Commentary and Analysis

Cover crops help prevent soil erosion and can increase farmers’ yields — but, despite widespread use overseas, they haven’t caught on much yet in the Midwest.

For proof, stop by tasting rooms scattered across downstate Illinois, where you'll find visitors sampling Chambourcins and Vignoles, to name a few.

As the climate crisis grows, the business of water is increasingly important — and the lakefront city of Chicago could be one of its most valuable global leaders.

Chicago already has one of the nation’s largest food manufacturing workforces. The city is positioning itself to become the global leader in food innovation and manufacturing.

"Illinois is the epicenter of soybean production," declares one industry expert. It's an advantage that benefits the entire state, not just farmers. It's also turning some farmers into international ambassadors.

"With the focus on war this past year, it is all too easy to overlook that starvation and food insecurity are on the rise," Paul Poast writes.

Distinguished Fellow Dan Glickman, former US secretary of agriculture, says he has little worry about the status of the farm bill.

The world is facing three global water crises—it's imperative that we respond to them.

The inclusion of gender mainstreaming in agricultural AI can help reduce gender inequity for female smallholder farmers.

“The reality of it is we need to make sure that we’re doing some things differently than what we’ve always done," Ertharin Cousin argues.