August 16, 2025

Spotlight Stories

Spotlight 1 – Successful Farming details an Indiana farmer’s soil transformation journey from poor fields to top yields. Check it out, here.

Spotlight 2 – AgTechNavigator asks, “why are U.S. farmers struggling to adopt sustainable ag?” Read the story, here.

Spotlight 3 – El Paso Matters writes about how pecan farmers in El Paso are innovating as drought and climate change pressure local water supplies. Take a read, here.

Industry Updates

Scientists from the University of Arizona have found that agrivoltaics, the practice of combining agricultural production with solar energy generation on the same land, can help improve crop yields and food security in dry regions. According to their research published in npj Sustainable Agriculture, agrivoltaics help reduce the effects of the midday depression in photosynthesis — a daytime drop in photosynthetic activity caused by extreme solar radiation, heat stress, and low moisture. Solar arrays placed strategically over crops produce a beneficial microclimate that lowers air temperatures, increases humidity levels, and shields crops from excessive sunlight, all of which can increase crop yields. The authors note that water-stressed regions such as "North, Central, and South America, the Middle East, and North Africa" could especially benefit from agrivoltaics to secure food supplies, reduce water scarcity, and put less strain on water supplies used for irrigation. [link]

President Donald Trump has called on China to significantly increase its soybean orders from the United States, a move that could potentially address the trade imbalance between the two nations. The President took to Truth Social to express his hope that China would quadruple its soybean orders from the U.S. to address its soybean shortage. Analysts say that this is unlikely to happen anytime soon. [link]

A new Anglo-French study suggests that spreading crushed volcanic rock on farmland could help remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere — and potentially boost crop yields. However, its effectiveness depends heavily on local soil conditions. Researchers from Rothamsted Research (UK), INRAE (France), and the UK’s National Oceanography Centre tested basalt rock dust — a quarrying by-product — on two soil types: sandy and silty clay. In pot trials, they applied the dust at two rates (equivalent to 80 and 160 tonnes per hectare) and monitored changes in soil chemistry and ryegrass growth. The study found that basalt raised soil pH by about 0.8 units, improving fertility. It also released key nutrients like potassium, which significantly boosted plant growth in sandy soils. However, uptake of others — including phosphorus and trace metals — decreased in some cases, especially in nutrient-rich soils, due to altered soil chemistry. [link]

Americans will have to wait several weeks for the Trump administration’s next steps in its agenda to “Make America Healthy Again,” according to three people familiar with the matter. While President Donald Trump’s MAHA Commission will submit its strategy to the White House on Tuesday, August 12 — sticking to an executive-ordered deadline — scheduling issues stand in the way of its public release. Officials are aiming to launch their strategy by the end of this month, according to the three people familiar. The commission’s first MAHA report, issued in May, laid out the case that ultra-processed foods, pharmaceutical prescriptions and environmental toxins are driving a crisis of childhood chronic disease in America. [link]

Researchers at the University of Sharjah (UoS), in collaboration with global tech leader IBM, have unveiled My FarmWell, a pioneering mobile application designed to address water scarcity and promote sustainable agriculture across the UAE and the broader Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Powered by IBM’s cutting-edge Environmental Intelligence Suite, the app marks a significant step forward in climate-smart farming. Hosted on IBM Cloud, the app offers localized, practical guidance to help farmers optimize irrigation, choose suitable crops, and manage water resources more efficiently. [link]

Danone is launching an Oikos yogurt drink aimed at users of Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs as the dairy giant seeks to cement the popular brand as a tool for consumers to support their nutritional needs while taking the medications. The product, called Oikos Fusion, helps consumers build and retain muscle mass, targeting the roughly 10% of the U.S. population that has tried or is using GLP-1 drugs. Danone, citing data from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, said a fifth of the weight consumers lose is muscle while taking GLP-1 medications. [link]

Proterra Investment Partners announced that it is acquiring AcreTrader, a leading farmland investment platform operating at the intersection of agriculture, finance, and technology. AcreTrader, under Proterra's ownership, is positioned to scale farmland offerings while maintaining its mission to increase access and transparency within the asset class. The transaction also further expands the growth of Acres.com as an independent platform, delivering complete land intelligence to meet its rapidly growing market demand. AcreTrader has enabled investment in over 140 farmland properties spanning 44,000 acres across 20 states, with its investment management arm, Acretrader Management, LLC, delivering net IRR ranging from 9.4% to 30.3% on realized deals. [link]

The USDA says that U.S. corn and cotton farmers who use cover crops are more likely to implement other conservation practices with soil health and environmental benefits, compared to farmers not adopting cover crops. Researchers with USDA, Economic Research Service (ERS) used producer survey responses from the Agricultural Resource Management Survey to find that 8.2 percent of corn (2016 and 2021) and cotton (2015 and 2019) acres had a cover crop. Of the acreage with cover crops on cotton and corn fields, 41.4 percent also adopted no-till (growing crops without tilling or plowing the soil), and 33.0 percent adopted reduced till (growing crops with less soil disturbance than conventional tillage systems). This is compared to 28.2 percent and 31.7 percent, respectively, for fields without cover crops. [link]

The Maryland Department of Agriculture is advising rural residents to expect an increase in low-flying airplanes, helicopters, and drones until October 10, 2025. Farmers participating in Maryland’s Cover Crop Program will be using aerial seeding to plant cereal grains and other types of cover crops in their fields to protect local waterways from nutrient runoff, reduce erosion, and enhance their soil’s health for spring cash crops. Farmers enrolled in the department’s Cover Crop Program receive grants to plant cereal grains and a variety of cover crop mixes in the fall. Once established, cover crops provide a protective cover throughout the winter, helping to reduce erosion and nutrient runoff, while enhancing the soil’s organic matter for spring planting. [link]

Mars is partnering with US gene editing firm Pairwise to rapidly develop cocoa varieties with improved resilience to disease, climate stress, and supply chain volatility. The companies will use CRISPR-based methods to breed traits far faster than traditional breeding allows. Global climate change has led to weather events that have disrupted cocoa production in concentrated parts of the world, sending raw material costs soaring for Mars' chocolate products. [link]

A new study by researchers at the University of Oxford, working alongside Duurzame Zuivelketen (DZK), has outlined how the agriculture sector can ‘better contribute to global biodiversity targets without causing unintended harms’. The study, Towards positive net outcomes for biodiversity, and developing safeguards to accompany headline biodiversity indicators, which was published in npj Biodiversity, utilized data from the Dutch dairy industry – including close to 8,950 farms and approximately 1.6 million cows – to develop a scoring system to measure biodiversity impacts in relation to possible sector-wide targets. It found that while a single score can be useful when tracking overall progress, this approach can mask environmental impacts such as nutrient pollution and habitat loss. The researchers proposed a series of safeguards, or ‘clear, quantitative thresholds for major environmental pressures’ to ensure that progress made in one environmental area does not come at the expense of another. [link]

Amazon is now letting shoppers in 1,000 cities across the U.S. order perishable food items through its Same-Day Delivery service, as the e-commerce giant seeks to compete more directly with Instacart and Walmart+ in the growing quick-commerce space. Users can now order fresh grocery items, including produce, dairy, meat, seafood, baked goods, and more, alongside everyday household products, electronics, and other items available for Same-Day Delivery. Amazon says its “specialized temperature-controlled fulfillment network” will ensure that shoppers receive perishable groceries intact, and that orders undergo a six-point quality check upon arrival and before leaving for delivery. Additionally, temperature-sensitive products are delivered in insulated bags. [link]

A new report from environmental think tank The Breakthrough Institute says that the US is falling behind in the race to become the global leader in agricultural biotechnology. It notes that US farm productivity is stagnating, the agricultural trade deficit is set to reach a record high, and geopolitical competitors such as China are outspending the US 2-to-1 on agricultural R&D. Notably, the US is being outpaced by China on patents, academic papers, and regulatory approvals of gene edited crops, and urgently needs “updated and streamlined biotechnology regulations,” says the report. [link]

In Case You Missed It…

In late June, Texas Governor Greg Abbott made the state the seventh in the U.S. to ban the sale of cultivated meat, while also ordering an investigation into ultra-processed foods. See more, here.

August 9, 2025

Spotlight Stories

Spotlight 1 – Agropages puts a spotlight on microencapsulation, noting that it could drive the future of responsible agriculture. Check it out, here.

Spotlight 2 – The World Economic Forum writes that food finance must be on the table in the face of rising climate risks. Read the story, here.

Spotlight 3 – Offrange says that the theft of American farm machinery is increasingly big business. Take a read, here.

Industry Updates

Backed by the milk industry, a bipartisan group of US senators has reintroduced the Dairy Pride Act, asking the FDA to crack down on “misleading” plant-based labels. Four senators have revived the Defending Against Imitations and Replacements of Yogurt, milk, and cheese to Promote Regular Intake of Dairy Everyday (Dairy Pride) Act. They’re asking the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban the use of ‘milk’, ‘cheese’, ‘yoghurt’ and other such terms on non-dairy alternatives. Currently, the FDA’s guidance allows plant-based milk brands to use ‘milk’ on their product labels. As for vegan dairy products, it recommends placing an emphasis on the plant-based sources that form their base. [link]

Kenya has been hailed as a continental leader in climate-smart agriculture by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), spotlighting the country’s regenerative farming efforts in its 2024 Annual Report. The report attributes Kenya’s success to a strong multi-stakeholder approach that is transforming dryland agriculture and strengthening food security for smallholder farmers. Through the Sustainable Transitioning of Agriculture for Resilient and Adaptable Kenya (STRAK) project, Kenya has made significant strides in climate-smart agriculture. Kenya’s progress is also attributed to enabling policies at both national and county levels. In 2024, the government integrated regenerative agriculture into broader climate action and development strategies and took steps to address double taxation and trade barriers, boosting market efficiency. [link]

In a step toward advancing sustainable agriculture, Clemson University is launching a pioneering research initiative to enhance water use efficiency and crop productivity across the southeastern U.S. Backed by the USDA’s Research Capacity Fund (Hatch), this 5-year initiative addresses challenges farmers face in the region, including water scarcity, extreme weather events and saltwater intrusion. The project will deliver science-based, regionally tailored tools to support irrigation scheduling, crop planning and long-term field management. At the core of the project is a multiscale modeling framework (MMF), pulling together many types of information like current and predicted weather, satellite and drone images, soil details, crop performance and results from both greenhouse experiments and field tests. The MMF uses artificial intelligence and process-based models, such as crop and hydrologic models, to help make sense of all this data. [link]

FarmTogether and MyLand have integrated MyLand’s Soil as a Service technology into four high-value apple orchards in Washington state, supporting efforts to enhance efficiency, reduce input costs and advance regenerative agriculture practices. FarmTogether is a part of MyLand’s Washington State Program — a $4.8-million initiative supported by Washington State’s Climate Commitment Act. The program is designed to accelerate the adoption of regenerative soil health practices across 9,000 acres of farmland, promoting carbon sequestration, improving water efficiency and supporting climate resilience throughout the region. MyLand extracts live, native microalgae from soil directly from the field, cultivates optimal microalgae in a closed-loop environment and reintroduces the living biomass back into the soil. This process is designed to enhance biological activity, support nutrient cycling, and promote more resilient soils over time. [link]

