Zach Boren

a major victory for the dairy industry, which has been trying to make it incredibly difficult to market plant-based drinks for years

in 2023, i revealed its strategy with @unearthednews.bsky.social and @thetimes.com

unearthed.greenpeace.org/2023/05/20/p...

Breaking: Washington Post gutting its climate team Clean energy dies in darkness. Courtesy of Jeff Bezos.

I don't say this often but: I'm so proud to be a climate and environment reporter. We cover an issue that is vitally important to humanity and the natural world. 14 of my climate colleagues at the Post were laid off today and I'm devastated.

www.climatecoloredgoggles.com/p/washington...

Amazon deforestation may rise 30% as major traders exit historic soy pact As global soy giants walk away from a landmark pact, land grabbers move in to clear the forest for new crops.

amazon deforestation fell to an 11 year low just in time for COP30

but new analysis suggests the recent collapse of the soy moratorium could see it increase by 30% by 2045

news.mongabay.com/2026/02/amaz...

UK supermarkets push for Amazon soy safeguards after traders abandon ban European retailers urge traders to adhere to commitments after Brazilian lawmakers wreck forest protection pact

feels like the sudden abandonment of the amazon soy moratorium - one of the most consequential conservation agreements ever - has largely gone unnoticed

good to see UK and EU supermarkets pressure the big commodity traders to stick to their commitments

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

UK supermarkets push for Amazon soy safeguards after traders abandon ban European retailers urge traders to adhere to commitments after Brazilian lawmakers wreck forest protection pact

feels like the sudden abandonment of the amazon soy moratorium - one of the most consequential conservation agreements ever - has largely gone unnoticed

good to see UK and EU supermarkets pressure the big commodity traders to stick to their commitments

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Bureau of Land Management says bison are not livestock, obstructing plans for a huge private prairie reserve The American Prairie nonprofit seeks to create a 5,000-square-mile prairie reserve in Montana where buffalo may roam and antelope play.

a few years ago i became fascinated by the american prairie project in montana - bring back bison! - and the dark money campaign to stop it and 'save the cowboy'

sad to see the US govt has reversed its decision to let the bison graze on public lands

reason.com/2026/01/23/b...

Worth remembering when looking at the horrific scenes in the US right now that both Reform and the Tories have pledged to bring in ICE-style organisations to the UK if they win power

it isn't everyday your work leads to changes in the law!

after 6 years investigating toxic sewage sludge spread on UK farms, the government today announced it will significantly tighten the regulations.

a major result, if a few years late

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/696f52...

US accuses EU of seeking cheese ‘monopoly’ in South America Bloc will sign trade agreement on Saturday after 25 years of talks

lol Trump is unhappy America will no longer be able to export champagne that's not from champagne or parma ham that's not from parma

www.ft.com/content/1442...

👀

i personally would have gone farther in exploring the pro-meat / anti-plant propoganda reasons for the backlash, but i appreciate that rachel sugar (a top-tier example of nominative determinism) highlighted big food's PR mastermind richard berman

www.grubstreet.com/article/vega...

last week: a session at the oxford real farming conference on the "demise of plant-based foods" @rob-percival.bsky.social

this week: @nymag.com on how veganism "got cooked"

a few years ago the transition to more sustainable diets seemed inevitable. now it feels so far away

RFK Jr's phone starts quacking (a bit on the nose)

Kennedy Flips Food Pyramid to Emphasize Red Meat and Whole Milk

RFK's long-awaited dietary guidelines are here! Not surprised he's recommending more red meat, quite surprised he didn't explicitly attack seed oils

www.nytimes.com/2026/01/07/w...

How lobbyists for Monsanto led a ‘grassroots farmers’ movement against an EU glyphosate ban American agrochemical giant Monsanto paid to have lobby firm Red Flag to set up ‘grassroots farmers’ groups across Europe to oppose a prospective EU ban on glyphosate, the controversial key ingredient...

when the EU looked at banning glyphosate, monsanto hired lobbyists to run a 'grassroots farmers' campaign to keep it on the market, as i revealed in 2018

unearthed.greenpeace.org/2018/10/17/m...

