Lothar Baumann and Grant Hilbert are both farmers, but that’s where their similarities end. Lothar Baumann represents the average farmer, whose median age has surpassed 58 years of age. For Lothar, farming is “where life begins.” Nowhere else can you be as close to the “pulse and heartbeat of life.”

On the other hand, Grant Hilbert is a representation of the new generation of farming. An Iowa native, for him, farming is “chasing the dream.” But, making this dream a reality is hard, especially for young farmers. In the Midwest, focused policies help make the difficult task of starting a farm a little more affordable. As farmers like Baumann begin to retire, it’s important for young, passionate farmers to take their place.

How desirable is farming for younger generations?

Younger people are more interested in farming than ever. 30% of all farmers are beginning farmers.  That means they have been farming for  10 years or less. Student membership in Future Farmers of America (FFA) is at an all time high, recently exceeding 1 million members, as interest in farming among young people grows. With many farmers nearing retirement, millions of farming acreage is expected to become available, but only to those that can afford it.

Farming is a tough industry to break into. But, why?

According to the 2022 National Young Farmer Survey, buying land is the biggest  challenge facing young farmers. In the United States, on average, an acre of farmland costs  $5,570. In the Midwest, the price of farmland per acre jumps as high as $9,800. But, this is just an average. Last year, a farm in Missouri broke records when it sold for $35,000 per acre. For Grant Hilbert, his central Iowa farms, totaling 250 acres (of which, not all the land is farmable), cost $1.8 million.

Land is just the first expense new farmers face. Machinery is expensive- a single, new row-crop tractor costs nearly $500,000. As farming equipment has become more specialized, each step in the farming process requires a different machine- from planting, to fertilizing to razing. There is also the cost of failing. New farmers cannot afford to have a bad year as they start out, as they have few funds to fall back on. In contrast, family farmers have greater support and less surprises. Without startup costs, such as land and machinery, family farmers take over an operational and familiar farming operation. As farming becomes more and more money-intensive, many new farmers are priced out from the beginning.

What programs support young farmers?

New financial programs to help incoming young farmers have taken vastly different approaches. Nationally, the USDA Farm Service Agency targets a portion of loan funding to beginning farmers, including down payment assistance. However, these funding options are limited and untargeted.

In Midwest states, the opposite is true: aggressive New Farmer Programs ensure beginning farmers can run a successful business, effectively lowering the median farmer age. In Iowa, the Iowa Finance Authority has a specialty branch called the Iowa Agricultural Development Division. Though there are many policies, the most important ones are the  Beginning Farmer Loan Program (BFLP) and the Beginning Farmer Tax Credit Program (BFTC).

The BFLP helps new farmers afford agricultural property, machinery, breeding livestock, or farm improvements. These loans are exempt from federal and state taxes, allowing lenders to give farmers interest rates that are 25% lower than usual. This is huge. Thanks to this down payment assistance, Grant was able to get the loan for his farm.

The BFTC gives tax credit incentives to landowners when they lease land or other physical property to beginning farmers. The tax credit ranges from 75 to 17% depending on the type of lease.

Why is it important to get younger farmers on the land?

Young farmers are the future of sustainable farming practices. 86% of young farmers identify their farming practices as regenerative, committing to fostering healthy soil and protecting ecosystems. 83% identify conservation and regenerative practices as a primary purpose of their farm’s existence.

Farming corporations care less about the environment. They are less willing to experiment with new, more sustainable farming methods, favoring a business-as-usual approach. Large corporations and investors that buy land are concerned with making money in order to improve their bottom line and make investors happy. Farmers who own the land view themselves as stewards: their goal is to future proof for continued use.

Looking forward..

As farmers begin to turn their land over to new hands, more young farmers have opportunities to buy farmland of their own. Midwest Beginning Farmer programs level the playing field, allowing new farmers to have the opportunity to start their own operations. As farmers like Baumann start to retire, they can be sure that their land will be cared for and cultivated by incoming farmers who share their love for farming.

Tourism is getting more expensive. In February, Bali incorporated a $10 USD fee (150,000 IDR ) fee for foreigners entering the Indonesian island. Last week, New Zealand formally increased its entry tax to $61 USD (100 NZD).

Taxing tourists is not a new practice. However, as concerns grow over the impacts of tourism on the local environment and communities, tourist taxes will continue to grow.

How are tourists taxed?

Tourist taxes come in two forms. 

One-off payments, as the name suggests, are charged once per trip. These payments can be made through official websites, at immigration, or as a fee added to your airfare. For example, Japan charges a $7 USD (1,000 JPY) departure tax through airlines or travel companies. 

