The Vanishing Forest
From the rocky bluffs of Mendocino Headlands State Park, California’s North Coast appears almost postcard perfect: A salty breeze tempers the blazing sun, the sapphire sea crashes and swirls against the shoreline, and a golden retriever gallops toward the surf. BUT…beneath the waves, something is wrong.
Kelp forests as lush and impressive as the towering redwoods that grow farther inland once dominated these nearshore waters. A type of seaweed, kelp attaches to rocky surfaces on the ocean floor and, like trees and terrestrial plants, grows upward toward the sunlight. In fact, some experts call it “the sequoia of the sea.” It’s an appropriate nickname: Stems of bull kelp can soar more than 100 feet high, and its canopies—the frond-like blades that tangle on the ocean surface—are visible from space!
In temperate oceans across the globe, however, kelp forests are in decline because of warming waters, overharvesting and overgrazing by local predators, but they are on the verge of collapse in Northern California. There are only a few strongholds remaining. Through ongoing surveys using satellite, drone, and piloted aircraft imagery, scientists have found that in the past 10 years, 96% of kelp forests in the region have disappeared.
It’s an ecological disaster. From San Francisco to Oregon, nearly all that remains of one of the most productive ecosystems on Earth is an underwater wasteland. Hordes of native purple urchins are devouring kelp faster than it can reproduce. They eat the blades. They eat the stems. They even gnaw right through the plant’s base—causing it to detach from the sea floor, float away and die. And if any newly sprouting spores should appear, urchins will chomp them before they have a chance to grow.
It all began with a blob…
In 2013, a massive heat wave began to envelop the eastern Pacific, from Mexico to Alaska. Often referred to as “The Blob,” this warming event raised the ocean temperature by as much as 7 degrees Fahrenheit, triggering a slow cascade of underwater turmoil.
A mysterious disease broke out in the same stretch of the Pacific, annihilating the sunflower sea star, a voracious 13-pound invertebrate predator with more than 15,000 tubular feet but no brain, called “the scariest slow-motion monster you’ll ever meet,” by scientists. These unlikely hunters once ruled the reefs from Baja California to the Aleutian Archipelago, feasting on just about anything, but with a preference for sea urchins. With no natural predators remaining, purple sea urchins have devoured California’s kelp forests.
At the present time, scientists are working to accelerate the protection and restoration of kelp forests worldwide in an attempt to put the ecosystem back in balance. One factor in their favor… because kelp is one of the most productive and fastest-growing organisms on the planet—bull kelp can sprout up to 2 feet per day – scientists can understand in a relatively short window what successful growth looks like.
There’s a lot of hope around that.
When it comes to diets, there’s plenty of fish in the sea. But if you’re looking for an eating pattern that touts all the benefits of a vegetarian diet, without swearing off sushi, look no further than the pescatarian diet. The pescatarian diet eliminates red meat and poultry but embraces fish and other seafood. This diet is regarded as one of the highest quality diets, and it's rich in nutrients. What is the pescatarian diet? The word ‘pescatarian' is a blend of the Italian words for fish, “pesce,” and the term “vegetarian”, and the diet is a healthy, delicious marriage of both worlds. It’s a plant-based diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes that incorporates protein solely from fish and seafood. Some pescatarians may eat eggs and dairy, while others may not. “It’s more flexible than a vegetarian or vegan diet in that it allows more variety in being able to get protein in your diet,” says Rebecca Purcell, a registered dietitian nutritionist at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, adding that eating should be pleasurable. “You should enjoy eating the foods that you’re nourishing your body with and have the flexibility too.” While the pescatarian diet’s etymology stems in part from a vegetarian diet, health experts liken it more to the Mediterranean diet – without the meat. The Mediterranean diet is a plant-based approach inspired by the eating habits of people in countries near the Mediterranean Sea – including Greece, Italy, Spain and France. It emphasizes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, herbs, spices, nuts, seeds and healthy fats from extra-virgin olive oil, as well as fish and seafood. However, unlike the pescatarian diet, the Mediterranean diet allows moderate to limited amounts of poultry and red meat. The Mediterranean diet consistently ranks #1 in The U.S. News’ Best Diets Overall for good reason: Researchers have repeatedly shown that this eating plan offers a plethora of health benefits, from lowering blood pressure, improving "good" cholesterol levels, reducing Type 2 diabetes risk and boosting cognitive function to protecting against age-related diseases – to name a few. Given the strong evidence behind the Mediterranean diet, it's no wonder health experts also highly recommend a plant-forward diet with fish. “The focus on fish and seafood as the only animal product utilized in the pescatarian diet helps to greatly reduce the saturated fat consumption but also adds the benefits of being healthy,” explains Mary Ellen DiPaola, a registered dietitian at the University of California, San Francisco. “A diet based on plant foods and fish and seafood is beneficial to all as it is nutrient-dense, can reduce disease risk, reduces the carbon footprint, and is delicious.”
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.
