November 23, 2024

Spotlight Stories

Spotlight 1 – World Economic Forum writes about how regenerative agriculture can make climate solutions more resilient. Read about it, here.

Spotlight 2 – NPR wonders if the solution to soil releasing CO2 could be letting water reclaim the land. Check out the story, here.

Spotlight 3 – Forbes says it’s time to move from oil to soil. Check it out, here.

Industry Updates

U.S. President Biden announced in Manaus, Brazil that USAID will commit nearly $40 million to strengthen protection of the Brazilian Legal Amazon, including by launching a suite of new activities to accelerate the bioeconomy and catalyze further funding from U.S. philanthropies and the private sector. The new initiatives will support more than 42 million hectares of Protected Areas – an area the size of California – with activities reinforcing forest fire management, supporting uptake of regenerative agriculture in areas at high risk of deforestation, improving territorial management for Indigenous communities, and strengthening bioeconomy value chains to ensure economic development and forest conservation go hand-in-hand. [link]

Global climate finance for sustainable and agroecological food systems is shrinking amid a worsening climate crisis putting pressure on agriculture and the livelihoods of millions of farmers, according to a new report by the Global Alliance for the Future of Food. The report stated that the percentage of climate finance for food systems dipped from 3 to 2.5 percent between 2017 and 2022 despite food systems accounting for about a third of all global greenhouse gas emissions. And funding into food systems dipped further as sustainable and agroecological food systems interventions only accounted for 1.5 percent of the money within the period. [link]

A brand-new free digital agroforestry designer toolkit is being launched by cloud-based mapping software company Land App and partners. Aimed at farmers, estate managers and land agents across the UK, Land App’s ground-breaking new Agroforestry Designer Toolkit aims to platform agroforestry – the intentional integration of trees into farms – and its many benefits to farmers, their livestock and nature. The Agroforestry Designer Toolkit was developed in partnership with Shropshire Council and with input from Edd Colbert (Agroforestry Design). It is funded by Trees Outside Woodland (a partnership project of Defra, The Tree Council, Natural England, and Shropshire Council) with support from the Forestry Commission, Nature-Friendly Farming Network, The Tree Council and the Woodland Trust. [link]

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has launched its 2024 Statistical Yearbook, offering an in-depth overview of the most significant trends shaping global agrifood systems. The 2024 edition is structured into four thematic chapters covering: the economic dimensions of agriculture; the production, trade, and prices of commodities; food security and nutrition; and sustainability and environmental aspects of agriculture. [link]

Indigo Ag and Truterra have announced a strategic collaboration aimed at simplifying, expanding and accelerating the adoption of ag sustainability solutions. The two companies will work toward creating a common framework for high-integrity agriculture sustainability programs that effectively responds to the demands of downstream buyers within and beyond the ag value chain by ensuring greater consistency and standardization of ag sustainability outcomes and delivering a broader spectrum of solutions. Farmers enrolling in agricultural sustainability programs will have the ability to more easily choose the program that best suits their farming operations, with the support and expertise of their trusted advisors, the ag retailers. They will also benefit from new, actionable insights generated by aggregating and standardizing data. [link]

The dairy checkoff announced that it has launched the Dairy Conservation Navigator, an online resource hub designed to provide farm advisors, stakeholders and conservation professionals with science-based information on sustainable farming practices and technologies. The Navigator aggregates science-based information from more than 70 experts, helping users make informed decisions that enhance farm profitability and sustainability efforts. Dairy checkoff scientists and others developed a list of over 80 practices that have a positive environmental benefit in areas including nutrient management, methane reduction, soil health, manure handling and more. The tool can be accessed at www.dairyconservation.org. [link]

A new study from Penn State University reveals that phosphorus, a vital nutrient in soil, is increasingly being washed away from agricultural land in the United States due to heavier rainstorms. The study analyzed data from 430 rivers across the country and found that phosphorus loss from farmland has risen over the past forty years, even with efforts to reduce agricultural runoff. The study also found that while efforts to control phosphorus pollution from urban wastewater are effective, agricultural runoff remains a significant challenge due to increased storm severity, a phenomenon tied to climate change. Researchers believe that solutions will need to include both technological advancements and changes in farming practices. [link]