Daily fees are charged per night spent in a country. This type of tax is usually paid through the hotel or through official immigration websites. Bhutan charges international travelers a Sustainable Development Fee of $100 USD per night.

Are there any exemptions or discounts?

Yes. Some common groups that are exempted from these taxes include travelers who are passing through in transit, air crew, diplomatic travelers, children, and nationals of neighboring countries. 

Some countries also give discounts after a certain number of nights to nationals of neighboring countries, or children under a certain age.

Why do countries collect tourist taxes?

Tourist taxes are used in various ways. 

Common uses include improving tourism advertising and infrastructure, the general economy, environmental conservation, and cultural preservation. In New Zealand, parts of the tax revenue is being used to support the tourism workforce and also improve conservation practices in multiple national parks. 

For popular tourist destinations, however, taxes can deter travelers. This explains Bhutan’s high  Sustainable Development Fee, which has helped curb overcrowding. Of the 56,000 total visitors that entered the country in a single month, only 25% were non-Indian nationals. 

Venice enforces tourist fees for both reasons. Tourists are only charged anywhere from $1 to $5 USD (1-5 EUR) per night. Day-trip visitors are charged a $5 USD (5 EUR) Visitor Access Fee on peak dates and hours. On a busy day, as many as 120,000 tourists visit the city—double Venice’s population. The revenue made is used to support maintenance and repair of city infrastructure, such as pavements and bridges.

What happens if you don’t pay?

Enforcement measures exist. Venice employs checks at entry points. Fines run as high as $50 to $325 USD (50 to 300 EUR) for non-compliance.  

More recently in Bali, it was revealed that only about 40% of international travelers actually pay the tourist tax. Tourism Task Force officers have begun monitoring compliance in popular tourist locations. Additional measures the island’s governor has suggested implementing are a fine or even “a week of imprisonment.” 

Bhutan and New Zealand collect the taxes with entry visas, ensuring compliance.

Do they actually work?

To a certain extent. 

In the case of New Zealand, revenue from tourist taxes does allow for more investment. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment reported that a total of 86 million NZD of tourist tax has been used to support tourism and conservation projects such as multiple pest management projects within the Te Manahuna mountain ranges. Despite these efforts, the revenue is still not enough: the Ministry of Business estimated “the unfunded costs of international visitors were around $250 million per year”

For Bhutan, tourist taxes did discourage international visitors. However, such deterrence has consequences. Indian nationals are only charged $14 USD (1,200 INR) per day as opposed to $100 USD. In other words, even with 42,000 Indian nationals visiting monthly, $86 less dollars are being made per visitor, which adds up to a loss of over $3 million USD in potential monthly tourism revenue. 

Balancing crowd control and tourism revenue is not easy. As tourist numbers increase, popular destinations have to implement more fees to better support the demand. Tourist taxes can be a helpful tool, but no city, nor country, has gotten it quite right—yet.

“Let’s eat some pinecones!” So opens Alexis Nikole, an influencer with 4.5 million followers on TikTok, as she guides her followers through making pinecone jam. She is just one of the many foraging influencers taking social media by storm. Here’s a crash course in the who, why, and how of this sensation. 

What are foraging influencers? 

Foraging is where people gather food and ingredients from around them. Foragers gather berries, nuts, seeds, leaves, roots, and mushrooms. Basically anything that is edible and grows outdoors is fair game. It’s a way to connect with nature, and results in delicious bites. Wild blueberry pie, kudzu tea, and maple taffy all come from foraging. 

Internet influencers are hobbyists and professionals who share how they forage with their multitude of followers. The community of influencers provide guidance on foraging and cooking. They mainly post on Instagram and Tiktok, which has a largely young audience.

When did foraging start being popular again?

Foraging has a long and storied history. It has been done since humans evolved, but it has gone through cycles of popularity as it became more or less necessary and desirable. 

Indigenous peoples of what is now America foraged for centuries before Europeans arrived. They supplemented their agriculture and hunting with gathering to make meals and medicines. But during colonization, foraging knowledge was often lost as colonizers forcefully removed indigenous peoples and destroyed traditional food sources. Foraging became an act of resistance to preserve traditional knowledge as Indigenous groups faced forced assimilation. 

Foraging was a tool for survival for enslaved people.“For a lot of people who were enslaved, the way that you beefed up the meager meals or the scraps that you were given was often by supplementing with foraging, with trapping, with fishing,” Alexis Nikole explains. “So that knowledge that was a huge part of early Black culture here in the Americas.” 

