This is an interview with Aidai Asangulova, one of the most well-known young felt-maker artisans in Kyrgyzstan, and a leader of Min Kyial (an artisan organization). The interview was translated from Kyrgyz into English by Aibek Samakov. 

How did you learn the art of traditional felt-making?
I grew up in my grandparents’ house in Kyzyl-Tuu village of [...]

Although the words biodiversity and development often seem to make a bad pair, people and birds continue to thrive together in Ethiopia’s Rift Valley, sharing the benefits of this rich landscape and shaping each other’s fortunes. This co-evolution and cohabitation is central to the biocultural diversity of the region. And wise and respectful stewardship of [...]

Global food issues are grabbing our attention and for good reason: the industrial system of the last sixty years is fraying at the edges, causing a cascade of environmental and social problems. Worldwide, a billion people go hungry. A similar number over-eat the wrong foods. And yet one-third of food produced for human consumption is [...]

Kenson and Cymbol are successful parents and homeowners in the island nation of Vanuatu. They garden, spend time with their kids and eat well. To pay for their children’s school fees, Cymbol weaves valuable straw mats that serve as local currency. The family lives off the bounty of their ancestral lands and has very little [...]

Olisarali Olibui carries a Kalashnikov rifle in one hand and a camera in the other. A member of one of Ethiopia’s most isolated tribes – the Mursi – Olibui knows his culture’s way of life is in danger from the encroachment of outside forces.
“My people live in a very remote area,” he says in a [...]