A plant scientist at Mars Inc. has appealed to the world's biggest life sciences companies to help him — by sharing what they already know about 100 crops that could provide better nutrition in Africa. But can the kings of agricultural intellectual property get onboard with open source agricultural information for Africa?

Hipsters may just be discovering the joys of backyard chickens, but in African megacities, people have been bringing their animals into the slums with them for decades. That's creating a new ecosystem of animals and huge numbers of people living closely together like never before.

Despite its name, the "pot pig" experiment isn't an attempt to develop a new meaty treat for stoners. Instead, a Seattle butcher is feeding marijuana seeds, stems and root bulbs to swine as a cheeky money-saving measure.

After years of research, an animal scientist looking for ways to keep inflammation down in cattle came up with a novel approach: feed them flax. The flax in their food helps keep animals healthy and has an added benefit for people who later eat their meat: omega-3 enriched beef.

Actor Wendell Pierce, who stars in David Simon's Treme, is trying to combat New Orleans' food deserts by building convenience and grocery stores in the city's neediest areas. But a host of stumbling blocks still make it hard to get fresh, healthful foods to people living in these areas.

A new report makes the case that insects may be essential to feeding a planet of 7 billion people. Why? They're nutritious, better for the environment than other protein sources and can generate jobs, according to the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization.

Treated human waste has been used on farmland for decades, but the ick factor has not entirely faded. Some environmentalists think the treatment process may not get rid of all the harmful contaminants that could be in the waste.

In 2007, Samoa banned the import of turkey tails from the U.S. to try to improve public health. But the ban kept the island nation from entering the World Trade Organization, so its days are numbered.

New ideas about health, like physical culture and the paleo approach, appear at times of massive cultural change. The Industrial Revolution and current digital revolution represent fertile ground, a historian says. Both movements look to the past for inspiration on how to eat, exercise and get back to a more natural way of life.

Historians tell us that caffeine in coffee helped Western civilization "sober up" and get down to business. Now scientific research shows that at low doses, caffeine improves performance on mental tasks, especially in people who are already tired.

The Espresso, a San Diego newspaper for "cafe society," documents the local coffee shop scene with juicy vignettes in a gossip column. Publisher John Rippo says he's inspired by European periodicals written for the cafe intelligentsia.

A new analysis of government data finds that antibiotic-resistant bacteria that cause human illness were widespread in supermarket meat samples tested. The implications are significant: that the bacteria had become resistant to antibiotics back at the farm because farmers were overusing them.

The aftermath of office vending machine binges can be unpleasant, psychologically and physically. So we're glad to be sitting far from the vending machine in NPR's new building, where we'll be moving on Monday.

The number of kids with dangerous levels of lead in their blood hasn't declined much in the past decade, as the government has remained focused on managing lead-based paint. Now researchers argue that more attention to contaminated soil is needed to prevent lead poisoning.

Manufacturers of water heaters agreed in 1988 to set all heaters at 120 degrees Fahrenheit to help reduce tap water burns. But burn rates haven't declined much, so a scientist wanted to find out why.

The most prestigious medical institutions now encourage patients to blog their experiences with serious illness through sites like CaringBridge and CarePages. Palliative care experts say these tools and social media may be helping us all become more open to talking about death.

Henrietta Lacks' family was never consulted before her genetic information was made public. Author Rebecca Skloot, who chronicled the story of her cells, says current regulations aren't covering the privacy questions that come up for people like the Lacks family.

Go looking for animal products, and you will find them everywhere, including pharmaceutical drugs. That's the word from a new guide to animal-derived products in everyday products written by two German "professional vegans."

Robert Lustig, a physician and anti-sugar crusader, found in a new study that countries where people have easy access to sugar are more likely to see a rise in diabetes. But skeptics say that sugar's not the only culprit.

While underground dinners may seem like old hat to some, a handful of startups are betting the concept is just beginning to take off. But many supper clubs are still more expensive than the average restaurant meal, which may limit the market.