Back to the Land followers used it to reject modern society. Foraging played into their ideology of escaping modernity and capitalism. They raised bees, farmed, and lived in intentional communities. Foraging was just one more step in this ability to live outside the economic ideologies of America. 

And in 2020, it cycled back into mainstream culture as COVID-19 lockdowns went into effect. 

Who made foraging popular?

There are a multitude of foraging influencers, including Dr. Gordon Walker and Chaotic Forager who also share their knowledge. Chaotic Forager provides information about flowers, fungi, and wild fruit to their 1.1 million followers. Dr. Gordon Walker advises how to forage mushrooms to his 2 million followers. 

But none compare in popularity to Alexis Nikole, AKA the Black Forager. In 2020, she filmed her first video on foraging – sharing what people can eat from around their neighborhood during lockdown. 4 years and 4.5 million followers later, she is still filming videos on foraging – including how to make acorn flour and horseweed extract with easy to find ingredients. 

That’s what foraging influencers are all about – encouraging their followers to forage and offering guidance. Their videos are quick, catchy, and attention grabbing. They are everywhere, on Twitter (now X), Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube sharing their expertise. 

Why do they post?

ChaoticForager posts to share nature and all of its beauty online. She wants to raise awareness of it and why it is so important to protect. 

Alexis Nikole shares foraging online to bring back that knowledge to Black Americans. After the Civil War, laws went into effect to prevent foraging. It was dangerous to be Black in nature, as well as a mark of poverty to forage. As such, there was a move away from natural spaces. Alexis Nikole calls herself “one of myriad people who is actively trying to combat that.” 

Why is it so popular?

Why it exploded in popularity is more nebulous. Perhaps it’s due to escapism. During the pandemic, people spent more time online and isolated. Finding a community where things seem fun and natural would draw in more people. Since hanging out with people outside a socially isolated group was discouraged, people spent time outside with others. Foraging offered an alternative to sitting in a driveway 6 feet apart. 

Maybe it’s because groceries are more expensive than ever. Groceries increased by 13% in 2022, straining budgets even tighter. Being able to reduce some of this spending helps, and influencers make it look so easy.  

Whatever the reason, foraging has made the leap from Back to the Land movement of the 70s to the 2020s. 

How can I start?

There are guides who offer foraging tours in most US cities. They show how to forage ethically and where to start. Dozens of books cover the basics and what to look for in different regions of the world. Foraging influencers are another option. However, the key components don’t change. Only eat what is definitely edible, don’t take too much, and forage where it is legal. And have fun getting back in touch with the Earth!

In New York City, the ability for movements to flourish has allowed for growth in the Environmental Justice Movement as a whole. The involvement of different boroughs and age groups of all types has united NYC’s residents. Organizations like The Young Lords and their Garbage Offensive (1969) replicated the ways in which the Black Panther Party fostered community action. By blocking traffic with piles of garbage, they drew attention to the issues of sanitation in communities largely made up of Latinx and Black people. 

Concerns about a lack of clean air and water in segregated areas of New York resulting from racist housing policies have also worked to unify marginalized groups. Environmental movements centering BIPOC communities targeted these discriminatory policies, but these issues continued even after the Fair Housing Act became law, outlawing discrimination in real estate and housing loans based on sex, race, religion, and national origin. The effects of segregated housing areas are still seen in NYC and environmental movements created in affected neighborhoods continue to draw attention to the oppressive forces altering their living environments. 

In America, 3.2 million people have already been affected by climate change, and are susceptible to worsening conditions. Many of these people are low-income communities of color. 

The issue of climate change disproportionately affecting marginalized communities is not new information, but there are many movements fighting the, unfortunately, high rates of vulnerability that go undermined.

Who are WE ACT?

WE ACT is an environmental organization started in 1988 by seven district leaders of West Harlem who protested the siting of the North River Sewage Treatment Plant. The construction of this plant would cause tons of pollution to streamline into communities of color. While it was still built, WE ACT co-founder Peggy Shepard worked with the Natural Resources Defense Council to successfully sue the City in order to minimize the negative impacts the sewage plant had on Harlem. This sparked WE ACT’s mission of addressing climate related issues with community involvement, protests, and research at a time when environmental movements were underrepresented. 

In 1991, the organization attended The First People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit in Washington D.C. and helped with the creation of “The Principles of Environmental Justice”, which affirmed the importance of environmental unity, the Earth, and interdependence of all species that allows us to be free from ecological destruction. These Principles still guide America’s Environmental Justice Movement today. 