A Study Is Retracted, Renewing Concerns About the Weedkiller Roundup

with the EPA set to decide whether to reasses the safety of glyphosate - and famously anti-pesticide activist RFK Jr in post at HHS - a retraction of this significance could actually prove consequential

i wouldn't bet on it, but worth keeping tabs on

www.nytimes.com/2026/01/02/c...

Major Brazilian grain traders quit Amazon conservation pact A lobby group for Brazilian grain trading and crushing firms has told farming state Mato Grosso that it and many of its members are quitting a nearly 20-year-old pact protecting the Amazon basin from ...

the writing has been on the walls for some time now but i'm genuinely surprised just how quickly the soy moratorium has collapsed

not surprised, however, that cargill, bunge etc dropped it as soon as it became inconvenient

www.reuters.com/sustainabili...

i’m no longer at @unearthednews.bsky.social, but am still investigating climate, environment, and food systems issues

i’ll be at the oxford real farming conference later this week if anyone there wants to grab a coffee ☕️

5 years ago i revealed a secret govt report detailing the toxic chemicals in sludge widely used as fertiliser on farms

great to be at today's @riveractionuk.bsky.social event at parliament where a minister promised action and we all sang a sludge-themed xmas carol 🎶

EU ‘veggie burger’ ban stalls after talks collapse An MEP’s crusade for naming restrictions on non-meat foods expands to ‘liver’ and ‘ham’ — but national governments aren’t buying it.

sanity may yet prevail

www.politico.eu/article/eu-v...

Grateful for the last decade, now time for something new

Revealed: How the meat industry funds the ‘greenhouse gas guru’ Internal documents chronicle the livestock sector's deep ties to leading academic Dr Frank Mitloehner

And my favourite ever investigation landed on the front page of the New York Times — a milestone moment for meat and climate reporting

unearthed.greenpeace.org/2022/10/31/f...

Secret report details toxic chemicals in sewage used as fertiliser at English farms The Environment Agency found sewage sludge destined for English fields was contaminated with microplastics, weedkiller, and “persistent organic pollutants”

My investigation into toxic sewage sludge spread on farmland laid the groundwork for an ongoing effort to properly regulate the practice

unearthed.greenpeace.org/2020/02/04/s...

British government finally releases secret fracking report The Cabinet Office has finally released its secret report on the fracking industry, following a 22-month Freedom of Information battle with Unearthed

I broke several stories on the UK’s failed effort to frack for shale gas, including a Guardian front page and BBC coverage — but my favourite moment was forcing the disclosure of a secret Cabinet Office report after a year-long FOI fight

unearthed.greenpeace.org/2019/12/02/g...

Personal news: after 11 brilliant years investigating big polluters at Greenpeace Unearthed, I’m signing off next week. It’s been a huge part of my life — I’ve made many great friends and done work I’m very proud of. A few highlights...

BREAKING: Our fake Chinese AI investor bought access into heart of Labour government Ex-Tory MP facilitated meetings with 10+ Labour MPs and met ministers in “cash-for-access operation”

🔴 BREAKING: Our fake Chinese AI investor bought access to 10+ Labour MPs and minister

Brand new investigation by Democracy for Sale and Led By Donkeys.

democracyforsale.substack.com/p/breaking-o...

Water companies are issuing increasing amounts in 'green' bonds - over £10bn since 2017.

We found cases where funds have refinanced completed projects & others where the money was used for activities that companies are obliged by law to deliver

My latest: unearthed.greenpeace.org/2025/11/30/w...

thinking of her today

this is such a perfect example of conservatism

we’re raising prices on this thing that should be free but “they” will be paying more than “you” so show some gratitude you worms

How a ‘veggie burger’ ban nobody wanted became one Brussels might actually pass A fringe amendment to protect meaty vocabulary has become a test of Europe’s loyalty to tradition and its waning appetite for food innovation.

sounds like most people in the EU parliament understand this is a bad idea but they are - to use a potentially prohibited phrase - too chicken to stop it

www.politico.eu/article/vegg...