The first attempt to use AI to validate the effect of regenerative farming in potato production will take place in the UK. The project, led by agricultural AI pioneer Cropin and funded by a €700,000 (£605,000) grant from the EU’s EIT Food innovation agency, is thought to be the first to apply ‘big data’ to regenerative practices. It will look at whether practices such as reducing fertilizer and cover crops could increase yield and dry matter content, and reduce water use, using real-time field data, computer models and predictive analytics, as well as satellite imagery and sensors. [link]

The Ohio State University at Lima will host its 2025 Soil Health and Water Management Field Day event on August 28 at its campus in Lima, OH. Regenerative agriculture with the help of no-till, cover crops and water management technology and conservation practices will be the focus of a field day at the school’s Regenerative Agriculture Farm. Ohio State Lima's regenerative farming initiative started in 2020 and aims to provide research and educational opportunities focused on regenerative farming practices. The field day will feature talks by leading experts, industry representatives and testimonials from practicing farmers. [link]

Scientists from the University of California, Santa Cruz, partnered with Pie Ranch, an educational farm in Pescadero, to study the sustainability payoffs of fertilizing plants with water removed from aquaculture, an age-old practice. Since October, UC Santa Cruz researchers have filtered water, or “backwash,” out of aerated, recirculating tanks filled with 200 swimming rainbow trout—and then used that water to irrigate native plants at the farm. The team is investigating why the backwash might especially help the plants to grow, building on limited scientific literature on the topic. They plan to share findings next spring. [link]

A local farmer-led learning center is set to host a soil health conference next month in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin. Fields of Sinsinawa will hold its second annual Soul of the Soil Conference Sept. 5 and 6 at Sinsinawa Mound, 585 Grant County Z in Sinsinawa. The conference will include outdoor field demonstrations, keynote speeches and workshops. Speakers will include Anne Biklé, author of “What Your Food Ate;” Kelly and Deanna Lozensky, diversified crop farmers from North Dakota; and Inga Witscher, host of “Around the Farm Table.” [link]

The SAARC Agriculture Centre (SAC) has called for a united regional push to advance regenerative agriculture practices across South Asia. The call came during a three-day Regional Consultation Meeting titled “Promotion of Regenerative Agriculture in SAARC Member States” held virtually from August 4 to 6, 2025. The event brought together distinguished delegates from six SAARC countries, agricultural research institutions, universities and international agencies to foster cooperation and formulate strategies for sustainable agricultural development. [link]

A new report from the U.S. federal government says that ultra-processed foods make up the majority of calories that Americans are eating, but that there are signs this consumption might be declining. Sandwiches, baked goods, salty snacks and other ultra-processed foods accounted for 55% of the calories Americans age 1 and older consumed from August 2021 to August 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics study. That proportion is getting smaller. For adults, the mean percentage of calories consumed from ultra-processed foods fell 3 percentage points to 53% since 2018 and for children and teens, it fell nearly 4 percentage points to 61.9%, the report found. [link]

A group of Nebraska farmers is digging into the future of soil management with the launch of the new Nebraska Soil Health Coalition — a grassroots effort focused on improving farm resilience from the ground up. Founded in 2023 as a nonprofit affiliated with the Nebraska Community Foundation, the coalition is farmer-led and aimed at helping producers improve soil function while managing risk and cost. The group’s first big event will be held on August 13th in Bladen, NE and will be a hands-on soil health field day that aims to show producers how building organic matter and improving infiltration can pay off in real-world economics. [link]

To better understand the planet’s topsoil, an international team of scientists, including University of Florida researchers, created the first high-resolution global maps of key soil properties. Their assessment, published in the journal The Innovation, could influence everything from agricultural management and sustainable use of resources to water and food security. The study integrates more than 150,000 soil observations — including private research data — to reveal soil health properties like organic carbon stock, clay content, pH and bulk density. It uses advanced Earth observation technologies and machine-learning models to generate maps with a 90-meter resolution. That level of detail is finer than any previous global soil dataset. [link]

In Case You Missed It…

In mid-July, Chinese researchers announced the development of a groundbreaking method to convert methanol into sucrose, bypassing traditional agriculture. See more, here.

August 2, 2025

Spotlight Stories

Spotlight 1 – An article in Nature discusses renewable energy sources that can enable arctic food sufficiency and sustainability. Check it out, here.

Spotlight 2 – Mongabay highlights a regenerative agroforestry project that aims to expand into the Sahel region of Africa. Read the story, here.

Spotlight 3 – The World Bank looks into the potential to boost global food security by fixing border bottlenecks. Take a read, here.

Industry Updates

China has released a set of guidelines to boost consumption of agricultural products, with efforts to optimize supply and stimulate demand. The guidelines specifically outline measures to elevate standards for green, organic, geographically indicated and certified products, promote quality evaluation and grading, develop new-type processed goods and innovate local specialty foods. The guidelines also focus on better aligning production, supply and marketing -- while broadening offline sales channels, with detailed arrangements for creating festival and exhibition platforms, enriching consumption scenarios, leveraging e-commerce advantages and promoting inter-regional cooperation. [link]

Michigan State University is seeking 20 Michigan farmers to participate in a new research initiative aimed at quantifying and predicting the potential for regenerative agriculture practices to enhance soil water-holding capacity, improve soil nutrient cycling and recharge aquifers. The Soil Health Advancement for Agriculture Resilience Enhancement — funded by the Agricultural Resiliency Program — brings together researchers from the Institute of Water Research and the Center for Regenerative Agriculture. Participating row crop and commercial vegetable producers will engage in a three-year, on-farm study that includes installation of a weather station and soil moisture monitors. Beginning in fall 2025, the equipment will collect continuous data on precipitation and soil moisture, which will be accessible to participating farms. Michigan Farm Bureau supported the project during the proposal and funding stages. [link]

Whole Foods Market and Mad Agriculture have announced a transformative collaboration to launch a national biodiversity highway initiative aimed at reconstructing native ecosystems across American farmland. The program will begin in and around the Lowery Creek Watershed in Wisconsin, seeking to create a connected highway of climate-resilient habitats restoring biodiversity, improving soil and water health, and strengthening the long-term resilience of the food system. As part of the initiative, Whole Foods Market has pledged up to $500,000 in matching funds to catalyze $1 million in collective investment from food system stakeholders in 2025. The program aims to cultivate a 1,000 acre biodiversity highway across American farmland and includes companies like Applegate, Bob’s Red Mill, The Campbell’s Company, New Belgium Brewing, OLIPOP, UNFI, UNFI Foundation, west~bourne, and Yogi Tea. [link]

Regenerative agriculture pioneer Advancing Eco Agriculture (AEA) has launched FieldLark AI, the world’s first AI chatbot for regenerative agronomy. FieldLark is conversationally intelligent and grounded in the scientific principles that make regenerative systems work. Free to anyone interested in regenerative growing, FieldLark delivers AEA's decades of in-field experience and biological insights to growers via a browser on mobile devices or computers — anytime, anywhere. [link]

Sumitomo Corporation of Americas (SCOA) has announced a strategic investment in Grupo Papalotla, focusing on its Brazilian operations under Tropical Seeds do Brasil. The partnership aims to scale the use of hybrid pasture seeds for climate-smart livestock farming, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. Grupo Papalotla’s seeds, developed through a license with CIAT, offer traits like drought and flood tolerance. [link]

A new study by the UK Center for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) has suggested that while nature-friendly farming methods improve both biodiversity and crop yields, government subsidies may be required to make it as profitable as conventional farming. The four-year study, which was carried out alongside Rothamsted Research, was undertaken across 17 farms in southern England, and explored various agroecological methods as well as the financial viability of said methods. Researchers noted that without the introduction of new financial incentives, many farmers will be deterred from adopting agroecological farming practices and systems, which could leave them locked into high input, intensive farming systems, and more exposed to the impacts of pesticide resistance, declining soil health and climate change. [link]

Two transformative UN initiatives have been officially launched in Zimbabwe, aimed at empowering the country to sustainably manage its soil and water resources. The two projects are entitled: “Capacity Development on Sustainable Soil Management in the Global South” and “National Water Roadmap towards 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.” The sustainable soil management project aims to build national capacities in developing countries for soil mapping and laboratory analysis, while promoting international technical collaboration through South-South Cooperation. The National Water Roadmaps project will support Zimbabwe in strengthening water governance through raising awareness of water’s value across social, economic, and environmental dimensions. [link]

Bayer has submitted registration applications for its novel herbicide, icafolin-methyl, in four major markets: Brazil, the U.S., Canada, and the EU. Icafolin-methyl is expected to hit the market from 2028, with Brazil earmarked for the initial launch. The product stands out as agriculture's first novel mode of action for controlling emerged weeds in over three decades. Unlike existing solutions, icafolin-methyl belongs to an entirely new chemical class, offering unique properties that facilitate lower dose rates and more targeted applications. This innovation not only complements current herbicides like glyphosate but also provides a vital new tool in the ongoing battle against increasingly resilient weeds. [link]

The environmental impact of some of the main pesticides used in viticulture and on other crops may have been ‘significantly underestimated’, a new study has found. Researchers led by Aix-Marseille University and CNRS examined nine common pesticides and found that they all exceeded the Stockholm Convention's two day half-life limit in the atmosphere, with some persisting for several weeks. The global use of pesticides has doubled since 1990, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, with this study raising concerns about the potential impact on health and the environment, according to the researchers. [link]

The Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance (FACA) has published a new report urging the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission to support policies that reward stewardship and invest in innovation as part of a national strategy to create lasting, healthy outcomes for all communities, rural and urban alike. The report, entitled "Nurturing Healthy Soils for Healthy Communities," focuses on three key pillars to help agricultural producers and forest owners keep our soils healthy and our air and water clean: advancing voluntary conservation, supporting sustainable forest management and restoration, and driving agricultural innovation. FACA represents farmers, ranchers, forest owners, agribusinesses, manufacturers, the food and innovation sector, state governments, higher education associations, sportsmen and sportswomen, and environmental advocates. [link]

The Maryland Department of Agriculture has announced that 14 projects will receive grant funding totaling $590,000 through its Healthy Soils Competitive Fund. This pioneering grant program provides financial assistance to qualifying farms and organizations—both large and small—to adopt innovative conservation practices that benefit climate, soil, and water. Established in 2023, the Healthy Soils Competitive Fund provides winning applicants with up to $50,000 to support three years of enhanced soil health and agroforestry practices. Since its inception, the grant program has supported 53 projects across the state. [link]

U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Todd Young (R-IN) reintroduced bipartisan legislation that will help bolster soil research and improve agricultural resilience and productivity in the Midwest and across the country. The Advancing Research on Agricultural Soil Health Act will allow strategic investment in technologies to measure and monitor soil carbon. This information can improve our understanding of agriculture’s potential to store emitted carbon and empower farmers and ranchers to choose the best practices available to them. Experts estimate that American farmers could store up to 220 billion pounds of carbon annually across all US croplands. However, current technology cannot accurately measure soil carbon levels, impacting our ability to track soil health improvements, correlate those improvements with on-farm benefits, and reward farmers for their contributions to environmental health and resilience. [link]

A team of researchers led by the University of Missouri is giving new purpose to an established material, biochar, a charcoal-like substance made from leftover plant waste and showing how it can address challenges facing today’s cotton growers. The Mizzou researchers turned to bagasse, a fibrous organic material left over after sugarcane is pressed for its juice. When converted into biochar and added to the soil, the product improved the soil’s ability to hold onto nutrients and moisture, giving cotton plants a better chance to grow strong and healthy. The team noted that biochar offers a solution to how cotton is typically grown in sandy soils that struggle with low organic matter, less water-holding capacity, and weaker aggregate stability, leading to a reduced ability to hold water and nutrients. [link]

In Case You Missed It…

In early July, U.S. House representatives introduced the Conservation and Regenerative Optimization Practices for Farming Act, or the CROP for Farming Act, a bipartisan proposal to strengthen conservation efforts and equip farmers with new tools to improve soil health, enhance productivity, and reduce harmful emissions through voluntary practices. See more, here.