In 1996, WE ACT worked with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct the first assessment of the pollution in Harlem, focusing their actions on improving the living conditions of the neighborhood as well as other neighborhoods with predominantly BIPOC inhabitants. 

How did WE ACT change the landscape on NYC environmental movements? 

WE ACT was the first NYC movement to be run by people of color, differing from the white environmentalist movements mainstream media had publicized since 1960. 

The first Earth Day celebration (1970) in New York was used as the main example for environmental justice movements in history. While this celebration motivated New Yorkers to improve their city through greener ways of living, it perpetuated ideals of white environmentalism that excluded the presence of BIPOC. 

WE ACT’s leadership in a Harlem-based initiative allows new movements and present-day media outlets to witness the abilities and impact of having marginalized voices highlighted in the environmental movement. The organization actively works with other groups to create alliances, collaborate, and change environmental policy-making through their Environmental Justice Leadership Forum to combat such exclusive ideals of environmentalism. 

photo found on: https://diversegreen.org/spotlight-we-act-for-environmental-justice/

How does WE ACT’s mission manifest nowadays? 

WE ACT’s mission continues to draw people of different classes, races, and genders together in the fight for environmental justice. More specifically, they focus on such identities and their role in the climate change crisis.

 In 2015, they released the Northern Manhattan Climate Action Plan (NMCA) – a plan created to address a community’s ability to manage environmental disasters through investments in renewable energy and organizing spaces for activists. They identified key aspects  necessary for creating change in their communities: cutting greenhouse gas emissions, creating well-paying jobs, and connecting these two aspects to coastlines and climate adaptation. 

WE ACT actively incorporates such findings into their grassroots outreach and mutual aid. In the past 3 years, they’ve established a program in the Bronx that replaces gas stoves with stoves that do not require fossil fuels in public housing areas. They’ve also rallied to action through complaints to the government as large corporations continue to invade communities of Northern Manhattan. . 

Why is it important to foster new movements in the city?

WE ACT demonstrates the necessity of centering community and sustainable energy consumption with the goal of addressing climate change in mind. A movement like this reminds us of the new perspectives the Environmental Movement as whole gains from taking multiple identities and their intersections into account. 

 Furthermore, the rich history of environmentalism and its origins in the city provides new and old movements alike with a plethora of examples for protests, possibilities for legislation changes, and flexibility in pushing for change with rising generations of activists experiencing first-hand the effects of climate change and environmental racism.

$78 for a long sleeve tee?

That’s the price at Reformation. But at H&M the same style costs $9.99. 

Ok, so the obvious choice is H&M… right? Be careful. That low price comes at a high environmental cost. 

Brands like H&M are part of fast fashion, which prioritizes quantity over quality — mass-producing cheap clothes with harmful and unsustainable materials. Brands like Reformation are slow fashion, which focuses on sustainability and consumption awareness. 

But what exactly are the key differences? Is that  $78 long sleeve worth it?

It all starts with the materials…

Slow fashion focuses on using high-quality materials with low environmental impacts. Materials like linen are usually biodegradable or easy to recycle. Slow fashion brands also utilize recycled materials to reduce waste. On the other hand, fast fashion uses synthetic materials that release harmful chemicals over time instead of decomposing. 

Slowing the trend cycle down…

Time and care are taken into the design of the clothes. Instead of releasing thousands of styles of clothes a week, slow fashion brands focus on releasing small collections of timeless clothes. Releasing clothes slowly, means that slow fashion isn’t catering to  small micro-trends that may only last a month or two. Instead, they are focusing on making pieces that never go out of style. Small batches also mean that less clothing is going to waste; in fact, the clothes might even be pre-order only with companies making only as many clothes as consumers will buy. 

Caring about the makers…

There are 75 million garment employees across the world.  Of those, 2% earn a livable wage. In order to make their fashion “cheap”, brands have to cut corners, which includes lowering labor costs. Images of sweatshops of third world countries may come to mind, but the U.S. is just as guilty. In Southern California — one of the largest garment-producing regions in the U.S. — the Department of Labor found that 80% of the contractors — were violating minimum wage and overtime laws. Not to mention the harsh working conditions and human right abuses that often happen in garment factories, leading to a decrease in worker wellbeing. 

