Why Trump’s Latest Moves May Doom Climate Friendly Farming
Plus olive oil producers race to combat global warming, dinner is getting wilder in the most delicious ways + all of the other sustainable luxury Good + Tasty news you need
Has the Trump Administration Set Sustainable Farming in Its Crosshairs?
Celsa Ortega walks up and down the rows of her 4.25-acre farm in Aromas on a cloudy morning in early June. She’s been farming for five years, but has only had her own plot for about a year.
She’s currently growing lettuce and three different varieties of onion.
“My biggest dream in agriculture is to understand the earth,” Ortega said, in Spanish.
A federally funded grant project aimed to foster that. Researchers at Cal State Monterey Bay got $5 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities (PCSC) program last year to test the effectiveness of three climate-smart practices on farmland in the Salinas Valley: adding compost, planting cover crops, and reducing the amount of applied nitrogen fertilizer.
The grant was initially supposed to fund five years of research. But in April, Kortman and Haffa got a letter from the USDA stating their grant was getting cancelled—and not just theirs. The whole nationwide program was getting axed.
Aldi Goes Big on Light Bottles
Aldi has become the first UK supermarket to introduce ultra-lightweight 300g wine bottles across its range, as part of a major packaging reduction initiative.
Working with Greencroft Bottling and its wine suppliers, the discounter says it has reduced the weight of 20 million still wine bottles from an average of 409g to just 371g this year.
Shoppers can now purchase popular lines including Grapevine Sauvignon Blanc and Grapevine Merlot in the new, lighter glass bottles. The move is expected to significantly cut material use and associated carbon emissions, building on reductions the retailer has been making since 2022. According to Aldi, the changes are the equivalent of removing 12.7 million empty bottles from circulation annually.
Opus One Earns Nature-Friendly Butterfly Mark Certification
Opus One is proud to announce the honor of receiving certification with the Butterfly Mark, a symbol of the Real Changemakers in luxury. Powered by Positive Luxury, The Butterfly Mark is only ever awarded to brands that meet higher and higher standards for people and nature. Opus One Winery has long stood at the intersection of old-world craftsmanship and modern innovation. Founded by Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Robert Mondavi, the winery seamlessly blends French tradition with California’s progressive ethos, a combination that is reflected not only in its wines, but also in its practices to leave a lasting impact.
The Butterfly Mark is awarded to companies that demonstrate a positive impact on the environment and society. Opus One Winery joins Positive Luxury’s Real Changemakers community of brands dedicated to driving positive change in the luxury industry and beyond. To earn the Butterfly Mark, Opus One underwent an expert-led, independent assessment which is built on the foundation of international agreements, global frameworks and standards, and even potential upcoming legislation.
The certification covers: Environment, Social and Governance. This involved providing evidence of the change Opus One has made and continues to make across a vast range of sustainability issues, including impact on key matters like climate, nature and water (Environment), treatment of workers and communities (Social), as well as responsible and ethical business management (Governance).
ETHICAL FOOD
Dinner Is About To Get Wilder
Daniel Boulud’s Daniel—a bastion of fine dining—isn’t especially known for its weeds. But that’s exactly what was included recently, and quite proudly, alongside Maine sea scallops on its menu. In the process of adding more foraged wild ingredients to their fare, chefs say they’re discovering a whole new array of flavors, textures, and inspiration.
The key, says Eddy Leroux, Daniel’s executive chef and culinary director, is finding a forager you can trust. Leroux, like many other elite chefs, looks to Tama Matsuoka Wong.
“I’ve been working with Tama for well over a decade,” Leroux says. “Now she comes in once or twice a week with large deliveries of everything she finds. I respect and follow all of her guidance.”
It’s not just a point of pride, having the freshest, rarest, furthest-from-factory-farmed greens; it’s about making better food, and food that’s better for us.
Racing To Save Olive Oil From Climate Change
It’s rare that food is as tasty as it is foundational to a wholesome and well-rounded diet. Many delicious things—wine, cheese, chocolate—offer some health benefits, but also come with enough negatives that overconsumption poses a genuine threat to a person’s wellbeing.
But olive oil’s ability to increase levels of good cholesterol, lower levels of bad cholesterol, and its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant components—in addition to its versatility in sweet and savory recipes— have made it a culinary star.
Climate change may be threatening this Mediterranean Diet staple, but producers are acting to save the $15.11 billion business, the hundreds of thousands of jobs associated with it, and our ability to eat well, while also eating deliciously.
LUXURY TRAVEL
Why Broke Travelers Seeking Luxe Are Going With the Faux (Liverpool for London, Croatia for Italy, etc.)
Rather than breaking the bank, visiting voguish vacation locations, a staggering 63% of pennywise sightseers are taking cost-friendly trips to “destination dupes.”
“With travel prices soaring, many Americans are rethinking how and where they vacation,” explained study authors for CouponFollow, a discount travel hub, in a recent report.
Insiders surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults, ranging in age from 18 to over 55. The poll revealed that frugal folks have saved an average of $2,262, exploring less popular lands, like Liverpool and Croatia, as reasonable substitutes to haute hotspots such as London and Italy, respectively.
Can the World’s Biggest Yacht Be Sustainable?
The launch of the Orient Express Corinthian marks a new era in luxury cruising, combining the elegance of the historic Orient Express train with the cutting-edge technology of modern shipbuilding. This extraordinary vessel, which recently floated out from the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in France, is set to redefine luxury travel on the high seas. As it prepares for its maiden voyage from Marseille, sailing through the Mediterranean and across the Atlantic, the Corinthian promises an unparalleled experience for its guests. With state-of-the-art features and opulent amenities, this cruise ship is not just a mode of transportation but a destination in itself.
The vessel is equipped with dynamic positioning technology to eliminate the need for anchoring, thus protecting fragile seabeds. The inclusion of the BIO-UV Group’s chemical-free, UV-based BIO-SEA ballast water treatment system further emphasizes the ship’s focus on maintaining ecological balance. These pioneering features set a new benchmark for safety and environmental responsibility in the cruise industry.