July 26, 2025

Spotlight Stories

Spotlight 1 – Vogue writes about why regenerative farming is the latest wellness travel trend. Check it out, here.

Spotlight 2 – UC Santa Barbara says that protecting nature may depend on where - not just how - we farm. Read the story, here.

Spotlight 3 – AgWeb details how MAHA is digging into soil health. Take a read, here.

Industry Updates

The UK Government has released a significant update to its national food strategy for England, framing it as a necessary response to the growing threats posed by climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental decline. This latest plan replaces the previous strategy introduced under a Conservative-led administration, which faced heavy criticism after key proposals were omitted, including recommendations to expand access to free school meals, require supermarkets to report their food waste, and assist farms in preparing for climate change. The new food strategy aims to bring greater cohesion across sectors, outlining ten overarching goals that aim to link agriculture, health, trade, and the environment under a single strategic umbrella. [link]

Butterflies in decline inside the UK could get a boost from more trees and hedgerows on farmland, new research suggests. A study led by the University of Oxford and Butterfly Conservation has found that trees, hedgerows, and small woodlands significantly increase butterfly numbers in agricultural landscapes. The research, funded by The Woodland Trust and published in Ecological Solutions and Evidence, comes amid troubling news for UK butterflies, with more than half of species now in long-term decline. [link]

A Wisconsin nonprofit is working with farmers in Southeast Wisconsin to educate communities about the importance of agroforestry, with plans to establish its first urban site in Milwaukee. The Michael Fields Agricultural Institute has planted more than 400 trees across three sites this year, in partnership with the Savanna Institute. The sites include a community garden and two farms. One of the project's goals is to raise awareness of the practices and their larger connection to food systems, climate change and communities. The sites will also be used for educational demonstrations. [link]

PepsiCo is introducing Pepsi Prebiotic Cola, the evolution of cola created to reflect the tastes and values of today's cola lovers. This innovation includes 5 grams of cane sugar, has 30 calories, and contains no artificial sweeteners. It delivers the classic crisp, refreshing taste of Pepsi—with the added functional ingredient of 3 grams of prebiotic fiber. Available in 12 oz. single cans for trial and 8-packs of 12 oz. cans, the new offering will be available online this fall and at retail in early 2026, located in the traditional carbonated soft drink aisle alongside the full Pepsi portfolio. [link]

Coca-Cola plans to add a line of cane sugar-sweetened Coke after U.S. President Trump last week said the company had agreed to use “REAL Cane Sugar” in the soda. Coca-Cola said that it has been adding cane sugar to a number of its products in recent years, including lemonades and teas. That said, the company will continue to use a lot of corn syrup as a sweetener in its products, according to its CEO. [link]

Sustainability-focused European asset manager Ambienta announced the acquisition of Agronova Biotech, marking its first investment in the sustainable agriculture sector. Agronova provides solutions that help address some of the sectors sustainability issues, offering microbial alternatives to replace synthetic chemicals, enabling improved nutrient uptake to maximize crop yields with organic fertilization sources. The company has more than 800 products, including biostimulants and biocontrol products helping farmers to deal with biotic stress such as insects and fungi, and abiotic issues such as droughts and flooding. [link]

Farmers from across the world have come together through the Global Farmer Network (GFN) to launch a new initiative for regenerative agriculture. Over 1,000 farmers in 60 countries have signed a farmer-written declaration that outlines shared values for a more sustainable farming future. The “Regenerative Agriculture: A Farmers’ Declaration” supports practices that restore soil health, protect water and biodiversity, and ensure that rural communities remain strong and respected. The declaration also values scientific knowledge, modern tools, and traditional methods working together. [link]

A recent study by the University of Cordoba's Department of Agricultural Economics, Finance, and Accounting has identified stability and flexibility as the two main components of farm resilience. Researchers analyzed Spanish arable crops across 947 farms, examining how factors such as farm size, workforce, and farming methods (organic vs. conventional) affected stability and flexibility. The study revealed that Spanish farms showed high stability but low flexibility, influenced by factors such as land ownership and reliance on subsidies. This research highlights the need for more nuanced policy instruments that consider both static and dynamic resilience. [link]

Indiana farmers planted an estimated 1.6 million acres of overwinter living covers, according to a recent conservation survey from Indiana Conservation Partnership. As a result, it is estimated that 1.8 million tons of sediment were prevented from entering Indiana’s waterways, which would fill about 18,000 train freight cars. The survey also showed that about 70% of row crop acres were not tilled and about 18% had employed reduced tillage over winter, after the 2024 harvest. [link]

A new approach to farming is taking root at Clemson University, whereby researchers are implementing regenerative agriculture techniques to analyze soil restoration, biodiversity enhancement, and climate change adaptation. At the Clemson Restoration Agriculture Farm in the Upstate, everything from the insects to the plants to the soil is designed to work together in harmony. Thus far, researchers have focused on forest farming techniques, cover crops, no-till practices, and agroforestry. [link]

Innocent Drinks has announced that it will be funding nine organizations working across its global fruit and vegetable supply chains. The goal is to help these entities adopt regenerative agriculture practices that are better for the planet and more resilient in the face of growing environmental challenges. The initiative is part of its Farmer Innovation Fund, which will distribute £1 million in grants for the 2025 cycle. [link]

In Case You Missed It…

In April, North Carolina State said it was working to examine basalt as a soil amendment and lime replacement within the state. See more, here.

July 19, 2025

Spotlight Stories

Spotlight 1 – An article in Nature discusses the future of “future foods.”. Check it out, here.

Spotlight 2 – Forbes writes about how leaders can support agroforestry…along with why it matters. Read the story, here.

Spotlight 3 – The Wall Street Journal invites everyone to meet the fully autonomous farm of the future including drones, AI, and robot pickers. Take a read, here.

Industry Updates

The Indonesian government plans to expand the use of forest land in 2026 to support food, energy, and water security, as well as to enhance downstream processing of forest products to boost regional development. The initiatives aim to contribute to macro-level development goals, including a 15 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the forestry sector and an improvement in the Village Development Index through forestry-related programs in 600 villages. The forestry ministry's overarching policy goals include protecting forests as global carbon sinks and water regulators, ensuring equitable forest management, using forests to support food and energy security, implementing the one-map policy, and modernizing forest governance through digital services. [link]

A sweeping new study, led by Hilary Brumberg of the University of Colorado Boulder, reveals why progress on natural climate solutions is stalling. Natural climate solutions, or NCS, range from reforestation and agroforestry to wetland restoration, and have long been championed as low-cost, high-benefit pathways for reducing greenhouse gases. However, new research drawing on 352 peer-reviewed papers from across 135 countries shows that slowing growth isn't related to ecological obstacles. Rather, the obstacles are human: insufficient funding, patchy information, ineffective policies, and public skepticism. [link]

PepsiCo and Cargill announced a strategic collaboration to advance regenerative agriculture practices across 240,000 acres from 2025 through 2030. The collaboration will focus on the companies' shared corn supply chain in Iowa, where Cargill sources from local farmers to produce ingredients used in some of PepsiCo's most iconic products. Through trusted local organizations – led by Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI), a nonprofit organization with deep roots in the Midwest farming community – this collaboration aims to provide farmers with the knowledge they need to implement regenerative techniques and help them produce crops more sustainably. [link]

Chinese researchers have developed a groundbreaking method to convert methanol into sucrose, bypassing traditional agriculture. The innovative in-vitro biotransformation (ivBT) system uses enzymes to transform methanol derived from industrial waste into complex sugars. This method contributes to sustainability by utilizing carbon dioxide as a raw material, supporting carbon neutrality efforts. The research opens possibilities for producing a wide range of sugars for industries beyond food, including pharmaceuticals and industrial products. [link]

The Animal Legal Defense Fund has sued the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to force it to release records concerning its oversight of the Beef Checkoff program, which the ALDF claims is producing “false and misleading” ads that present beef as environmentally friendly. The Beef Checkoff program, which is funded through a mandatory $1 fee per head of cattle sold, has produced ads that the ALDF alleges “make claims that are misleading to reasonable consumers." The ALDF says that USDA guidelines note that environmental marketing claims funded by checkoff dollars “should not overstate, directly or by implication, an environmental attribute or benefit” of a product and further explain that it is “deceptive” for a checkoff-funded ad “to misrepresent, directly or by implication that a product…offers a general environmental benefit.” [link]

A new report from the United Nations says that global demand for meat, dairy, and fish is projected to climb steadily over the next decade, however persistent nutritional gaps and mounting environmental pressures reveal a complex path ahead. The Agricultural Outlook 2025-2034 report projects a six per cent increase in global per capita consumption of animal-source foods by 2034. The trend is most pronounced in lower middle-income countries, where intake is expected to rise by 24 per cent, far outpacing the global average. Output of meat, dairy and eggs is expected to grow by 17 per cent, while total livestock inventories are projected to expand by seven per cent. These gains will come at an environmental cost, as direct greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture are expected to rise by six per cent by 2034. [link]

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dubbed modern soil health practices “unsustainable” during a Make America Healthy Again roundtable on Capitol Hill, where speakers called for increasing use of precision agriculture technology and expanding public-private partnerships to boost usage of conservation practices. During the event, Kennedy focused his comments on the loss of topsoil, noting that it is currently being depleted quicker than it can replace itself. He said topsoil could be eliminated entirely within 50 years. MAHA advocate and roundtable host Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., confirmed the second Make America Healthy Again report will be released Aug. 12. [link]

President Trump said Coca-Cola agreed to use cane sugar in its namesake soda, following criticism of sweeteners such as high-fructose corn syrup by Trump’s health secretary. A Coca-Cola spokeswoman said the company appreciated Trump’s enthusiasm for its brand. “More details on new innovative offerings within our Coca-Cola product range will be shared soon,” she said. U.S. Coke bottlers switched to high-fructose corn syrup in the 1980s in a cost-cutting effort. But sugar has held cachet for many as better-tasting. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has vowed to “Make America Healthy Again,” has criticized the food industry’s influence on Washington and what he said is its heavy reliance on processing and artificial ingredients. [link]

Nestlé and Barry Callebaut have teamed up on a groundbreaking partnership aimed at accelerating progress to net zero cocoa production in Brazil. The two companies will undertake a five-year planting initiative, generating 6.2 hectares of agroforestry and 7.7 million trees, as they aim to foster the sustainable growth of Brazil’s cocoa sector by empowering entrepreneurial farmers to enter cocoa production and support existing cocoa farmers to expand their areas in a climate friendly way. Utilizing advanced technology, financial support, and land development, the initiative will incorporate three main projects to address different farmer segments and their challenges, and will also leverage Barry Callebaut’s expertise in seedlings production. [link]

Michigan State University’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) recently hosted the CANR–Europe Partnership Forum, welcoming academic leaders, researchers and institutional partners from across Europe for a multi-day event focused on advancing collaboration in agriculture, food systems and natural resource sustainability. Key sessions featured presentations by European institutions on their existing partnerships with MSU and opportunities for future collaboration, emphasizing shared goals in research, innovation and joint funding proposals. The forum also brought participants beyond the conference room for immersive, hands-on experiences. Visits to MSU’s Kellogg Biological Station, the Lake Michigan shoreline and the historic Kellogg Manor House offered cultural and environmental context for international collaboration. [link]

In Case You Missed It…

In late May, Google and Arable announced a water replenishment-focused collaboration, with Google agreeing to fund projects to bring Arable’s efficient irrigation technology to farmers in North and South Carolina. See more, here.

