Latest news with #regenerativefarming
The National
17 hours ago
- Business
- The National
How Egyptian designer Emily Mikhaiel is reinventing ethical fashion
By the time Emily Mikhaiel launched Nazeerah, her Egyptian-American fashion label rooted in regenerative farming and circular design, she'd already flirted with composting toilets, kelp farms and aquaponics. 'If I'd known how hard it was going to be, no, I wouldn't have started,' she tells The National, half-laughing, half-serious. A decade in the making, Nazeerah is not just a brand. It is a manifesto of support for Egyptian cotton farmers and not harming people or the planet. Entirely made from sustainably grown Egyptian cotton at the end of their lifespan, Nazeerah pieces will compost down to nothing, and 'return to the soil, where it started,' Mikhaiel explains. The brand's origin story is deeply personal. As a child growing up in the US, Mikhaiel made her first trip to her father's homeland Egypt at the age of 10. 'It was a complete culture shock,' she recalls. 'It wasn't like the Aladdin movie,' she adds, smiling. A family sailing trip from Cairo to upper Egypt, however, left an indelible mark, kick-starting a yearning to learn more about her father's roots and upbringing. She went on to study international relations, environmental policy and law, but it was a course in sustainable business that connected the dots. 'I kept asking myself, wouldn't it be amazing to set a precedent showing things could be done in a better way?' Her early experiments were eclectic. 'I wrote my thesis on composting toilets, but in the US, the red tape was a nightmare,' she says. There were dalliances with kelp farming ('you need a boat, and to scuba dive'); soil regeneration; and carbon sequestration. Then came the breakthrough: a rediscovery of family history. Her grandfather was a cotton broker, she learnt, while her father, picked cotton after school. Her grandmother, Nazeerah, was the local seamstress, crafting garments for the community from local cotton. 'She sewed women and children's clothing made from the cotton that was grown in the surrounding area and produced at the factories,' she explains. The idea of being the link between different elements was exactly what Mikhaiel was searching for. Bringing together sustainable farming, hand weaving and ethical practices, she named the company Nazeerah in her grandmother's honour. Egyptian cotton, famed for its extra-long fibres and exquisite softness, is a byword for luxury. It's why top-tier hotels wrap guests in the smooth, lightweight sheets. But the cotton economy in Egypt has been under pressure for decades, from both environmental degradation and global competition. Since the construction of the Aswan High Dam in the 1970s, the Nile no longer floods the fields with nutrient-rich silt. Instead, farmers now have to rely on costly chemical fertilisers and pesticides. Mikhaiel found a group working to reverse that trend, training farmers in chemical-free techniques, from composting to beneficial insect cultivation. 'I got extremely lucky by finding an organisation that's working with farmers here in Egypt and teaching them regenerative farming,' she says. From there, the vision took shape. She sought out weavers in upper Egypt who still work on handlooms and then faced down the real challenge: producing women's ready-to-wear that is entirely biodegradable. It meant upending the entire manufacturing process. 'I can't design and then select the fabric and the trims. I have to select the fabric, source the trims and then design from there,' she explains. Cotton thread replaced polyester versions, nylon shoulder pads were swapped for ones made from repurposed baby blankets, while plastic buttons were replaced for locally sourced horn. Even conventional elastic was ditched for a version made with natural latex and organic cotton, while garment bags were reimagined in recyclable paper. The biggest struggle, she realised, was persuading factories to get on board. '99.99% of all clothing is sewn with polyester thread or a poly cotton combination,' she explains, making factories unsure of how other threads will fare in the machinery. 'They're worried that cotton thread will break too easily.' One factory even reused leftover polyester from another brand by mistake. Today, the only non-compostable element left is the zip tape. 'We couldn't find an alternative,' she admits. 'But aside from that, every single part will break down naturally. It has been a huge undertaking to get to this point, but I'm really excited that we're here.' This journey would not have been possible without enlisting textile veteran Mahmoud El-Gazzar to bring local manufacturing expertise. 'He has a lot of experience,' she explains. 'He knows all the factories in Egypt and most of the suppliers, so we were able to get going.' Nazeerah is currently sold online, with a focus on the US market. The typical client? 'She's eco-conscious, she's busy, and she wants to know the story behind her clothes. Whether it's for health, sustainability or ethics – she wants to trust what she's putting on her skin.' Now, expansion is on the horizon. A new warehouse in Egypt will support shipping across the Gulf and Europe. 'There's demand,' Mikhaiel says. 'But so few brands here are doing natural, organic fabrics at this level.' For Mikhaiel, it's about more than just clothes. It's about changing the narrative – of fashion, of sustainability, and of Egypt's place in the global creative economy. She's often the only woman in the room, and, as she puts it candidly, 'probably only sitting at the table because I was born in the US.' Yet here she is, crafting a new kind of clothing – one that honours her past, respects the planet and knows exactly what it's made of.
