them. 77% of consumers report preferring to read reviews from customers rather than professional critics. The busy salesperson who only has 25 minutes for lunch and stops in every Tuesday, the mother who routinely comes by for her favorite sandwich, these are the people whose opinions are extremely valuable in the restaurant industry. Approximately 5 to 10% of consumers write reviews, and although this sounds like a small percentage, these opinions are extremely important to other people around the globe. 84% of people report trusting these online reviews as much as they would trust a recommendation from a friend.

Chefs know all about seafood’s fresh flavor and versatility, and they put it on the menu in a variety of ways. Lately, some have been offering a single platter of little bits of fish and shellfish prepared like the meats on a charcuterie board. The dish can be called seafood charcuterie or the more trendy label, “seacuterie.” Whatever the name, these innovative preparations please chefs and customers alike. They encourage innovation in the kitchen, and they fit right in with customers’ love of snacking and sharing food, especially as a prelude to the meal. Using fish and shellfish in place of cured pork and other meats is not a new concept. As far back as 1988, Chef David Burke created salmon pastrami and served it in his Park Avenue Café in Brooklyn, N.Y. Over the years, seacuterie has appeared in various forms on menus around the country. Recently, though, the concept seems to be gaining in popularity. Chefs are creating pastramis, rillettes, terrines and other preparations from seafood and presenting them on wooden boards or plates or platters. These boards can include all seafood or seafood paired with traditional charcuterie items. Cheeses and jams, however, are usually not included with seafood charcuterie. Mustard and aioli are likely to take their place. Chef Aaron Black started serving traditional charcuterie 20 years ago when he was cooking in his native Ohio. Today, as chef de cuisine at PB Catch Seafood + Bar in Palm Beach, Fla., he puts a seafood spin on it. An advocate of boards made solely of seafood, he says: “Seacuterie is a natural progression from my charcuterie program back then. Also, it fits our concept of clean, sustainable seafood.” In coastal cities, chefs have myriad fish and seafood options for charcuterie. At The Macintosh in Charleston, S.C., Chef/Partner Jeremiah Bacon uses everything in season to create numerous special charcuterie items. Sometimes they are used on a plate that is solely fish, but more often seafood appears alongside meats and other traditional charcuterie items. Chefs agree that seacuterie isn’t a particular strain on the kitchen, and it’s actually a relatively easy sell. “Once the first one is brought into the dining room, we get more orders,” Black says. “This program gives our guests a play on flavors to add to their dining experience, and it creates a learning environment for the kitchen staff by allowing them to master both traditional and unique techniques.”