Giving Compass' Take:

• In this story from Fast Company, author Adele Peters discusses kernza, a new grain bred by the Land Institute which fights climate change.

• What other crops might cause similar problems to wheat, and how might we breed alternatives to replace them?

• Interested in environmentally friendly agriculture? This article about the need for a sustainable food system in Europe might be right for you too.

When Patagonia decided to go into the beer business, part of the motivation was fighting climate change: The key ingredient in its beer, a grain called Kernza, is particularly good at storing carbon as it grows. Today, Cascadian Farm announced a limited-edition cereal made with the same ingredient. Both companies are hoping to help move the food into the mainstream.

“The reality is, we are literally pioneering how you grow an ingredient,” says Maria Carolina Comings, marketing director at Cascadian Farm.

The grain, a variety of wheatgrass originally from Central Asia, was already used to grow feed for livestock. But The Land Institute saw the potential to breed it a version that would be productive enough to use in human food, and branded the product Kernza. Patagonia’s founder Yvon Chouinard was familiar with the work, and the environmental benefits beyond carbon sequestration; the crop also helps prevent soil erosion and its deep roots help keep water systems clean. It’s also better nutritionally, with more protein, fiber, and antioxidants than wheat.

Read the full article about kernza by Adele Peters at Fast Company.