Mutualism / Interxonnectedness / Pandemic

Nature’s Agent
Born in Missouri, US, in the 1890s, George Washington Carver became the only black man in America with an advanced agricultural science degree. Fascinated by the harmonies between humans and the environment, his life and words remain relevant today.

In Favour of Life
Drawing inspiration from Brazil’s Landless Workers’ Movement, chef, author and food activist Bela Gil believes agroecology is themkey to averting climate change and ending food poverty.

Finding God in Nature
Rajender Kumar Bishnoi lives in Dubai, a long way from Ladana, the village in Rajasthan where he grew up. But wherever in the world he goes, he takes the spirit of the Bishnoi community, and the teachings of Shree Guru Jambeshwar, with him.

An Uncomfortable Truth
At first sight, Nilgiris looks like a secluded haven, with tea plantations covering the mountains like a large green carpet, interspersed with heavily scented eucalyptustrees at every turn. But this green façade hides an uncomfortable truth - that human intervention has destabilised a fragile ecosystem, threatening an ancient culture and the existence of native species.

My Garden My Kingdom
For the inhabitants of Domiz 1, the oldest and biggest refugee camp in Iraq, which hosts 32,000 Syrian refugees, their gardens are more than just a source of flowers and food: through the ravages of war and the difficulties of life during the Covid-19 pandemic, they have become a symbol of hope.

Resetting Global Food Systems
As global food systems and supply chains have been disrupted by Covid-19, Francis Mwanza, researcher and writer on African and local foods, and former head of office of the United Nations World Food Programme’s London office, UK, introduces a series of interviews looking at how communities around the world are adapting and finding local food security solutions to a pandemic-struck planet.

With My Hands in the Soil
Raised in the US, Sonia Rego connects with the land of her ancestors through working the Texas soil.

Entangled Lives
Our lives are inextricably entangled with the lives of other species. Artists and creatives are attempting to recognise this through reciprocal gestures towards nonhumans.

Baba Yaga
How the evolution of a Russian myth reflects the country’s relationship with nature.

Natural Health
Access to green space, with the physical and mental health benefits it brings, should be a human right.

The Metal Element of Autumn
In Taoist Five Element medicine, the metal element governs the lung/colon. It represents the air we breathe. It is non-judgemental, and gives itself freely to all.

Notes on the Limit of Our Skin
Artist Maria Laet’s work seeks to mend the divide between the elements and reminds us that an imprint on the planet is an imprint on ourselves.

A Tale of Two Girls
Words and photography by Deepti Asthana