Brazilian farmers who plant a living carpet under their crops beat droughts and floods alike

On 13 commercial farms in Rio Grande do Sul, University of São Paulo researchers spent three growing seasons — through severe droughts and historic floods — comparing fields kept covered with a diverse mix of living plants against traditional single-crop fields. The diversified fields held more water in their soil, stayed stable year to year, and produced yields as high as 76 percent above the state average, while traditional fields swung wildly and fell close to average. Keeping roots in the ground all year, the team found, turns soil into a shock absorber for extreme weather.

SDG 2 · Zero hunger — Mechanism: tech innovation