In contrast, slow fashion brands are known for their fair labor practices. Cotopaxi is a popular outdoors brand whose entire line — from raw material to finished product — Fair Trade Certified. This means that all their suppliers have been verified by third party organizations to have fair working conditions and environmentally responsible production. Cotopaxi also does their own audits and makes their suppliers agree to a code of conduct. While it makes their garments more expensive, it also means the workers they depend upon are earning  a living wage and enjoying fair working conditions. 

Keeping it local and going back to our roots…

Another part of what makes fast fashion so harmful is the amount of carbon emissions it takes to ship the materials from one side of the globe to another. Industry experts believe that 90% of all clothing spends some time traveling by ocean, which doesn’t even cover the route that the raw materials may take before it gets to the factory. 

Slow fashion focuses on local production. Using materials from close-by and selling them to their surrounding populace reduces carbon emission and makes for a more sustainable market. If anything, this practice harkens back to pre-globalization and pre-industrialization. People used to make clothes and materials for their community, and then get them mended by their community. Think tailors, seamstresses, and cobblers.

Making the industry circular… 

Circular Fashion is the idea that fashion should follow a circle. Clothing items are made, sold, repaired, and then resold to the manufacturer to be reused and made into new products. Reformation aims to be completely circular by 2030. To do this they first use mostly recycled fabric to make their clothes. Then they sell clothes to the customer, which are repaired and loved, until the clothes get resold to Reformation to be transformed into a different garment. In this way, no new fabric or materials are being used; they are using what they already made. 

So, is slow fashion worth it?

At the end of the day, new clothes are a necessity. However, the way we produce those clothes can have an impact on our environment and in turn, the health of the human race itself. By focusing efforts on slow fashion, people are able to fulfill their needs without harming the planet. Not only do consumers get locally made clothes with sustainable materials, they get long-lasting garments made by people who are able to work in livable conditions. It’s an all around benefit. Even though slow fashion may cost more, it’s an investment. Instead of buying an item that lasts 2 years, it’ll last 50. More bang for your buck. Although consumerism and trends is the norm now, it hasn’t been in the past and doesn’t have to be for the future. Slow fashion is the future.

 In 2024, Indigenous tourism became a $44 billion industry. By 2034, it is only expected to increase to $67 billion over the next decade. That is about a third of New York City’s tourism revenue. This exceptional growth may be partly due to tourists’ rising desire to have unique, “authentic” experiences of local cultures.

The Yurok Tribe is one of many that have hopped on the indigenous-led tourism wave. Located in Redwood, California, they are the only tourist operators able to offer redwood canoe tours.  The Inuit have also taken advantage of tourists’ interest in their culture by hosting guided interpretive hikes, arctic explorations, igloo-building workshops, and teaching traditional Inuit games. The Sámi however,  still need to overcome the long history of exploitation of Sámi culture from non-Sámi to pave their own path in the tourism industry. 

What is Indigenous-led Tourism?

 After the pandemic, there has been a growing desire of tourists to travel sustainably, while also getting meaningful experiences in a culture that differs from their own. They desire to go beyond a surface level understanding of the local people, culture and location while also lessening their impact on the environment. Indigenous-led tourism fits all parameters. 

Indigenous-led tourism is destination travel operations led by indigenous groups on their own terms. These attractions allow the indigenous people to sustain and promote their traditions and values.  

 The approach of Indigenous-led tourism varies between different tribes. 

 The Yurok use indigenous tourism to share their culture, traditions and stories to tourists and to their younger generations.. A Yurok cultural bearer, Hop Norris, spoke on the tribe’s effort to revitalize Yurok culture through the practice of creating redwood canoes, stating “this is all very new to us as well. You know, it’s something that’s a lost art and … a lost part of our culture being currently revived.” In the same interview, David Eric Severns, one of the Yurok’s youngest canoe builders, describes the relationship the Yurok have with the Redwood trees.  He describes them as living beings, which requires the respect you would give a family member. This perspective shapes the practice of crafting the canoes with precision and a respectful mindset.

In the Inuit’s case, the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) defines indigenous tourism as a business that is majority owned by Inuit peoples.  The business also needs to show both a responsibility and a connection to the Inuit community and Inuit traditional territory. This includes the additional category of cultural indigenous tourism, which requires there to be active participation of the Inuit in the development and operation of the experience. 

The Sámi define Sámi tourism similarly, defining it as tourism where the resources of the Sámi (culture, environment etc.) are used to create tourism services and activities  that are offered to the non-Sámi people for commercial gain. Also implicit in this definition, the tourism service operators of Sámi tourism come from the Sámi community.

Why is indigenous-led tourism important?

Indigenous-led tourism creates an opportunity for indigenous groups around the world to alleviate poverty by generating income, protecting their natural resources, and conserving their cultural heritage.