Vogue
2 days ago
- Business
- Vogue
Gabriela Hearst Resort 2026 Collection
Gabriela Hearst is always seeking. She's studied Druids, ancient mythology, and groundbreaking women across time. Lately, she's turned to the Tarot, pulling a card each morning and writing down the results. The Lovers card in the Marseille deck gave this collection its color palette: pink, green, and blue, instead of the black, white, gold, and red she typically favors. It also gave her a template for this photo shoot; in the Marseille deck, there are three figures on the Lovers card rather than the usual pair: two women and a man. Hearst did some rearranging, she's got one woman and two men in these pictures, and more power to her. Power women are Hearst's clientele—she reports that tailoring is 24% of her sales. To better cater to these customers, she's added a bespoke service at her Madison Avenue boutique; presumably, if it's successful, it could be rolled out across her store network. She's cut a pre-fall pantsuit in cotton, a material she typically avoids because of the extraordinary amounts of water it requires to grow/ This cotton is grown on a regenerative farm in Italy; 'it gives this fresh, sharp look to the suiting,' she said. Other suit jackets were swaddled under bomber jackets, soft power being the look she was going for. As ever, Hearst's materials are remarkable, whether its the floral silk jacquard of a romantic dress, lifted from a drawing of her daughter's; the fine cashmere knitted with beads of a sweater and matching midi skirt; or the plongé leather of an M-65 field jacket. New this season is a double-face cashmere coat in black that reverses to camel, which bumps up its functionalty (she also showed it in a burgundy and pink version). Another novelty: 100% recycled denim used for jackets and jeans with wool, enamel, and leather buttons that you can twist off so you can throw the pieces in the washing machine to clean.
CBS News
28-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Long Grove, Illinois farm Institute of Soil & Soul applies Jewish principles to farming practices
The Institute of Soil & Soul in Long Grove, Illinois, is like many others; workers grow fruits and vegetables and raise chickens. But it is also very different. "The institute is a Jewish regenerative farm," said Gabriel Gould, founder. That means combining Jewish principles with farming practices that restore depleted soil. "We're talking about adding organic material back to the soil and increasing fertility," Gould said. The orchard is a good example. It contains seven different varieties of fruits, including apples and pears. And there's also a bush that sends nutrients into the soil. "It sounds alternative, but it's not. It has ancient roots," Gould said. Those ancient roots include principles and knowledge from the Torah, the Jewish holy text also called the Five Books of Moses. "So much of the Torah was written for people not just living on, but living with the land," said Gould. He wants to reconnect Jews to their agricultural roots. "We've been so disconnected," he said. "We've forgotten that we're as much the people of the land as the people of the book." Gould started his business as a for-profit farm about five years ago, but after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. He wanted to give back and converted it into a nonprofit institute. The Institute of Soil and Soul offers education programs and information on regenerative farming. "Our sages say we don't go where we want to go, we go where we're needed," he said. "And I think that purpose is revealing."