July 12, 2025

Spotlight Stories

Spotlight 1 – An article in Art discusses the future of food…and how technology and sustainability are changing what we eat. Read the story, here.

Spotlight 2 – The WBCSD reflects on London Climate Action Week and looks at how to finance the future of sustainable agriculture in Brazil’s Cerrado. Check it out, here.

Spotlight 3 – Forbes connects the dots and says that farming is America’s first line of defense for creating healthier people. Take a read, here.

Industry Updates

A $723,839 USDA Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure grant will connect Pennsylvania farmers with 15 community partner locations — including shelters for individuals experiencing homelessness, domestic violence support centers and substance use recovery programs. The NEPA Food Dignity Movement has been awarded a United States Department of Agriculture Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure grant to tackle systemic challenges in farm sustainability and revolutionize the regional food supply chain in Northeast Pennsylvania. [link]

In Hawaii, the Kaua‘i County Office of Economic Development has awarded 12 Agriculture Farm Expansion Grants for fiscal year 2024-25. This is the second year the office offered funding through the grant program aimed at advancing Kaua‘i’s agricultural industry through targeted investments in the expansion of farming and/or production around the island. A selection committee carefully reviewed and scored each of the eligible 18 proposals submitted, with the 12 selected projects partially or fully funded with a total of $637,429. [link]

Snacking, food, and pet care products provider Mars announced the launch of the Mars Sustainability Investment Fund (MSIF), a new $250 million fund aimed at providing capital to companies developing solutions to address key industry sustainability challenges. The new fund will deploy capital across investment funds as well as through direct investments, targeting solutions to sustainability challenges across the company’s value chain in areas including the sourcing of its ingredients, the health aspects of its products, and circular packaging. [link]

New University of Minnesota research, recently published in the Soil Science Society of America Journal, significantly improves a tool that farmers can use to guide nitrogen application decisions on their fields. A well-known tool, called the Pre-Sidedress Nitrate Test (PSNT), uses soil nitrate status to help farmers determine whether their corn crop may need more nitrogen. By analyzing data from 34 field trials across Minnesota, the researchers updated the PSNT threshold, finding that 20 parts per million of nitrate in the top 12 inches of soil reliably delivers 97% of maximum yield, and that if PSNT is below such levels, roughly 12.3 lbs of nitrogen per acre is needed for every one part per million shortfall. [link]

U.S. House representatives have introduced the Conservation and Regenerative Optimization Practices for Farming Act, or the CROP for Farming Act, a bipartisan proposal to strengthen conservation efforts and equip farmers with new tools to improve soil health, enhance productivity, and reduce harmful emissions through voluntary practices. The bill updates the Food Security Act of 1985 to recognize and support farming efforts to reduce nitrous oxide and methane emissions, while promoting carbon storage in soil and vegetation, all through existing conservation incentive contracts under the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Through updates to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the bill encourages practices such as no-till farming, cover cropping, and improved grazing management —strategies that enhance soil fertility, improve water retention, and support long-term farm resilience. [link]

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers and its member company leaders released a comprehensive whitepaper detailing how advancements in technology have revolutionized the cultivation of specialty crops and enhanced efficiency, sustainability, and productivity. Today’s ag equipment plays a pivotal role in shaping these transformations, with innovations spanning autonomy and automation, precision spray application and weed management techniques, irrigation systems, as well as harvesting technologies. [link]

A global research study published in The Innovation found that certain farming practices can simultaneously boost food production, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve soil health. Drawing on more than 39,000 field comparisons across 104 meta-analyses, the study found practices such as legume and cereal intercropping, organic amendments and precision nutrient management can increase yields while reducing environmental footprint. A key finding was that legume-cereal intercropping can significantly enhance system productivity while also lowering fertilizer use and greenhouse gas emissions. [link]

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson wants to move legislation this fall to address farm and nutrition programs left out of the budget reconciliation bill. Thompson, R-Pa., told reporters that the bill would need about $8 billion in additional funding over 10 years, far less than the $66 billion spending increase included in the reconciliation bill dubbed the One Big Beautiful Act and paid for out of cuts to funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Issues that would be addressed in what Thompson calls farm bill 2.0 include controversial provisions to address concerns around industrial hemp, lawsuits against pesticide manufacturers, and California’s Proposition 12 regulations on sow housing. Other issues that need to be addressed include reauthorization of the Conservation Reserve Program; limits for USDA direct and guaranteed loans; rural broadband assistance; and a provision to trigger permanent price-support laws if existing commodity programs are allowed to lapse after 2031. Thompson also said there are several nutrition assistance issues he wants to address, including expanding SNAP eligibility for ex-convicts and families of young adults who are still in school, along with modifying SNAP eligibility requirements to eliminate a "poverty cliff." [link]

A new free modeling tool is enabling researchers, farmers and food processors to assess how changes in the ways a dairy farm is managed would influence its environmental impact, energy use and economics. The Ruminant Farm Systems (RuFaS) modeling tool, developed by Cornell researchers and collaborators across academia, industry, government and nonprofits, is available at no cost for open-source collaboration. Cornell researchers created the scaffolding for the model and worked with collaborators to integrate Cornell and other dairy farm research on factors like animal feed, crop growth and milk production. The model predicts outcomes such as production costs, resource use and greenhouse gas emissions. [link]

The holding company Allterra, owner of the Microgeo and TMF brands, has announced the launch of three new biological inputs to ensure the improvement of soil: a bionematicide, a biofungicide, and a bioactivator. Allterra is one of five companies in Brazil with the newly launched QIMA certification, bearing the Regenera seal, which guarantees alignment with Regenerative Agriculture practices. The new biological product launches are part of Allterra’s strategy to consolidate its role in offering solutions and services that combine technological innovation, increased profitability for the producer, and reduced environmental impact. [link]

The Italian candy maker behind Ferrero Rocher and Nutella announced a roughly $3 billion deal to buy the breakfast-cereal conglomerate WK Kellogg. WK Kellogg is the company behind Froot Loops, Frosted Flakes, Rice Krispies and a variety of other cereal monikers. It has a market value today of some $1.5 billion, and more than $500 million in debt. Ferrero has been targeting the U.S. for acquisitions to grow geographically and expand by category. It bought Wells Enterprises, the maker of Blue Bunny and other ice-cream brands, and before that struck a $2.8 billion deal to acquire Nestlé’s U.S. chocolate business. [link]

The European Commission announced the launch of its “Roadmap towards Nature Credits,” aimed at helping to develop a new market for nature credits. Similar in concept to carbon credits, nature credits would represent activities that protect and restore biodiversity and ecosystems targeting nature-focused outcomes based on specific metrics and indicators. Under the new roadmap, the Commission said that it will establish a dedicated expert group including member states, stakeholder and technical experts to co-develop certification methodologies and governance principles for nature credits, with first results expected in 2026. From 2025 – 2027, the Commission will launch a pilot project on nature credits, and it will subsequently consider next steps for the development and scaling up of nature credit markets. [link]

Major food corporations are failing to effectively support farming practices that protect human and environmental health, according to an assessment of 20 companies released by the corporate watchdog group, As You Sow. The report scored corporate programs and policies related to regenerative agriculture – a type of farming that prioritizes healthy soil – determining that, on average, the companies deserved a near-failing grade of “D”. The nonprofit group assigned the lowest grades to W.K. Kellogg Co., known for popular cereals including Frosted Flakes and Rice Krispies, and B&G Foods, Inc., whose brands include Crisco and Cream of Wheat. Companies earning the highest scores included PepsiCo, the global snack and beverage giant, as well as McCain Foods and Lamb Weston, both known for their French fries and other potato products. [link]

In Case You Missed It…

In mid-June, Impossible Foods CEO Peter McGuinness said that the plant-based giant could enter the blended meat space to try and spur more sales growth with flexitarians. See more, here.

July 3, 2025

Spotlight Stories

Spotlight 1 – Beyond Pesticides writes that as temperatures continue to rise, organic agriculture eliminates chemicals that contribute to the climate crisis. Read the story, here.

Spotlight 2 – The European Commission provides its in-depth analysis on how to future-proof the food and agriculture segment. Check it out, here.

Spotlight 3 – Boston Consulting Group presents a viable path to regenerative landscapes in the Amazon. Take a read, here.