 Indigenous-led tourism is a form of empowerment for indigenous groups.The FSC Indigenous Foundation and? The White House Council on Native American Affairs (WHCNAA) held a webinar in 2022 about indigenous tourism’s benefits for Native Americans. In the webinar, Denise Litz, member of the Tuscarora Nation and Chief of the Division of Economic Development of the Bureau of Indian Affairs explained that“Indigenous tourism offers communities an opportunity to generate income, alleviate poverty, increase access to healthcare and education, and conserve cultural and natural resources.” 

Indigenous-led tourism, allows indigenous groups to share their stories and culture on their homelands on their own terms. Indigenous groups can gain economic sovereignty through tourism. For example, indigenous-led tourism, when performed sustainably, can strengthen indigenous groups’ self governance abilities and create more self-sufficiency of the groups. Indigenous-led tourism can be a form of reconciliation and rebuilding of identity for indigenous peoples. 

How is indigenous-led tourism different from ecotourism? 

While Indigenous-led tourism has some similar goals to ecotourism environmentally, such as protecting the natural environment, they are distinct. Ecotourism’s main goal is to minimize impacts on the land while  prioritizing conservation.  Indigenous-led goes further, focusing on who leads the tours, is providing the tours, and activities. Indigenous-led tourism works in tandem with the rise of cultural tourism, which focuses on exploring the local history and culture, including food, music and the local people themselves. 

How can you support in indigenous-led tourism?

It is important to support  indigenous-led tourism while avoiding exploitative tourism. In the Sámi’s case, in which non-indigenous tour operators dressed in traditional Sámi clothing and told Sámi’s story for them. To combat this, indigenous groups have begun to find ways to label or clarify their businesses are indigenous owned, or at the very least indigenous-led. 

The best way to engage in indigenous-led tourism is to look for travel experiences that are directly owned by indigenous groups. This is the case with the  Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada.  Its  Original Original program guarantees at least 51% of the tourism business/experience is owned by indigenous peoples. This assures that they are engaging in tourism activities that directly contribute to and consume from indigenous-led tourism.

Nature’s Best Sápmi label is one of the labels currently being used to combat the fake Sámi tourist traps and provide verification of authentic Sámi tourism experiences. Monika Lüthje from the University of Lapland describes how tourists can easily mistake fake Sámi tour operators for the real thing: “They maybe don’t say [that they are Sámi], they just wear that dress and you assume that they are Sámi.” To have this label, the tourist opportunity has to fit the qualifications in the Swedish Sámi Parliament sustainability program, Eallinbiras.

 As an alternative, Indigenous owned businesses also proudly state they are indigenous owned on their websites. This can be not as reliable, as the Canadian Government does not have a law that specifically penalizes false claims indigenous owned businesses.  Arctic Bay Adventures is a vocal indigenous owned tourism business in Canada. They run explorations of the polar north in Nunavut Province. Some activities allow for tourists to experience practices inherent in traditional Inuit culture, such as dog sledding, riding ski-doos to see arctic wildlife such as narwhals and polar bears and ice fishing.

Looking forward, the Canadian and Finland’s governments have a lot more progress to be made in protecting their indigenous people’s within the tourism industry. Although not perfect, the U.S National Park Service has made several agreements that allow for the Yurok tribe to manage their ancestral land, and protect the Yurok tribe from false Yurok Redwood canoe tour operators, because of the strict protections of the Redwoods. Having government support along with a reliable label stamping authenticity of indigenous tourism experiences would be a great step moving forward as Indigenous-led tourism grows.

Mangroves protect shorelines, store carbon, and support the livelihoods of communities in their vicinity. These coastal marine forests bridge the space between land and sea, attracting tourists and creating habitat for young fish. Their biggest enemy? Shrimp and the farms that grow them.

Why are mangroves so important?

Mangroves are major absorbers of carbon dioxide. They grow at the interface between the ocean and land, by rooting themselves in salty and tidal waters they can capture up to four times as much carbon as forests on land. They grow fast and trap carbon for longer than typical trees because the tides bring in regular nutrients and the soil they grow in is shackled by their interlocking roots. However, mangroves don’t just sequester carbon. These tangles of coastal trees trap sand and debris in their roots stabilizing entire shorelines. This ecosystem service is particularly important as climate change alters weather patterns and causes more violent and devastating storms, which can lead to destruction in coastal communities. Mangroves provide jobs and livelihoods, their intricate webs of roots protect important species like bonefish which draw in tourism and provide food and economic opportunity in many Caribbean countries. 