ABC News
26-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Agritourism booms in WA as farmers look to future-proof businesses
Agritourism is helping farmers in southern Western Australia future-proof their businesses and legacies as experts predict the sector will continue to boom. The CSIRO estimates the industry, which involves farmers using a combination of tours, accommodation and hospitality to attract guests, will be worth $18.6 billion by 2030. Raquel and Murray Johnson have been leasing part of their regenerative farm, Galloway Springs at Bridgetown, to the third-party owner of a tiny house for more than two years. "Agritourism has been a really positive shift for our farm," Ms Johnson said. "I was reluctant in the beginning to have people come on our farm, but it's proved to be so positive. "We started off with just some bookings and two years later we're back-to-back pretty much all of the year." Ms Johnson said since they started leasing the land the couple's agritourism operations had expanded. A separate farmstay offering was added and they were considering the addition of a second tiny house. "We've had visitors straight from South Korea and from Singapore," Ms Johnson said. The farm was also diversifying its income streams via other regenerative practices. "I do my own farm tours, so that's exactly why they're booking — to get onto farm and to see farm animals," Ms Johnson said. "I get the opportunity to explain farming to them and … why healthy food matters and why supporting farmers locally or directly is really important." Olio Bello general manager Brett Roberts said his olive farm's expansion into agritourism had been a "holistic" process. He said the shift, which began seven years ago, had helped to create connections with prospective customers. "We're a certified organic property, so with that comes costs," Mr Roberts said. "Tourism plays a major part in getting people to the property and — if they like our products and like our story and understand what we're about — it helps in the way we sell them." Mr Roberts believed the marriage of farming and tourism was essential for his business. "Without the tourism experiences, people wouldn't come to Olio Bello," he said. "So they do piggyback each other, but if we didn't have the farm, then we wouldn't have the tourism facilities here. "While they rely on each other, we didn't start out to be a tourist destination — it was a way for us to get our story out." A study led by University of Western Australia Associate Professor Kirsten Martinus identified location, authenticity, interaction and learning as key areas of importance for agritourism operations. She also highlighted the need to reframe competition as collaboration. "If you're in agriculture, agriculture itself is quite difficult financially," Dr Martinus said. "It's also highly competitive, but the question is, should you be competing or should providers be collaborating?" She said WA winemakers had shown the way in working collaboratively. "Places like wine-growing regions have been really good at this, because it's not just about going to buy the wine," Dr Martinus said. "They've got chocolate, they've got cheese — you've got all sorts of other experiences you can have. "You start to broaden out the cohort that might be interested. "If you can collaborate with others … suddenly, you grow your market."
The Guardian
09-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
More than a third of UK agricultural soil degraded by intensive farming
More than 60% of the EU's agricultural soils are degraded due to intensive agriculture, with similar damage to about 40% of British soils, a report has found. Experts from the Save Soil initiative said nourishing and restoring agricultural soils could reduce the impact of the climate crisis and provide protection against the worsening extremes of weather, as well as the food shortages and price rises likely to accompany them. This degradation of soil is changing the land's water cycle and exacerbating the impact of the climate crisis in a vicious circle. Impoverished soils, lacking their natural structure, are incapable of holding water in any quantity, so that when it rains, the water tends to run off them, worsening flooding; but in times of drought, when healthy soils would act as a sponge, poor soils have little resilience. Save Soil, which advocates regenerative farming practices, called for soil restoration to be made a key priority of climate programmes, and for changes in agricultural policies and subsidies to reward it. 'Europe and the UK are experiencing extremes – parched fields one month, flooded towns the next. What this report makes clear is that our soils are no longer buffering us,' said a spokesperson for the group. 'We are losing the natural infrastructure that manages water.' In 2022, a third of the EU population and 40% of the bloc's land were affected by water scarcity, while Spain, Italy and Germany have also seen disastrous floods in 2023-2024, the report noted. Groundwater levels have dropped by a third in France, and the UK is likely to see drought this year despite record rain last year. Nearly half of the global urban population, about 2.4 billion people, will face water scarcity by 2050, according to the UN. Price rises of some commodities affected by the climate crisis, including coffee and chocolate, are already being seen by consumers. Last year, a UN study found an excess of salt was already reducing the fertility of at least 10% of land globally, while a further 1bn hectares were under threat. Healthy soils also store more carbon, helping to offset the impact of fossil fuels. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion Karen Johnson, professor of environmental engineering at Durham University, who was not involved with the report, said: 'Soil is a living material intimately connected to human and planetary health and it is only by working with soil as a living material that we can address the global challenges [facing] water. Let's work with the soil microbiome instead of against it – we may as well harness over three billion years of evolutionary knowledge.' Hannah Blitzer, a senior policy officer at the Soil Association, called on the UK government to take action: 'It is essential that soil is better protected – the UK government should give this vital resource the same protection as water and air, while also backing nature-friendly farming like organic that puts soil health first. This means moving away from reliance on harmful artificial pesticides and fertilisers and switching to building resilience in soils through nature-based solutions.' In the UK, farmers can be paid to protect and restore their soils through government schemes. However, one of the key programmes, the sustainable farming incentive, has been paused, and funding for nature-friendly farming is under threat as the Treasury reviews expenditure, leaving farmers in doubt over whether to invest in changing their practices. A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: 'This government recognises the importance of healthy, functioning soil for resilience against the impacts of climate change, such as flooding and drought and to protect food security. That is why we are taking action through agri-environment schemes to encourage land management practices that focus on a sustainable approach to farm and soil management.'