Industry Updates

The Central Government in India has issued model rules for the felling of trees on agricultural land in a bid to promote agroforestry with the aim of doubling farmers' incomes, increasing tree cover outside forests and mitigating climate change. In a letter sent to all state governments, the environment ministry said the objective of 'Model Rules for Felling of Trees in Agricultural Lands' is to enhance the ease of doing business in agroforestry and incentivize farmers to integrate trees into their farming systems without facing undue procedural hurdles. The government has been promoting agroforestry as a necessary means for supporting India's climate goals under the Paris Agreement. [link]

Eni has inaugurated its first agri-hub in the Republic of the Congo, launching the very first vegetable oil extraction plant in the country. The production will be destined for Eni's biorefineries that sit within its Enilive segment, where it will be transformed into biofuel to help decarbonize transport sectors, as part of Eni’s sustainable mobility strategy. The agri-hub in Loudima will have a capacity of 30,000 tons per year of vegetable oil and will be supplied by oil crops grown on degraded and underutilized land or through intercropping systems, as part of an innovative regenerative agriculture project developed in collaboration with local stakeholders. [link]

Syngenta is accelerating the rollout of its nature-inspired, science-based biological solutions, responding to rising demand for sustainable, high-performance tools that help farmers boost productivity efficiently and responsibly. In December 2024, the company acquired Intrinsyx Bio, a California-based start-up specializing in the development of nutrient-use efficiency products. Most recently, in early 2025, Syngenta concluded the integration of Novartis’ Strains and Natural Products Collection, the repository of natural compounds and genetic strains for agricultural use. Also in 2025, Syngenta opened a 22,000 m² biologicals facility in Orangeburg, South Carolina, in the United States, which is purpose-built to produce 16,000 tons of biostimulants annually. This new manufacturing facility complements Syngenta’s existing global network of biologicals’ manufacturing facilities in Brazil, Italy, India and Norway. [link]

The Bennington County Agroforestry and Flood Resilience local fund pool has $250,000 available for Bennington County land stewards in the state of Vermont. The local fund pool for the county has been allocated $250,000 to spend on federal EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program) contracts that support one of six primary practices: alley cropping, silvopasture, forest farming, hedgerow planting, windbreak/shelterbelt establishment, and riparian forest buffer. Last year, some $750,000 in total were available for applicants in Bennington and Rutland Counties through the Bennington, Rutland, and Poultney-Mettowee Conservation Districts. This year, $250,000 is meant for just Bennington County. [link]

Morocco is accelerating its agricultural transformation through a new partnership with Hong Kong-based Jungnong Group, a subsidiary of China’s Agricultural Development Group. With an initial investment of $22 million, the joint venture represents a strategic pivot toward high-tech, water-efficient farming systems in a country grappling with water scarcity and climate volatility. The project, formalized through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Morocco’s Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development, and Water and Forests, will serve as a blueprint for sustainable agriculture in North Africa. It promises to create more than 300 direct jobs, train local workers in precision agriculture, and boost export-oriented crop production in semi-arid regions. [link]

Hershey is the latest company to commit to dropping synthetic dyes from its products by the end of 2027. The move comes as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., health and human services secretary, has prioritized removing synthetic dyes from food and beverages sold in the U.S. At the state-level, West Virginia will ban certain food dyes and preservatives from 2028. Starting in 2027, Texas will require warning labels on products containing artificial food dyes and additives. [link]

Nearly a dozen agriculture commissioners from red states wrote to top Trump administration officials and Republican lawmakers calling for the elimination of federal funding to organizations that promote “net-zero” climate policies. The letter argues that net-zero policies adopted by certain organizations “will have devastating effects on American consumers, farmers, and ranchers, and further endanger food security for the poor in America.” The agriculture commissioners singled out the United Nations International Maritime Organization (IMO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the United Nations Environment Program as organizations that promote those policies. [link]

Consumer goods companies are enlarging their range of products—by making them smaller. Diminutive snack and drink sizes are hitting store shelves as brands try to keep stretched consumers buying with lower-price options. PepsiCo now sells Lay’s potato chips in half a dozen different-sized bags, costing from around 50 cents to roughly $5. Campbell’s now markets teensy packages of Pepperidge Farm cookies and Goldfish crackers. And Mondelez International has six different Milka chocolate bar sizes with prices from under $1 to $6. Food, beverage and consumer-product companies are hoping that a wider range of shrunken size options can boost overall sales volumes, which have been pressured in recent quarters. Smaller-size offerings also tend to have higher profit margins. [link]

New research shows that UK farmer confidence has been battered by climate change in recent years. The market research of 300 farmers across the UK was commissioned by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) from Grounded Research, specialists in gathering insights into questions about food and farming. When asked what impact recent extreme weather has had on their farms, 87% cited reduced productivity, 84% have witnessed a reduction in crop yields or livestock output, whilst three quarters have seen their incomes reduced. In the past five years, 86% of farmers have been hit by extreme rainfall, 78% by drought, and over a half by the impacts of heatwaves. Only 2% have not experienced extreme weather in some form. [link]

The U.S. government is preparing to breed billions of flies and dump them out of airplanes over Mexico and southern Texas to fight a flesh-eating maggot threatening the American beef industry. The targeted pest is the flesh-eating larva of the New World Screwworm fly. The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to ramp up the breeding and distribution of adult male flies — sterilizing them with radiation before releasing them. They mate with females in the wild, and the eggs laid by the female aren’t fertilized and don’t hatch. There are fewer larvae, and over time, the fly population dies out. The USDA expects a new screwworm fly factory to be up and running in southern Mexico by July 2026. It plans to open a fly distribution center in southern Texas by the end of the year so that it can import and distribute flies from Panama if necessary. [link]

Despite funding cuts across the board for programs and agencies on the federal level, Virginia farmers are seeing a win for conservation projects. The state is showing a dedication to sustainable farming measures by allocating $223 million for agricultural practices that stop pollutants and sediment disturbances that lead to runoff into the Chesapeake Bay. It is a $16 million increase over the last fiscal year, leading to the fourth year of increasing funding from the state. The program helps farmers in the commonwealth to implement projects that conserve water, help soil health through cover crops, and other sustainability goals. Farmers can apply for up to $300,000 in fiscal year 2026 to cost-share one of over 60 projects, including stream cattle exclusion zones, cover crops, and animal waste control facilities. [link]

In Case You Missed It…

In late 2024, UW-Madison Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist of Agricultural & Applied Economics, Jeff Hadachek, developed a tool to aid farmers on understanding the financial impact of conservation decisions. See more, here.

June 28, 2025

Spotlight Stories

Spotlight 1 – NPR dives into the experimental practice of relay intercropping and how some farmers are using this approach to prevent flooding. Check it out, here.

Spotlight 2 – Civil Eats says that American conservation work on farms and ranches could take a hit as the USDA cuts staff. Read the story, here.

Spotlight 3 – Fast Company offers a vision for America’s agricultural future, based on the healing powers of food. Take a read, here.

Industry Updates

Equitable Food Initiative celebrated Pollinator Week by launching a free toolkit with educational resources, downloadable graphics and actionable tips to raise awareness and assist with supporting pollinator populations. A toolkit focused specifically on pollinators is a first for EFI, adding to its robust library of materials designed to support safer, healthier and more sustainable food systems. The toolkit, which highlights not only honeybees and butterflies but also lesser-known pollinators like bats, beetles, birds, moths and flies, is available at equitablefood.org/pollinator-week. [link]

Potato Processor Cavendish Farms is digging into a major sustainability project at its Discovery Farm in New London, P.E.I., aiming to help Island potato growers go greener. The food giant recently unveiled the initiative, designed to make the potato industry more environmentally friendly. The research will focus on key areas like water consumption, pest and disease control, and soil management. A Farm advisory group has been established to ensure collaboration between Cavendish Farms and local growers. The goal is to share research results that will improve potato crops and protect farmland for future generations. [link]

A new study published in the Journal of Cleaner Production presents a novel approach to sustainable agricultural intensification, with promising implications for food security and land conservation in Senegal. Conducted by researchers at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the study explores how farmers’ land-use decisions can be guided by the relative risks and returns of different crops—similar to how financial investments are managed. Using Senegal as a case study, the authors show that shifting cropland expansion toward high-value crops like fruits and vegetables could reduce the need for new land conversion by up to 68% by 2030. [link]

A new European project - SOILRES - aims to regenerate soil health and strengthen the resilience of agricultural systems in Europe. The project is funded by the Horizon Europe program and is being coordinated by the University of Aarhus in Denmark among 19 international partners. SOILRES aims to develop and test innovative agricultural strategies based on the principles of regenerative agriculture—such as cover crops, strip tillage, microbial biostimulants, compost, biochar, and digital tools—to improve soil fertility, limit nutrient losses, and increase crop resilience in both organic and conventional systems. The project will be carried out at six main experimental sites in Italy, Denmark, Finland, France, Hungary, and Portugal, selected to represent different climatic and soil conditions across the continent. [link]

Farmers in Madagascar are installing agroforestry systems as a sustainable alternative to previous “slash-and-burn” farming and in response to more frequent droughts. Producer organizations FITAFA and FEKRITAMA are playing a key role in supporting their members to make this switch and to overcome the challenges involved. FITAFA – with support from national farmers’ organization FEKRITAMA – has been encouraging members to adopt agroforestry systems, incorporating cash crops like cinnamon, cloves, coffee and lychees, grown in the shade of the trees. Agroforestry now accounts for two-thirds of most farmers’ plots, with the rest left for rice cultivation, other crops or left fallow. [link]

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has made the state the seventh in the U.S. to ban the sale of cultivated meat. He has also ordered an investigation into ultra-processed foods. Texas has become the latest state to prohibit the sale of cultivated meat, the result of an effort that began in November. SB 261 was one of the 300-plus bills signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott, imposing a two-year ban that starts on September 1 this year. [link]

The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) has highlighted the success of its LandFlex Pilot Program, which has significantly protected groundwater and supported farmers. The program saved more than 100,000 acre-feet of water and protected over 16,500 drinking water wells in vulnerable communities. Launched in 2022 during extreme drought conditions, LandFlex helped six groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) distribute $23.3 million in funding to support small and mid-sized farms in California’s Central Valley. The goal was to stop over-pumping of groundwater while ensuring farms stayed in production. [link]

Almost half of Arizona’s cotton acreage last year was never sprayed with an insecticide, a testament to changes in pest management technologies and a message that university scientists and cotton industry representatives believe could bolster efforts to increase demand for U.S. Upland cotton. The U.S. Cotton Board, which oversees programs run by Cotton Incorporated to promote the use of American Upland cotton, is embarked on a change in strategies to bolster U.S. cotton sales by partnering with the various brands that use cotton in their products. Arizona’s cotton crop may be the cleanest in the United States when it comes to pesticide use. Last year Arizona cotton farmers averaged 1.5 pesticide applications on their crop for the entire season. [link]

In a pivotal move to enhance the sustainability and resilience of India’s rainfed landscapes, a one-day national workshop on “Agroforestry for Resilient Rainfed Landscapes” was held at the National Agricultural Science Centre (NASC) Complex in New Delhi. The workshop was jointly organized by the National Rainfed Area Authority (NRAA), the Natural Resource Management (NRM) Division of the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW), and the Revitalizing Rainfed Agriculture (RRA) Network. The event brought together key policymakers, domain experts, researchers, and practitioners to deliberate on strategic frameworks, field innovations, and policy alignment to mainstream agroforestry in India's rainfed agriculture. [link]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced four Michigan and Ohio grant recipients will receive $3,712,124 to engage farmers and provide nutrient management technical assistance in the Western Lake Erie Basin. Nutrient runoff from agricultural land is the leading cause of harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie. Selected organizations include the Ohio Department of Agriculture, The Nature Conservancy, the Lenawee County Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Regents of the University of Michigan. Funding is provided by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). Under the GLRI, federal agencies work with nonfederal partners to strategically target the biggest threats to the Great Lakes ecosystem and to accelerate efforts to protect and restore the largest system of fresh surface water in the world. [link]

The University of Missouri Center for Regenerative Agriculture has opened a third round of funding for fall cover crop planting in Missouri. About $3 million is available for Missouri producers interested in using cover crops on their cropland through the Missouri Conservation Crop and Livestock Project (CRCL). Payments are also available for planting trees under the silvopasture option. The application period for cover crop and silvopasture payments is through July 31 or whenever funding runs out. [link]

Egg company Kipster has announced that it has successfully implemented in-ovo sexing in its forthcoming flock of laying hens at their facility in Nebraska. The technology enables producers to select and remove male embryos before developing, eliminating the need for post-hatch culling, where living chicks are commonly ground up en masse. If in-ovo sexing were adopted across the egg industry in the United States, the switch would spare at least 300 million male chicks each year from culling. [link]

Jif peanut butter maker J.M. Smucker said that it would remove synthetic food colors from all consumer food products by the end of 2027. The company said this move would impact its sugar-free fruit spreads, ice cream toppings, and some sweet baked goods from its Hostess brand portfolio. J.M. Smucker said the majority of its products currently available to K-12 schools do not contain any artificial colors, and it is working with distribution partners to stop selling products with synthetic dyes to K-12 schools by the 2026-2027 school year. [link]

International non-governmental organization Rainforest Alliance has published its 2024 Annual Report, highlighting the progress its certification program has made in regenerative agriculture. The report reveals Rainforest Alliance supports 1.8 million coffee farmers and workers across 1.9 million hectares in 29 countries, and outlines how regenerative agriculture has helped to restore nature in critical areas and strengthen rural communities. The organization is one of the world’s largest farm-to-consumer certification programs. Products with the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal are available in 155 countries. According to the report, that equates to 333 million cups of coffee and 96 million bars of chocolate every day. [link]

In Case You Missed It…

In early May, Mondelez International’s impact investing arm, Sustainable Futures, made a strategic investment in eAgronom, an Estonia-based agritech startup focused on scaling regenerative agriculture across Europe. See more, here.