Garleek is a new-to-the-world allium (a genus of bulbous herbs that include garlic, onions, leeks, chives, and shallots) that marries the sweetness of leeks with the mellow, savory notes of garlic. Row 7 Seed Company’s Chef Dan Barber is rolling out his new vegetable for the first time in select Whole Foods locations in the New York City area. Sweet Garleek will then go on sale in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic and West Coast in 2024, and nationally in 2025. While its white bulb and tender green stalks may make it look like a scallion, the Sweet Garleek is actually something entirely new. A cross between garlic and a leek, it’s the latest vegetable from Row 7 Seed Company, and the result of 10 years of selective breeding and testing. The Breeder During his decades of working with garlic and leeks from all over the world, allium breeder Hans Bongers identified a unique leek with uniformly straight shafts and a distinct garlicky flavor. He spent 10 years developing this trait, creating a cross that would express the sweetness of leeks with the mild, savory notes of garlic. The result of this love match, Sweet Garleek was first introduced to Row 7 Seed Company by Bejo Seeds and immediately opened up a whole new world of allium possibilities. Trial Network Sweet Garleek was trialed over multiple seasons by Row 7’s Trial Network, a participatory community of 150 chefs and growers. The network provided early feedback on the Sweet Garleek and explored its applications in the field and the kitchen. Chefs commented on the delicious, concentrated flavor, buttery texture and whole-plant deliciousness, tops and all. Seed Producers Row 7s’ Sweet Garleek seeds were produced by Bejo Seeds, one of the world’s leading independent seed companies that specializes in alliums. Growers Flavor may start with the seed, but it lives or dies in the soil. To produce our Sweet Garleek, we partnered with trusted organic growers who have committed their operations to building diversity above and below ground. Sweet Garleek bunches are shipped directly from the farm to Whole Foods, ready for your table. ~ The Row 7 Team See where your seeds were grown… We are a food company grounded in the notion that deliciousness might just change the world—and that it starts with the seed. It’s a collaboration—a cross-pollination—So, if you’re a chef, a breeder, a farmer, a gardener, an eater, an enthusiast or maybe some combination of those things, then there’s a seat at the table here for you, and space in the rows and on the line.
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!
“Regenerative Agriculture” is a new buzz phrase—but those treating it as just another passing trend are seriously miscalculating. It’s not a marketing term—it’s a movement, and experts stress that it’s one we all need to get behind. “The fact that our soils are collapsing is what is driving our focus on regenerative agriculture,” says Bethany Davis, MegaFood director of advocacy & gov’t relations. “Our wellness, every aspiration we hold, and our very existence remain inextricably bound with the fate of soil, which we are losing at the alarming rate of 16 million soccer fields per year—30 soccer fields every minute of every day. At the current rate of soil degradation, it will take less than 50 years to no longer have enough suitable soil to grow the crops needed for humans to feed themselves.” While the world is at its tipping point, there is an alternative solution to climate change that goes beyond just sustainability and maintaining current conditions, it leads to restoring the natural system. Regenerative practices bring life back to deprived habitats, reversing climate change and rebuilding the damage done from years of intensive farming. Regenerative agriculture includes calling a halt to plowing and chemical application, using crop rotation, planting cover crops and trees, and adding organic matter back into the soil. Under these conditions, vital subterranean microbes proliferate into astounding abundance. Plants become more deeply rooted, and the uptake of nutrients improves, giving us more nutrient-dense foods. With regenerative agriculture, the very structure of the soil heals, allowing the retention of ever more carbon in the soils’ ‘pores’ and slowing water runoff. Over the seasons the soil fertility compounds, and new top-soil is created each season. Basically, it’s the very opposite result we get from chemical farming. Diana Martin, Rodale Institute’s director of communications, notes, “In the past, we asked farmers to grow the cheapest food possible. We didn’t ask farmers to grow food that tastes good, that is good for our health, that is good for the environment around us. Farmers are business people. They are going to produce what the consumer is demanding. When all of us are demanding the cheapest food, it’s been a race to the bottom. I think we are seeing that change.” Clearly, consumers want to see that change. “Consumer interest in regeneration is outstanding,’ says Emily M. Olson, co-founder of ReGenFriends. “In our (combined) 50 years of consumer marketing research, we’ve never seen results like this before. 95% of respondents expressed the desire to buy regenerative products and services from producers that are fully transparent about their impact.” The bottom line from Olson: “We believe a regenerative economy based on businesses utilizing the principles of regeneration offers the greatest economic opportunity of this century. We have termed it ‘A Race to Prosperity’ for those companies and organizations that embrace regenerative systems and values into the fabric of their operations. Change can be swift. “I stepped into the world of organic in the mid 80s, when organic options in the supermarkets were available almost nowhere,” shares Bob Quinn, founder of KAMUT International and author of Grain by Grain. “Now, 30 years later, you can find organic in almost every store. That was the work of one generation and completely driven by consumer demand. My challenge to the next generation is to walk through the door we opened and reintroduce the world to healthy, flavorful eating. If you look at it as a two-generation project, we’re already halfway there.” The most important part of this message is that now there IS something we can do about it. The solution to climate change is right under our feet: the soil!