The Soil and Water Outcomes Fund, a leading agricultural ecosystem services program, announced that McCormick & Company has joined its Midwest Climate-Smart Commodity Program. In collaboration with PepsiCo, the organizations will provide greater financial and technical support to farmers enrolled in the Midwest Climate-Smart Commodity Program helping to drive adoption of voluntary, regenerative agriculture practices. The Midwest Climate-Smart Commodity Program is administered by the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund (SWOF) and was created in 2023 with a $95 million grant awarded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, and $62 million in corporate commitments from companies like PepsiCo. Farmers enrolled in the program, who span 12 states across the Midwest and Plains regions, have opted to implement conservation practices such as reduced tillage, cover crops, extended crop rotations, and fertilization management to help improve soil health, water quality, reduce erosion, and more. [link]

In celebration of National Apprenticeship Week, Serve Colorado announced the launch of a new Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) in regenerative farm management, aimed at fostering the next generation of agricultural professionals in Colorado. This new RAP is the result of a collaborative effort supported by a 2022 Scale Up Grant from the State of Colorado. Over the past 18 months, dedicated partners, including local experts and educational institutions, have come together to design a comprehensive training program that meets the evolving needs of the farming industry. The program aims to place its first two apprentices by December 31, 2024, with training and work scheduled to begin in March 2025. [link]

At COP29, CGIAR (Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research) has joined the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate) in announcing investments and partnerships aimed at transforming food systems and building resilience to climate change. Amid the momentum, CGIAR unveiled two new AIM for Climate Innovation Sprints focused on improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in low- and middle-income countries, reinforcing its commitment to addressing some of the most pressing challenges in our food, land, and water systems. The new Innovation Sprints include a $250 million impact fund (FICRA) that will channel patient debt financing to 25-30 financial institutions across Asia, Africa, and Latin America, along with a $150 million, 10-year blended impact fund (Ag360 Climate Fund) focused on gender-responsive circular agriculture projects in the Global South. [link]

Seventy-eight NGOs, including Save Soil, 4per1000 and SEKEM, endorsed a policy recommendation document on regenerative farming climate financing to be presented to the UNFCCC at the ongoing UN climate conference (COP29). The key policy recommendations include: Making climate finance accessible to farmers for adopting regenerative agro-ecological practices, increasing climate finance allocation to farmers for creating carbon sinks in farmlands, developing supportive policies and infrastructure for adopting sustainable land practices, mobilizing private investment into soil regeneration, and integrating soil restoration into climate finance strategies. Implementing regenerative agro-ecological practices worldwide could contribute 27 per cent of the carbon sequestration needed to cap global warming below a 2-degree Celsius rise. Yet, a lack of financial support limits farmers' ability to transition from conventional, soil-degrading practices. [link]

Amsterdam-based TRACT, which offers sustainability measurement systems for supply chains, announced that it has raised $11.2 million in new funding. The funds will be used to expand the scope of the company’s services, which include a SaaS platform that enables companies in the agricultural and food industries to assess and develop methods to reduce their carbon footprints. The new funding will accelerate initiatives related to scope 3 (indirect) emissions, as well tracking insights into farmer income and working to support reporting related to CSRD and CSDDD, EU regulations that require companies to report sustainability information, along with performing due diligence on the sustainability of the organizations they work with, TRACT said. [link]

The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research and Danone North America announced the opening of a Request for Applications (RFA) focused on promoting regenerative agriculture. The grant opportunity Understanding the Impact of Hub Farm Resources in Expanding Adoption of Regenerative Agriculture Practices will provide up to $450,000 total over one to two awards for research fostering the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices. This funding intends to support socio-economic research on both large and small dairy farms that aims to promote replication of hub farm best management practices across the farm environments. The research should also provide guidance for encouraging middle adopters of regenerative agriculture practices to increase and maintain cover crop acres and facilitate the acquisition of appropriate equipment and infrastructure to scale these practices. [link]

Kiss the Ground announced $500,000 in direct-to-farmer grants alongside a new set of farmer offerings. Beyond the $500K in direct financial support covering training and equipment, Kiss the Ground has vastly expanded storytelling initiatives focused on the farmers. The shorts-series "5 with a Farmer" features quick, heartfelt chats with the people behind our food, while the mini-documentary series "Stories of Regeneration" documents the inspirational journeys of farmers making real change through regenerative agriculture. Kiss the Ground’s updated farmer hub features a map of over 100 regenerative farms nationwide, encouraging consumers to support local regenerative agriculture. [link]

In Case You Missed It…

Earlier this month, a new study from Dartmouth College indicated that farmers are increasingly adopting regenerative agriculture practices to decrease their dependence on agrochemical companies. See more, here.