June 21, 2025

Spotlight Stories

Spotlight 1 – UNSTUCK reviews the rise of alcohol-free beer and asks what lessons the sustainable food industry can learn. Check it out, here.

Spotlight 2 – Policy Circle writes about how satellite data is reshaping agriculture. Read the story, here.

Spotlight 3 – The Wall Street Journal holds its Global Food Forum, whereby Chobani’s CEO says that the food system needs immigration to function. Take a read, here.

Industry Updates

Some farmers in Saskatchewan are using drones to manage their crops more efficiently, mainly by identifying crop plant health. Flying 10 to 12 feet above the crop canopy, farmers in the province see the DJI AGRAS model as a game changer. Covering about 40 acres an hour, the AGRAS model weighs 80 pounds while holding up to 70 pounds of water or granular fertilizer. The spray can help prevent more soil compaction, creating better access for crops to grow. The DJI AGRAS T50 model can also be paired as a secondary “mapping” drone, along with the Mavic. The Agras can identify crops through thermal vision, where the model will inform the Mavic on which area of crops may need certain levels of spray. [link]

Waitrose has announced the recipients of a new £500k fund aimed at helping British farmers transition to low carbon farming methods, as part of its commitment to reach net zero across its UK farms by 2035 and the entire supply chain by 2050. The net zero farm fund will support nine innovative farmers within the Waitrose supply chain, implementing projects that reduce agricultural emissions and build resilience in farming. The new projects span a range of low carbon innovations, including water and fertilizer recycling, establishing wild habitats alongside traditional farming, testing cover cropping in orchards, and converting waste materials like poultry litter into fertilizer. Additionally, some farms plan to introduce agroforestry and wildflower planting for better water management, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration, while others are exploring renewable energy and emissions tracking systems. [link]

Kiss the Ground, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting regeneration and healthy soil, announced the release of its Regenerative Purchasing Guides, a suite of free, easy-to-use tools designed to help consumers shop with purpose and confidence. As wellness and sustainability rise in consumer priority, most shoppers remain unsure how to align their values with their purchasing habits. The new Regenerative Purchasing Guides aim to bridge this gap, empowering consumers with transparent and trustworthy information about how their everyday choices impact both personal and planetary health. [link]

Senator Rob Black of Ontario has introduced the Second Reading of Bill S-230, a National Strategy for Soil Health Act, which aims to develop a national strategy for soil health protection, conservation, and enhancement in Canada. Inspired by the 2024 Senate soil health report, the bill reflects urgent concerns about degraded soil. According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, 30% of global soil is already degraded, and 90% could be degraded by 2050. The bill underlines soil’s role in food security, calling it a strategic national asset. It also warns against urban development on productive farmland, especially in places like Ontario, where 319 acres of farmland are lost daily. The proposed strategy will bring together provincial, territorial, and Indigenous governments with various federal departments. The plan will include education programs, data collection, policy updates, and appointing a national soil advocate to raise awareness. [link]

Kraft Heinz said it plans to remove artificial food dyes from its U.S. products before the end of 2027. Kraft Heinz also said it would no longer use artificial colors in new products in the U.S. The move comes as the Trump administration is pushing to strip artificial dyes from the U.S. food supply. The Health and Human Services Department and Food and Drug Administration said in April that it aimed to work with the food industry to remove six synthetic dyes by the end of next year. Kraft Heinz said that nearly 90% of its U.S. products, in terms of sales, don’t use artificial dyes. For those that do, including many Crystal Light, Heinz relish, Kool-Aid, Jell-O and Jet-Puffed products, the company said that it would remove, replace or reinvent colors. [link]

The ASPCA moderated a briefing featuring farmers and ranchers from across the country who shared their experiences both raising animals in the industrial agriculture system and operating in a healthier, more humane and sustainable manner. Congressional staff in attendance heard directly from farmers who advocated for policy solutions, highlighting the need for greater investment in America’s independent farms, and encouraged Congress to prioritize support for higher-welfare, more resilient, pasture-based farming systems as discussions continue around federal funding and the next Farm Bill. The briefing directly follows a June 16th tour of two higher-welfare farms in Virginia – Whiffletree Tree Farm and Kinloch Farm – where congressional staff joined the ASPCA, farmers, and other food system experts to visit these operations in-person and hear directly from the farmers making them successful. [link]

The Farm Credit Northeast AgEnhancement Program, a joint effort of Farm Credit East and CoBank, recently provided $115,000 in grant funding to 27 organizations to assist their efforts to encourage youth leadership development, support young and beginning farmer initiatives, promote diversity, equity and inclusion, and advance northeast agriculture, forestry and commercial fishing. The Farm Credit Northeast AgEnhancement Program was created in 1996 to support projects that promote and enhance the region’s agricultural community. Since inception, the program has provided more than $3.6 million in grant funding to 1,196 projects. Submissions for the next round of grant funding are due by August 1, 2025. [link]

Bayer and Kimitec have announced the launch of two next-generation biological products—Ambition Complete Gen2 and Ambition Secure Gen2. Both formulations, now in regulatory review, are set to join Bayer’s Crop Performance Enhancer portfolio. The move underscores Bayer’s continued push toward nature-based, regenerative agricultural solutions. Developed at Kimitec’s MAAVi Innovation Center, these innovations aim to boost plant performance using nature-derived science and AI-powered discovery. [link]

The global food system faces growing risks from climate change, even as farmers seek to adapt, according to a June 18 study in Nature. In contrast to previous studies suggesting that warming could increase global food production, the researchers estimate that every additional degree Celsius of global warming on average will drag down the world’s ability to produce food by 120 calories per person per day, or 4.4% of current daily consumption. The study draws on observations from more than 12,000 regions across 55 countries. The team analyzed adaptation costs and yields for crops that provide two-thirds of humanity’s calories: wheat, corn, rice, soybeans, barley, and cassava. [link]

The USDA has announced a sweeping readiness and response plan in light of increasing threats of New World screwworm (NWS). The plan aims to enhance USDA’s ability to detect, control, and eliminate the pest in the U.S. cattle herd. The plan uses a five-pronged strategy aimed at controlling animal movement, creating strong surveillance systems, and utilizing proven sterilization techniques. Broadly, the U.S. government wants to stop the NWS spread in Mexico, protect the U.S. border, maximize American industry's readiness, and force eradication through innovation and offensive measures. [link]

General Mills said it will work to remove artificial colors from its U.S. retail portfolio by the end of 2027. It also committed to removing synthetic dyes from its U.S. cereals and foods served in K-12 schools by the summer of 2026. The Trix and Lucky Charms maker said the change will impact “only a small portion” of its school portfolio and 15% of its U.S. retail portfolio. General Mills’ announcement marks the second food company this week to commit to removing the controversial ingredients from its portfolio, following an earlier Kraft Heinz announcement. [link]

A new joint report by Bain & Company and the World Economic Forum (WEF) says that an estimated $1.1 trillion in annual investment is required over the next five years to shift global food production toward sustainable, resilient models that create jobs and align with the Paris Agreement targets. Today, however, annual investments stand at just 5 percent of that need, leaving a staggering financing gap. Unlocking the necessary capital to close it, the report argues, will depend on adopting innovative financing models that can attract a broader, more diverse set of financial actors. [link]

Bregal Sphere announced an investment in Jubilación Segura, an agroforestry and reforestation initiative focused on coffee and cocoa landscapes in the Peruvian Amazon. Bregal Sphere's investment aims to double the project’s size, enabling the distribution of 4.4 million trees over the next five years and the restoration of more than 5,000 hectares of degraded land. The project will seek to engage over 4,000 additional smallholder farmers and is forecast to remove approximately 1.3 million tons of CO2 equivalent by 2039. [link]

In Case You Missed It…

Early this month, Farm Credit Canada (FCC) announced a $2 billion commitment to domestic agriculture and food innovation by 2030, funneling investment into the space through its newly launched capital arm, FCC Capital. See more, here.

June 14, 2025

Spotlight Stories

Spotlight 1 – The Globe and Mail looks at nitrogen’s role across food systems. Check it out, here.

Spotlight 2 – Investigate Midwest provides some great detail on how the May Illinois dust storm is representative of how climate shifts are spreading. Read the story, here.

Spotlight 3 – AgWeb says that a quiet crisis is unfolding rapidly in American agriculture as the average age of farmers continues to move higher. Take a read, here.

