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Whole Foods Bans Produce Grown With Sludge. But Who Wins?

A woman shops in the produce section at Whole Foods in New York City. The company recently announced it would prohibit produce farmed using biosolids in its stores. Stephen Chernin/Getty Images hide caption

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Stephen Chernin/Getty Images

The Salt

Whole Foods Bans Produce Grown With Sludge. But Who Wins?

Whole Foods recently decided it would not buy produce from farmers who used treated sewage sludge, also known as biosolids, on their fields. But scientists say this is a mistake — the material is safe and benefits the environment in lots of different ways.

Cities Turn Sewage Into 'Black Gold' For Local Farms

Thick jets of processed sewage arc out 30 to 40 feet from giant moving spreaders at Birmingham Farm in Kansas City, Mo. Frank Morris for NPR hide caption

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Frank Morris for NPR

The Salt

Cities Turn Sewage Into 'Black Gold' For Local Farms

KCUR 89.3

Cities are finding beneficial and lucrative ways to dispose of solid waste, while also helping farmers. But a lot of sewage still ends up in landfills or being processed at big, industrial incinerators.

Cities Turn Sewage Into 'Black Gold' For Local Farms

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