Exploration: Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa)

Exploration: Quinoa

The New York Times recently had an interesting article about how the growing popularity of quinoa in the US and Europe are increasing farmer incomes in Bolivia, but that this is also negatively effecting the affordability of quinoa for Bolivians. 

Quinoa plants growing in Peru

Incredible Photos of Agricultural Production Worldwide

This blog post from Wired.com had specular images of agricultural lands in countries ranging from the US to Brazil to Kazakhstan. I think it's an amazing reminder of how significant human impact on the environment is.
(Note: The webpage has much better and bigger images)

Crop Tops: Strange Agricultural Landscapes Seen From Space

• By Betsy Mason
• March 17, 2011  | 
• Categories: Earth Science

Agriculture is one of the oldest and most pervasive human impacts on the planet. Estimates of the land surface affected worldwide range up to 50 percent. But while driving through the seemingly endless monotony of wheat fields in Kansas may give you some insight into the magnitude of the change to the landscape, it doesn't compare to the view from above.