Nourish: Rethinking Our Approach to Food | An Optimist’s Guide to the Planet

01 Mar 2024 (10 months ago)

Urban Farming in Cleveland, Ohio

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau visits Cleveland, Ohio, to explore urban farming as a solution to food deserts and community revitalization.
Rid-All, an 18-acre urban farm founded by Nikolaj's childhood friends Randy and Keymah, and the late Damien Forshe, employs regenerative methods and has increased its produce yield.
The farm addresses food insecurity in Cleveland, operates a farmer's market, and has a restaurant serving meals prepared with fresh produce.
Urban farming creates jobs, fosters community engagement, and offers hope to underserved neighborhoods.

Faby and Diana, a Mexican family, practice sustainable farming methods to produce mezcal while conserving biodiversity.
They use traditional techniques and leave 20% of the agave plants unharvested to support bats, natural pollinators of agave.

Wageningen University in the Netherlands researches innovative farming methods to address climate change, pesticide use, and biodiversity loss.
They employ crop diversity, autonomous tractors, hydrogen-powered farm machinery, and explore circular agriculture to reduce the depletion of natural resources.

Charlot Magayi, a Kenyan entrepreneur, designed a more efficient and safer stove made from recycled metal and sustainable fuels.
Her business, Mukuru, has produced and distributed over 200,000 stoves, primarily in rural Kenya, at an affordable price.
Charlot believes businesses should prioritize making a positive impact over maximizing profits.

Nikolaj meets Charlotte, a woman in Kenya who sells fuel-efficient stoves made from agricultural waste.
Charlotte's stoves are affordable, cook twice as much food as traditional charcoal stoves, and can incorporate mosquito repellents to fight malaria.
Nikolaj emphasizes the importance of empathy and social responsibility in business and encourages others to follow Charlotte's example.