Industry Updates

Pro Farm Group has received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) coveted Green Chemistry Challenge Award for Design of Safer and Degradable Chemicals. The award follows the development of RinoTec technology, a biocontrol agent produced from a novel bacterial organism found in nature and enhanced through proprietary, patented fermentation and processing methods. The resulting insecticidal and nematicidal property offers a new and unique mode of action with the potential to replace or reduce the use of standard synthetic pesticides used to control soil-dwelling and foliar crop pests on millions of acres around the globe. [link]

Landscape Enterprise Networks (LENs) has released its first Impact Report, highlighting significant progress in landscape resilience and climate outcomes from regenerative agriculture across Europe. LENs brings together businesses, NGOs, public bodies, and land managers to co-fund environmental improvements at scale. Since 2021, the platform has channeled more than €24 million (~$27.4 million) directly to farmers and land managers. Backers include Diageo, Nestlé, and PepsiCo, supporting initiatives in the UK, Hungary, Italy, and Poland. LENs practices — like soil cover, crop diversity, habitat restoration, and livestock integration — boost resilience while improving carbon storage, biodiversity, and water quality. The entity now has 47,705 hectares under regenerative practices and anticipates continued growth in the years ahead. [link]

A microscopic enzyme could be the key to helping nitrogen fertilizers stick better to the soil and prevent runoff that causes harmful algal blooms, according to a new review article published by a Michigan State University research team. Led by College of Natural Science Dean Eric Hegg, the paper compiles years of research on an enzyme known as NrfA that plays a key role in keeping nitrogen in soil. Krystina Hird, an MSU Ph.D. candidate and first author on the paper, said studying NrfA could help farmers not only avoid polluting nearby waterways but also save money by reducing their need for fertilizer. The findings are published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology. [link]

A group of investors, funders, and farming organizations are partnering with nonprofit the TransCap Initiative (TCI) to design a new finance infrastructure for regenerative agriculture in the Midwestern US. Both the Walton Family Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation are supporting the initiative, the second phase of which will last six months. Phase two of the “systemic investing prototype” will see participants designing a financial platform that can deploy multiple types of capital across the regenerative agriculture space. Critically, the initiative seeks to match the right capital with the right practices or interventions at the right time in order to finance the transition to regenerative agriculture at scale. [link]

Key Carbon, a Vancouver-based private equity firm specializing in climate and biodiversity action, will partner with Lithuania’s InSoil to support regenerative agriculture across Europe. Under the agreement, Key Carbon will invest over $114 million (€100 million) into InSoil’s zero-interest Green Loans, providing vital financing to small and medium-sized farms transitioning to sustainable practices. InSoil (formerly HeavyFinance) offers zero-interest loans to farmers in exchange for a share of carbon credits. [link]

Funding for food tech startups “slowed significantly” in the first quarter of the year as investors shift their focus toward artificial intelligence, according to a Pitchbook report. The food tech sector captured $1.4 billion in investments across 202 deals in the first quarter, Pitchbook said. That’s close to a 50% drop in capital and a 15% decline in deal count year over year. Some investors are pulling back from the food tech sector all together. The number of unique investors with deals in the space declined 54% from its 2021 peak through the first quarter of 2024. [link]

Israeli foodtech startup Lembas has emerged from stealth with “GLP-1 Edge,” a bioactive peptide that triggers the production of GLP-1 and other gut hormones that regulate appetite and metabolism. Founded in 2024, Lembas has raised a $3.6 million pre-seed round led by FLORA Ventures, with participation from Bluestein Ventures, Fresh Fund, Longevity Venture Partners, Maia Ventures, Siddhi Capital, Mandi Ventures and SDH. Lembas’ patent-pending technology, utilizing AI to discover, design, and screen bioactive peptides, is licensed from Tel Aviv University, and has attracted interest from global food and supplement companies keen to address a “massive unmet need,” claims the firm. [link]

A project designed to help Brazilian farmers transition from livestock farming to plant-based food production is getting off the ground. ProVeg zeros in on boosting profitable, sustainable, and fair agriculture by producing vegetables instead of animals. The Cultiva Project offers full technical support to producers who currently work with livestock to migrate to the production of plant-based foods using an agroforestry model. This includes agronomic, legal, marketing, and credit access support. Agroforestry models combine trees with crops and promote an economically viable, environmentally sustainable, and socially fair alternative for family farmers, according to ProVeg Brazil. [link]

Global food and beverage company Nestlé revealed that its largest coffee brand, Nescafé, sourced nearly a third of its coffee from farmers implementing regenerative agriculture practices in 2024, significantly beating the company’s goal to reach 20% by 2025. The company’s achievement was announced with the release of its Nescafé Plan 2030 Progress Report, detailing the brand’s progress on its strategy to improve the sustainability of coffee farming. Nescafé launched the strategy in 2022, with a commitment to invest over $1 billion in the plan by 2030. [link]

In a landmark move, four UK water companies (Affinity Water, South Staffs & Cambridge Water, Wessex Water and Southern Water) have partnered with Wildfarmed’s regenerative wheat farmers, offering financial incentives of up to £200 per hectare of retained nutrients. The group aims to reduce agricultural run-off, limit pesticide pollution and improve the health of freshwater ecosystems, particularly by tackling eutrophication at the source. This initiative represents a strategic shift in the sense that UK water utilities are now investing directly in land management to reduce their downstream treatment costs. [link]

The conversation surrounding ultra-processed foods (UPFs) in the US is about to be taken up a notch, with the country’s food regulator reportedly looking to create a definition for such products. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is hoping that its description would encourage companies to label their offerings as ‘non-ultra-processed’ the same way products are marketed as sugar- or fat-free. While the effort is being led by the FDA, it includes other agencies too, such as the Department of Agriculture. Once a definition has been drafted, the government will open it up to public comments before finalizing it in the months ahead. [link]

Impossible Foods CEO Peter McGuinness suggested that the plant-based giant could enter the blended meat space to entice more flexitarians. In 2024, nearly every American household that bought a vegan burger also purchased conventional meat, highlighting how exclusively plant-based eating is still niche. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Mr. McGuinness made the case for why flexitarians are the brand’s biggest growth opportunity, noting that a sizable portion of flexitarians could quadruple Impossible Foods’ revenue in a short period. [link]

In Case You Missed It…

In late April, the Good Food Institute released its State of the Plant-Based Meat & Dairy Industry report for 2024. See more, here.

June 7, 2025

Spotlight Stories

Spotlight 1 – Arizona State University does a report on a new algae system that’s helping Arizona farmers grow better crops with less water. Check it out, here.

Spotlight 2 – Mercer University highlights the work of one of its faculty members to look at how language and communications fit into the field of animal agriculture. Read the story, here.

Spotlight 3 – The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition takes a deep dive into the House Agriculture Committee’s reconciliation bill. Take a read, here.

Industry Updates

Farm Credit Canada (FCC) has announced a $2-billion commitment to agriculture and food innovation by 2030, funneling the investment through its newly launched capital arm, FCC Capital. The federal Crown corporation says the funding will support the development of new technologies, research and business models aimed at increasing efficiency, productivity and sustainability across Canada's agri-food sector. The move comes amid concerns about Canada’s lagging agtech investment levels. In 2023, venture capital investment in the sector reached just $270 million — about one-tenth of U.S. investment when adjusted for population. [link]

As part of a multiagency effort led by Virginia Cooperative Extension, a statewide survey is now open to document voluntary best management practices on farms within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Many farmers take proactive steps to preserve soil and water health — such as cover crops, streamside butters, and rotational grazing — without accepting cost-share funding or reporting their efforts. The survey seeks to close that gap. By capturing these unreported efforts, it will help better reflect the full extent of agricultural contributions to soil health and water quality across Virginia. [link]

Researchers in the University of Oxford’s Department of Biology and Wild Bioscience Ltd are to receive backing of a £6.7 million grant from the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) to pioneer a new synthetic biology approach which promises to improve yields in potato and wheat. Established by the UK Parliament in January 2023 and sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, ARIA is an R&D funding agency created to unlock technological breakthroughs that benefit everyone. The ARIA Synthetic Plants program, led by Program Director Angie Burnett, will catalyze a new generation of major crops that are more productive, resilient, and sustainable to help future-proof our agricultural system. [link]

New research is helping to answer an important question about ultra-processed foods: Which ones might be healthier? One reason many ultra–processed foods often lead us to eat big meals and heavy snacks is because of their texture, which makes them go down easily and quickly, according to a new study presented this week at a conference in Orlando, Fla., of the American Society for Nutrition. But some diets filled with ultra-processed foods don’t cause us to eat as much. People in the study who had a diet of slower-to-eat ultra-processed foods such as crunchy breakfast cereal and multigrain buns consumed an average of 369 fewer calories a day than when they were eating quick-to-eat ultra-processed foods such as commercially made smoothies and soft breads. [link]

European farmers transitioning to regenerative agriculture can produce significantly more food for lower prices compared to average conventional practices, flags a new study. The European Alliance for Regenerative Agriculture (EARA) study benchmarks 78 regenerating farms in 14 countries covering over 7,000 hectares against their neighboring and national average conventional farmers. According to the report, regenerative pioneers show 24% to 38% higher productivity than the average European farmer across 14 countries studied. Between 2020 and 2023, regenerative agriculture farmers achieved, on average, just 1% lower yields in kilocalories and proteins while using 62% less synthetic nitrogen fertilizer and 76% less pesticides (g/active substance) per hectare. [link]

Many farmers will no longer have to keep any records of when, where, or how they’re using pesticides known to pose the highest risks to human health and the environment after a recent change made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). In May, the agency rescinded regulations on the books since the 1990s that required farmers to record basic details about their use of pesticides classified as “restricted use.” Farmers were required to record the chemical’s name, date of use, volume, location, and type of crop treated, and to keep the records for two years. In rescinding the regulations, the USDA did not follow the typical rulemaking process of proposing a change, taking public comment, and then finalizing it. In the notice, the agency officials said the regulations are “not a priority” and that “to the extent there is any uncertainty about the costs and benefits [of the regulations], it is the policy of USDA to err on the side of deregulation.” [link]

The Ivey Business School’s Centre for Building Sustainable Value has launched the Collective Action for Regenerative Agriculture Program (CAP), a new initiative to support farmers in Ontario, Canada. CAP brings together farmers, scientists, agronomists, and industry leaders to co-create farming practices suited to local soil and climate. The goal is to improve ecological health, increase farm profits, and support the entire region’s agricultural sustainability. Farmers will contribute by working with experts to adopt regenerative practices, join other farmers to share ideas, and help solve sustainability issues while exploring shared resources and income opportunities. [link]

Beverage and spirits giant Suntory Group has recently launched two partnerships aimed at increasing the sustainability and resilience of its agricultural value chains. First, Suntory and Japanese agritech startup Towing Co. have launched a joint pilot program to explore the potential of high-performance biochar — produced from manufacturing byproducts in Suntory Group’s supply chain — to both reduce manufacturing waste and boost crop yields, compared to the use of conventional organic fertilizers. Meanwhile, Suntory Holdings and Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT) have begun collaborating with sweet potato producers in Japan’s Kagoshima Prefecture to fight disease and increase and stabilize yields using regenerative practices. Sweet potatoes are a key ingredient in several of Suntory’s shochu brands — including Kuromaru, Nanko and Osumi. [link]

UConn’s College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR) welcomed fellow researchers and poultry industry representatives from across the US and the world to the Storrs campus to continue their interdependent work on the Sustainable Agricultural Systems (SAS) Poultry Project. In 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) awarded the school a $10 million grant for the initiative. At the two-day meeting, held at the Innovation Partnership Building, the multi-institutional group and its project teams discussed their on-going efforts to enhance broiler sustainability without antibiotics and ensure safe approaches to improve chicken, human, and environmental health. The group has made a number of technological advancements to lower heat stress, improve bird welfare, generate energy from poultry litter, and reduce disease, including a UConn-patented probiotic spray method that improves the hatchability and the health of chicks. [link]

Rural Action has announced that two major grants from the US Department of Agriculture are currently underway, enabling the organization to provide free site visits and technical assistance to landowners and landholders in 44 Ohio counties, including all Appalachian Ohio counties. Landowners in the focus area can receive a free site visit for advice on agroforestry and wildlife habitat practices such as forest farming, silvopasture, reforestation, wildlife habitat and water quality protection through Rural Action’s Sustainable Forestry and Watersheds Programs. The Sustainable Forestry team is working with the US Forest Service on a Forest Landowner Support project to provide technical assistance on forest farming, silvopasture, invasive species removal and opportunities for sustainable forest management. The Watersheds team has entered into a Cooperative Agreement with the US Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service to help landowners plan streambank and floodplain reforestation, invasive species removal and other opportunities to benefit water quality and wildlife habitat. [link]

In Case You Missed It…

In mid-May, the USDA reversed course and committed to restoring climate-focused webpages purged from its websites earlier this year. See more, here.