Figure 1. Mangrove forest.

What are major threats to mangroves?

Despite the clear benefits of mangroves they are being lost at alarming rates. Between 35% to 50% of all mangrove forests in the world are estimated to have been lost in the last 60 years. Many mangrove forests have been developed for swanky resorts and rice farms. The most insidious danger, though, is aquaculture. Specifically, shrimp farming.

Why is shrimp farming so bad for mangroves?

Shrimps thrive in warm water, so shrimp farming is common in tropical and coastal areas where farmers can access ocean water for the large ponds. This puts them in direct conflict with tropical, coastal trees like the mangrove.

The harm that shrimp farming does to mangroves is a combination of many factors. The most obvious is clearing forests to make way for the shrimp ponds. When removed, mangroves stop sequestering carbon, and release carbon that may have been stored for centuries. 

Shrimp farms also pollute, contaminating nearby ecosystems, including the mangroves that remain. This may only decrease the productivity of the ecosystem, but in the worst case can harm the trees enough that previously manageable weather and pests now become fatal. Finally, once these farms aren’t in use anymore mangroves can have trouble growing back in poisoned soil– permanently destroying the ecosystem.

What can be done?

There are many ways to address the decline in mangroves. But, it’s complicated. People rely on shrimp farming to make a living. However, conservation is possible without harming livelihoods. Some strategies involve increasing the productivity of individual shrimp ponds so less land is needed to produce the same amount which reduces the amount of mangroves destroyed. Another solution is to promote a transition towards lifestyles rooted in self-sufficiency or tourism based practices that rely on the mangrove ecosystem instead of being rooted in the destruction of the mangroves. When people’s own livelihoods are intertwined with the environment, they are more inclined to protect it. For example, in Curaçao native islanders are planting mangroves and leading kayak tours that highlight the trees and the host of life they support.

Land use is only one piece of the puzzle. Development in the past century has destroyed swaths of mangroves which must be restored to regain vital carbon sequestration and coastal protection. These types of projects are successful when they are viable, rooted in knowledge, and maintained. Local knowledge combined with modern technology can pave a way for projects that are attuned to how the habitat once existed and its recreation. Additionally, the project’s location must let, in this case, the planted mangrove to thrive. This involves removing pollutants that may have accumulated from the shrimp farms and taking down buildings and structures that may disrupt growth. Finally, a component that is often overlooked in restoration projects is long term monitoring. These replanting may fail one, three, or seven years down the road due to inattention and a lack of engagement with the project. A lack of engagement would also prevent future projects from learning from the mistakes of current projects.

What has been done/ is being done currently?

An aquaculture scientist from Conservation International has been working to address the issue of mangrove destruction. Dane Klinger, has found that there are ways to use modern technology like aerators (tubes that add air to the ponds) and water quality sensors that can help shrimp farmers maintain the best conditions for their growing shrimp. This increases the productivity of each pond. He then encourages farm owners to convert some of their land into restored mangrove forest. This approach is being attempted in both Ecuador and Indonesia right now.

Figure 2. Shrimp ponds in Belize. 

Righting wrongs, a project in Senegal is aiming to restore mangroves in order to protect farmland. Without a protective barrier of coastal  mangroves, salt water creeps further through the soil and prevents crops from growing. But the roots of healthy mangroves act as a filter. The project has 79 million mangrove over 10,000 hectares in 350 different villages. This is the largest mangrove restoration project in the world and has had a lasting impact not only on the environment but on the communities in Senegal.

What can you do?

 Eat sustainably. Look for shrimp that are certified sustainable by councils like the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). Avoid shrimp from specific countries like India, Indonesia, and Mexico which are known to have environment-harming practices, especially if they aren’t certified. It is possible to protect mangroves against shrimp farming but it requires many approaches.

The Nile River, the longest river in the world, stretches over 6,800 kilometers from south to north before emptying into the Mediterranean Sea. Serving as a lifeline for 11 countries in northeastern Africa, the Nile River has been a critical freshwater resource for millions over thousands of years, supporting irrigation, drinking water, fishing, and hydroelectric power. The river is now regulated by several dams, the most significant of which is the newly built Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). The geopolitical tensions surrounding GERD have raised global awareness, highlighting the critical importance of water diplomacy and resources’ management. Here’s what you need to know.

What is the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD)?

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), located in the Blue Nile tributary in Ethiopia, is going to be the largest hydroelectric power plant in Africa once it is fully completed. In March, 2024, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) was 95% complete, along with its reservoir formed to accumulate water. GERD is 1600 m wide and 145 m high, making it about the same size as the Golden Gate Bridge.

