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Timberland and the Smallholder Farmers Alliance have partnered to provide Haitian farmers with a sustainable economy and to reduce deforestation. SFA will give the farmers who plant trees free cotton seeds, training and tools, while Timberland says it will purchase a certain amount of its global cotton supply from Haiti.

Shareholders withdraw resolution after world's largest meat processor asks contract farmers to improve housing standards for pigs

The USDA has made $20 million available to California ranchers and farmers to fund agricultural water conservation to combat the effects of the statewide drought.

Most cocoa farmers receive less than 5 cents for every dollar that consumers spend on chocolate, according to Oxfam, giving little incentive or funding to invest in more sustainable farming methods, writes Amy Carniol. By paying farmers a higher price, Fair Trade chocolate improves producers' quality of life and helps them ensure long-term viability, Carniol writes.

Genetically modified crops are making it easier for farmers to embrace low-till agricultural strategies, proponents say. The precise impact of GM crops is hard to quantify, however, with some analyses suggesting that farmers in the U.S. aren't changing their tilling habits

Scotland is banning GMO crops in a bid to protect its "clean and green brand," angering farmers and scientists who say the ban panders to unwarranted consumer concerns and has no basis in science. "Cultivation of GM crops would harm our environment and our reputation," counters Scottish Green lawmaker Alison Johnstone. The Independent (London) (tiered subscription model) (8/9) 

Local farmers are stepping up to help conserve Kenya's upland forests, which serve as critical watersheds for the rest of the country. After years of corrupt government administration, control of the forests is being handed over to community forest associations that give farmers incentive to use forest resources responsibly. "People who used to be poachers and illegal loggers are now defending the forests," said Simon Gitau, warden of Mount Kenya National Park. Yale Environment 360 (2/26)

Tyson Foods urged its pork suppliers to stop using manual blunt force to euthanize sick or injured piglets, use anesthetic for tail docking and castration, and improve housing for pregnant sows. The company also announced that it will increase the frequency of third-party audits that monitor animal well-being.

Ben & Jerry's, Stonyfield Farm, and over 200 other companies and organizations signed a letter urging President Obama to institute a national labeling system for genetically engineered foods.

Starbucks has reportedly requested around $496 million in funding from its investors to finance projects that increase "responsibly grown" coffee purchases, establish research centers to help farmers boost production, and more.

A Haitian initiative supported by apparel company Timberland has given way to a more ambitious goal to farm sustainable cotton on the island

Global chocolate and cocoa supplier Barry Callebaut launched its new sustainability strategy "Forever Chocolate," which sets out four targets for the company to achieve by 2025. The targets include eradicating child labor from its supply chain, becoming carbon and forest positive, lifting more than 500,000 cocoa farmers out of poverty, and using 100% sustainable ingredients in all of its products.

Food company Dannon has pledged to work with its dairy farmer partners and their suppliers to improve sustainable agriculture practices, increase the use of natural and non-GMO ingredients across its 3 flagship products, and more.

. As is the case with many companies who tout the magic year 2020, Hershey promises it will buy 100 percent responsible and sustainable cacao by the end of that year, and boasts it is ahead of schedule of that goal by having already met it halfway. Hershey also showcases a program that it says helped 31,000 farmers in nations such as Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria, without divulging how - while saying they are learning "information on best practices in sustainable cacao farming." Such a vague disclosure is not going to mollify critics who have long said the global chocolate industry is one that provides indulgences for wealthy citizens at the expense of some of the world's

PepsiCo, Unilever, Heineken and other members of the Cool Farm Institute have launched an online tool to help farmers assess and improve the environmental and economic performance of their businesses.

Sales of organic produce have been steadily rising, and farmers worldwide have stepped up to provide a year-round supply of certified organic fruits and vegetables, experts say. Nearly all items in the produce section are available in organic, with prices fluctuating based on supply, says Claris Ritter of Alfalfa's Market in Colorado. "Price is really a function of supply, and we're still having greater demand than supply," Ritter said. "We'll have to see, if we ever do catch up to the demand, what happens with the price

Walmart is one of the companies diverting tons of excess food to farmers in southwestern Pennsylvania who are turning it into usable compost in their fields. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports

A giant solar receiver in California's agricultural region may offer some hope for farmers who have been denied water in a record-setting drought. Conservation policies to protect endangered fish species have have contributed as well.

Waste from snack food production, such as potato peels, corn kernels and other ingredients, is used to generate 35% of the electricity needed to power two PepsiCo plants in Turkey, thanks to an investment the company made in anaerobic digestion technology at the plants two years ago as part of its zero-waste commitment. The nutrient-rich digestate is also used as a fertilizer that the company supplies to 350 contract farmers

Clean-technology accelerator the Cleantech Open has awarded PowWow Energy (pictured) the Grand Prize Cleanie award worth $200,000 for the Top Cleantech Entrepreneur of the year. PowWow Energy has developed technology that enables farmers and ranchers to quickly detect water leaks that can destroy an entire crop or cause thousands of dollars of damage.