November 16, 2024

Spotlight Stories

Spotlight 1 – Oregon Capital Chronicle highlights an Oregon farm incubator that seeks to make it easier for people to become farmers. Read about it, here.

Spotlight 2 – Financial Times discusses how to feed the world via the power of uncommon collaborations in agritech. Check out the story, here.

Spotlight 3 – NC State Extension has published a report on the enhancement of animal welfare and productivity at farms using silvopasture in NC and VA. Check it out, here.

Industry Updates

Carlsberg Denmark has entered into an agreement with DLG and Viking Malt to purchase Danish malt barley grown according to regenerative principles. The malt barley will be used for a specially brewed Carlsberg, which will be available in 2025 and be Carlsberg's first beer in Denmark with regenerative raw materials. As part of its sustainability strategy, Together Towards ZERO and Beyond, Carlsberg Group has committed to sourcing all raw materials according to regenerative principles by 2040. This transition will benefit both climate and the environment. [link]

Ecologists at the University of Oregon have been awarded a grant to test what they hope is a win for conservation and a win for hazelnut farmers. The $2 million federal grant allows the UO team to expand their research into improving soil health and climate resilience in hazelnut groves by planting native wildflowers with added crushed basalt under the trees. The funding is from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Innovation Grants Program, through the Inflation Reduction Act. [link]

Berlin-based agritech startup Klim is working to get farms to switch to regenerative farming more easily, and to help expand its operations internationally, the startup recently secured a $22 million Series A funding round led by Europe’s largest bank BNP Paribas. Notably, the round is one of the largest raised by agritech startups in Europe this year. With Klim, farmers get tools to plan, execute and finance the transition to regenerative practices. This includes data on restoring soil health, biodiversity, capturing carbon and reducing emissions. Farmers can also use Klim’s platform to track the progress of their transition and prove it to supply chain partners, enabling them to earn revenue payouts for sequestered carbon. Klim then takes a commission on the sale of carbon “insets” linked to supply chains, and farmers can generate revenue from these by selling them on Klim’s marketplace. [link]

LandAlive, which takes place on November 22 and 23 at the Bath & West Showground, Somerset, is bringing together expert farmers and speakers to explain how the whole food supply chain can become more resilient, profitable and environmentally sustainable. A new prize fund has just been announced, which will officially launch at LandAlive, offering two farmers or farm advisers in South West England £2,500 each towards a two-year regenerative farming program called Roots to Regeneration (R2R). The prize fund, sponsored by the Worshipful Company of Grocers, aims to stimulate innovation in farm business models in response to climate change, biodiversity loss, soil health, animal welfare, and – importantly – supporting farmer wellbeing. [link]

The Soil Inventory Project (TSIP) has announced a new partnership with EarthOptics, formalizing the two organizations' commitment to share data and expertise to produce the most advanced insights into soil health and sustainability. TSIP, a science-led non-profit, and EarthOptics, a leader in advanced soil sensing and predictive analytics technology, will enhance data exchange to provide robust, trusted, and actionable information on soil carbon storage, greenhouse gas accounting, and farm sustainability for farmers and ranchers. Through this partnership, TSIP will offer participating EarthOptics customers access to its cutting-edge modeling and automated reporting tools. By leveraging EarthOptics’ innovative soil sensing technology, which collects high-resolution physical, chemical, and biological soil data, the collaboration aims to empower agricultural stakeholders with data-driven insights for enhanced productivity and sustainable practices. [link]

Cargill RegenConnect has surpassed one million enrolled acres for the 2025 U.S. planting season, a milestone that underscores Cargill’s ongoing efforts to support farmers in adopting regenerative agriculture practices. Since its launch in 2021, Cargill RegenConnect has provided farmers with the tools, resources, and incentives they need to implement regenerative practices like low till, no-till, and cover cropping. The nearly 1,500 farmers enrolled in the U.S. program receive dedicated agronomist support, one-year contracts, payments for carbon sequestered, and choice of regenerative practices to adopt. This flexible approach helps farmers find the methods that work best for their operation as they transition. [link]

The South Dakota Specialty Producers Association (SDSPA) has entered into a Conservation Collaborative Cooperative Agreement (CCCA) with NRCS to promote regenerative organic practices (ROP) within the state. By joining the Regenerative Agriculture Pathway Program, producers can improve soil health, reduce erosion, and enhance water quality. These practices can also lead to increased biodiversity, improved crop yields, and greater resilience to climate change. SDSPA will provide hands-on technical assistance, educational programs, and resources to help producers implement ROP on their operations. [link]

A new comprehensive study, “Potential for U.S. Agriculture to Be Greenhouse Gas Negative,” says that five major areas exist for carbon footprint reduction to get the sector to net zero, or below. Led by U.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action and supported by the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research, the study says that soil carbon management, nitrogen fertilizer management, animal production and management, crop yield gap, and efficient energy use will be key to getting U.S. agriculture to a net-negative greenhouse gas emitter. Published by the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, the analysis suggests aggressive adoption of conservation practices in these areas can more than offset its carbon footprint while increasing farmer profitability and farm resiliency. [link]

CoBank has announced the launch of its first sustainability-linked loan in partnership with its customer, Heartland Co-op. Through this partnership, Heartland Co-op will receive a slight interest rate reduction on its operating line of credit with CoBank if it achieves ambitious goals related to water quality conservation practices and farmer engagement. Environmental Defense Fund supported the development of the loan and advised on the water quality targets. [link]

Agriculture sustainability-focused startup NitroVolt announced that it has raised €3.5 million euros (USD$3.7 million) in seed funding, with proceeds to be used to help to commercialize its system for producing ammonia for farmers with a minimal carbon impact. Ammonia is used extensively in a number of areas, especially agriculture as a key ingredient in nitrogen fertilizers. Production of fertilizers such as nitrogen is an energy intensive process that, when it uses fossil fuels, contributes an estimated 2% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Founded in 2023, Denmark-based NitroVolt aims to solve this challenge with its Nitrolyzer system, which will produce “green ammonia” at the point-of-use...the farm. The company has developed a system that combines air, water, and renewable electricity in an electrocatalytic ammonia synthesis process that totally removes fossil fuels from the production process, making its ammonia 100% renewable, carbon-free, and competitive with current ammonia prices. [link]

Analysis conducted by the Center for Human Nutrition Studies at Utah State University on behalf of Regenified and Diestel Family Ranch, confirms that Diestel turkeys grown with regenerative farming practices are not only better for the land, but can also improve fatty acid ratios and phytochemicals in turkeys. Diestel's regenerative birds were the first to be fed 650-tons of U.S.-grown Certified Regenerative feed that directly improves bird and soil health. In addition, Diestel turkeys have access to open land that was designed to replicate their natural shaded forest habitat. The Diestel brand has higher levels of zinc than a national leading brand. Vitamins B3 and B12 were found to be higher in the Diestel Regenerative samples compared to a national leading brand. The analysis also found that the Regenerative Diestel ground had higher levels of phytochemicals compared to a national leading brand, then transferred into the birds that eat plants from this land. [link]

In Case You Missed It…

In mid-October, Sysco and ABP launched a five-year collaborative sustainable farming project in Tipperary, Ireland, aiming to help pioneer regenerative farming methods. See more, here.