Construction on the $4.2 billion dam started in April 2011. Currently, four of thirteen hydroelectric generators are already in operation. As of now, Ethiopia has commenced the filling of the reservoir, raising hopes for energy production.  The problem is that this has sparked concerns among downstream nations, particularly Sudan and Egypt.

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam

Why Does Ethiopia Need GERD?

With the needs of resolving water shortages and accessing reliable energy sources, GERD aims to transform Ethiopia’s energy landscape. It will relieve the country’s acute energy shortage and to export electricity to neighboring countries. The dam is expected to generate 5 GW of electricity, which is 2.5 times the capacity of the Hoover Dam. The Ethiopian government believes it will double the country’s electricity output and drive development. It aims to provide electricity to 30% of Ethiopia’s population, as currently half of the country’s 127 million people live without power.

Why is the GERD Controversial?

Historically, Egypt has utilized its extensive diplomatic connections and the colonial-era 1929 and 1959 agreements to block major infrastructure projects on the Nile’s tributaries, effectively preventing Ethiopia from using the river’s waters. The conflict escalated when Ethiopia began constructing the dam on the Blue Nile in 2011.

Egypt’s foreign ministry claimed that “Ethiopia’s unilateral measures are considered a disregard for the interests and rights of the downstream countries and their water security”. They estimate that a 2% reduction in Nile water—around 1.6 billion gallons—could lead to the loss of approximately 200,000 acres of irrigated land.

The Nile River is a lifeline for countries in northeastern Africa. GERD raises concerns among downstream countries about reduced water access and water shortages. 107 million Egyptians rely on the River Nile for fresh water, and Sudan, with a population of 48 million people, is also heavily reliant on water from the Nile. 

Ethiopia, however, argued that hydropower from the dam will provide affordable electricity to neighboring countries, including Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya, Djibouti and Eritrea. Theoretically, the GERD can also help regulate the Blue Nile’s flow, reducing Sudan’s vulnerability to flooding.

Figure 1: Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam with The High Aswan Dam. The Blue Annotated Line is the river flow.

Credit: Google Map

What’s Happened Recently?

As completion nears, Egypt has shifted its focus to securing a political agreement over the timetable for filling the GERD’s reservoir and managing it during droughts. 

The most recent escalation occurred in early September when Ethiopia rejected Egypt’s “unfounded allegations” in a letter to the UN Security Council. Egypt claimed that Ethiopia violated international law by filling the dam without agreements from downstream countries.In response, tensions rose further when Egypt strengthened military ties with Somalia and Eritrea, two nations that also have strained relations with Ethiopia. These moves suggest that Egypt is not only addressing the GERD conflict diplomatically but also bolstering its regional alliances, potentially as a counterbalance to Ethiopia’s growing influence.

What will the impacts of the GERD be?

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) raises multiple environmental concerns, particularly affecting the Nile’s ecology and local biodiversity. One major concern is the disruption of the river’s seasonal flooding cycle, which plays a crucial role in maintaining wetlands, supporting wildlife, and sustaining agricultural lands. Without these natural floods to flush out human and agricultural waste, water pollution could increase, threatening both ecosystems and human populations downstream. Additionally, the dam will block the silt and sediment that once flowed downstream, preventing the soil enrichment and the delta expansion. Without this sediment replenishment, the delta is shrinking, exacerbating the risks of coastal erosion and reducing agricultural productivity in the region.

The construction of the dam has faced criticism from indigenous community leaders for being non-participatory and benefiting elite interests, which further sharpens tensions among local communities. The Gumuz community, a historically marginalized group, has been particularly affected, with over 20,000 farmers will be displaced once the dam is completed. Resettlement efforts, which began in 2013, have intensified fears of land annexation by other ethnic groups, highlighting long-standing historical grievances and contributing to a cycle of conflict and distrust.

What are the lessons from GERD?

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project highlights the complexities of balancing hydroelectric development, environmental sustainability, and social equity in cross-boundary water systems like the Nile Basin. The tensions among Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt underscore the urgent need for effective negotiation and cooperation to manage shared water resources. Holistically, the GERD serves as a reminder that while such large-scale projects can drive development and improve energy access, they require careful evaluations and mitigations on the geopolitical and environmental costs. GERD is poised to become a landmark infrastructure project in Ethiopia and across Africa, playing a pivotal role in the continent’s renewable energy transition and expanding electricity access.