California farmers seek alternatives to plastic mulch in crop production

California's agricultural sector is exploring replacements for plastic mulch, a petrochemical-derived material that has been central to farming since the 1960s, as the industry confronts environmental and sustainability concerns.

First covered Aug 28, 2026 · 2:00 AM PT · 1 article · no longer in the live window

California farmers seek alternatives to plastic mulch in crop production — Image via insideclimatenews.org

Coverage

29d Inside Climate News Can California Farmers Break Free From Plastic? — Farmers have relied on plastic since the 1960s, when the mass production of affordable agricultural tools derived from petrochemicals made them widely…

Primary sources

montereybay.noaa.gov Agricultural Field Plastics | Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Health Effects of Microplastic Exposures: Current Issues and Perspectives in South Korea

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov 36969097 (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

More coverage from around the web

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Living Mulches, Rolled Cover Crops, and Plastic Mulch: Effects on Soil Properties, Weed Suppression, and Yield in Organic Strawberry Systems

mavensnotebook.com INSIDE CLIMATE NEWS: Can California farmers break free from plastic? ~ MAVEN'S NOTEBOOK | California Water News Central

lookout.co Can California farmers break free from plastic? - Lookout Santa Cruz

ucanr.edu Biodegradable Plastic Mulch: Is it Right for your Farm? | Supporting Small Farms

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Performance and Degradation of Nonwoven Mulches Made of Natural Fibres and PLA Polymer—Open Field Study

Appeared in: 2026-08-29 (#14)

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