May 31, 2025

Spotlight Stories

Spotlight 1 – The Strategist says that Australia’s national security depends on robust, sustainable food and nutrition security. Check it out, here.

Spotlight 2 – Eos reviews why it’s so important to keep soil healthy…along with how science can help. Read the story, here.

Spotlight 3 – AgWeb writes about the unexpected impact from recent Illinois dust storms on people, communities, and crops. Take a read, here.

Industry Updates

The UK Agri-Tech Centre has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), through its Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology of Salamanca (IRNASA-CSIC), to advance innovations in agroforestry systems, sustainable inputs and renewable energy applications. The vision is to bolster business growth, innovation, research and collaboration in the agri-tech sector—solidifying a shared commitment to addressing global agricultural challenges and enhancing sustainability through joint initiatives. It also supports market entry strategies for businesses in both countries and further strengthens the agri-tech sectors in the UK and Spain. [link]

The ReGenWine study, led by Stellenbosch University and funded by South Africa Wine, examines how regenerative farming, including the use of cattle, can help wine farmers in South Africa cope with the growing challenges of climate change, rising costs, and sustainability demands. The study runs over three years, with Hartenberg Wine Estate near Stellenbosch as the main trial site. As climate change intensifies, vineyards in South Africa face rising temperatures, water scarcity, and soil degradation. In response, the ReGenWine project offers a compelling local solution grounded in regenerative agriculture. [link]

Scientists at the James Hutton Institute in the UK have found that a fungus hiding inside common grasses could play a major role in helping Europe's farmers tackle some of their toughest challenges. Known as Epichloe, this endophytic fungus lives inside plant tissues, with certain species quietly offering a surprising range of benefits, from natural pest protection to increased drought resistance. Certain strains of Epichloe are used in pastures in New Zealand and the United States, where they have helped grasslands thrive by producing natural chemicals that deter insects. Modern versions are non-toxic and safe for livestock. [link]

A recent review from Murdoch University reveals that the world's soils now contain nearly 23 times more microplastics than the oceans. This contamination does not stay in the dirt. It travels through roots, into crops, and onto our plates. Without a shift in awareness and policy, the health of humans and ecosystems may face irreversible harm. One of the most disturbing findings from the review is that these plastics may contain up to 10,000 different chemical additives. Many of them remain completely unregulated in agricultural contexts. [link]

Despite severe drought and devastating flooding, Australian farmers are on track to plant a record winter crop, sowing an area equivalent to the size of the United Kingdom. A report by agribusiness Rabobank estimates 24.5 million hectares of wheat, barley, chickpeas and canola will be sown, breaking the record of 24.1 million hectares set in 2020/21. That is despite farmers in southern parts of the country reducing their planting or diversifying to cope with devastating dry conditions. [link]

The Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC) in the United States is unveiling a new grant made possible through funding from the USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation. The Organic Dairy Product Promotion (ODPP) Grant is designed to increase organic dairy in schools, child-care centers, and other youth-based programs. This unique opportunity is part of a national initiative to increase the consumption of organic dairy among children and young adults while supporting small and mid-sized organic dairy producers. Funded projects will address expansion of existing organic dairy procurement or the addition of organic dairy products. Grants will range from $50,000 - $500,000 with no match requirement. $1,750,000 is available this round. This is the first of two times that this grant will be offered. [link]

Brother’s Bond Bourbon announced the launch of its first-ever micro-batch single barrel release, a Regenerative Grain Straight Bourbon, selected by 1 Hotels. This limited-edition bourbon, crafted with 100% regenerative grain and aged for seven years, will be available at select 1 Hotels locations in the United States beginning in June. By utilizing regenerative grain farming, this bourbon not only delivers flavor and complexity but also supports soil health and sustainable agriculture. [link]

A new low-cost bioreactor from cultivated meat company, Meatly, could slash cultivated meat production expenses by 95%. Meatly has completed commissioning, delivering initial cell growth tests using a newly developed pilot-scale bioreactor with a 320-liter capacity. Designed in-house by Meatly’s research and development team, the bioreactor is priced at approximately £12,500, significantly lower than the typical pharmaceutical-grade bioreactors currently used in the cultivated meat sector, which can cost around £250,000 or more. The company has also developed a culture medium currently costing 22 pence per liter, with expectations to reduce this to 1.5 pence per liter at scale. This figure is considerably below the industry benchmark of £1 per liter for culture media. [link]

One Banana, a family-owned, vertically integrated company committed to the responsible production of the highest quality bananas and natural ingredients, announced the launch of its Regenerative Agriculture Pilot Project, developed with technical support from EARTH University and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). This forward-looking initiative is designed to study, implement and validate regenerative farming practices tailored for tropical crops, laying the groundwork for healthier soils, more resilient ecosystems, and a more sustainable global food system. This pilot forms part of PlanetA, One Banana’s corporate sustainability strategy, which integrates a regenerative approach into the company’s core business operations. [link]

Morocco has emerged as a key beneficiary of the Mirova Sustainable Land Fund 2 (MSLF2), a €363 million impact investment initiative targeting sustainable agricultural and forestry management across seven countries, reinforcing the Kingdom’s leadership in Africa’s ecological transition. The fund, launched by Mirova—a Natixis Investment Managers affiliate—with strategic support from the Green Climate Fund, addresses urgent agro-environmental challenges including soil erosion, water scarcity, and climate disruption. The MSLF2 deploys a hybrid financing model, combining €75 million in concessional capital from the Green Climate Fund with private investment to create a multiplier effect. [link]

A new EU Soil Health Data Cube layered map will revolutionize how farmers, land managers and policy makers sustainably manage soil in Europe. Almost one hundred scientists have contributed to the project, which integrates hundreds of thousands of observations and data points on soil, climate and vegetation using a multidimensional matrix powered by artificial intelligence and high-performance computing. This new tool allows scientists and researchers to obtain open data representing European landscape and soil properties in space and time, and can potentially be used to simulate complex scenarios and accurately predict, test and model real world solutions. [link]

Google and agtech solutions provider Arable announced a water replenishment-focused collaboration, with Google agreeing to fund projects to bring Arable’s efficient irrigation technology to farmers in North and South Carolina. According to the companies, Google plans to invest more than $4 million to fund the use of Arable’s technology on 20,000 acres, aimed at saving more than 500 million gallons (1.9 billion liters) over eight years. Founded in 2014, Arable enables data-driven decisions in agriculture and natural resource management to help improve agricultural sustainability and productivity. The company’s solutions integrate IoT technology, machine learning, and advanced modeling to convert in-field weather, crop, soil, and irrigation data into real-time insights. [link]

Sustainable agriculture and biological solutions provider Indigo Ag and Microsoft announced their second carbon removal agreement, with a new commitment from Microsoft to purchase 60,000 soil carbon credits generated through the promotion of regenerative agriculture practices by U.S. farmers. The new transaction follows an initial 40,000 carbon credit purchase agreement by the companies last year. Founded in 2013, Indigo Ag provides nature-based and digital technologies aimed at helping farmers improve profitability and environmental sustainability. [link]

In Case You Missed It…

In mid-March, the NotCo, an AI-driven foodtech company, announced the creation of a new GLP booster. See more, here.

May 24, 2025

Spotlight Stories

Spotlight 1 – Agri Investor asks if regenerative farming can escape the ESG backlash. Check it out, here.

Spotlight 2 – Modern Farmer discusses silvopasture and why we need trees on grazing lands. Read the story, here.

Spotlight 3 – Successful Farming offers a great report on how the USDA plans to remove obstacles for small farms. Take a read, here.

Industry Updates

The Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) is seeking project proposals from Indiana’s specialty crop sector for funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. The USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program offers federal funding annually to state departments of agriculture to support their specialty crop industries. This year, Indiana will be allocating $416,350 to selected projects. Eligible projects must enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in Indiana, defined as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, horticulture and nursery crops. [link]

Widespread adoption of practices that may capture carbon in soils, including planting cover crops and avoiding soil tillage, could lead to lowering crop production, finds a new study by a team of scientists. With rising food demand, practices that reduce crop yields can undermine food security and sustainability goals, note the authors of the research, which appears in the journal Nature Climate Change. But they add that the findings nonetheless point to ways to balance sustainability and productivity. The insights gained from this study, say the authors, offer valuable guidance for policymakers, farmers, and sustainability advocates seeking to balance climate goals with the need for increasing crop production. [link]

A recent survey of Wisconsin’s farmers found that 56 percent of them believe climate change is happening. Another 26 percent think it isn’t happening, and 18 percent are unsure. The same survey asked farmers if they are practicing any of 15 different sustainable agricultural practices. Only 5 percent of respondents said they weren't doing anything sustainable, an encouraging sign that producers enact sustainable practices for a variety of reasons. The survey was sent out in 2024 to 3,200 farmers around the state, and 942 of them responded. [link]

The Crown Estate is offering 15-year farm business tenancies in a bid to support the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices across its extensive portfolio of British land (83,000 ha). Typically, farm business tenancies (FBTs) in the UK have a duration of four years or less, making it challenging for farmers to invest in long-term changes to processes in the name of environmental impact management. Under the 15-year FBTs from the Crown Estate, tenants must come forward with ideas for environmental enhancements on 15% of the land. The Crown Estate will request baseline data on biodiversity and carbon impacts, and then monitor progress throughout the duration of the FBTs. In return, the Crown Estate will consider supporting tenants with the uptake of technologies or processes which diversify farmer income. It also said it is “actively reducing” rents on land supporting nature recovery. [link]

The European Union's agriculture sector loses an average of 28.3 billion euros ($31.9 billion) each year from extreme weather made worse by climate change, according to new EU-backed analysis. Most of these losses - which are equivalent to 6% of annual EU crop and livestock production - are not insured. Just 20-30% of farmers' climate-linked losses were covered by public, private or mutual insurance systems, said the report, backed by the European Commission and European Investment Bank, and produced by insurance broker Howden. [link]

Bayer Crop Science Puerto Rico and the Office for Socioeconomic and Community Development, known as ODSEC in Spanish, have renewed and expanded their collaboration agreement to support agricultural education, food security and community development in Puerto Rico. The agreement includes two initiatives. The “Crece y Aprende” (“Grow and Learn”) program works with schools and community organizations to incorporate sustainability and self-management into classroom instruction. The “Siembra” (“Plant”) program focuses on youth and adults, providing training in agricultural practices with an emphasis on entrepreneurship. Participants learn to grow food, start small businesses or lead community agriculture efforts. [link]

A traditional agroforestry system for cultivating yerba mate in Brazil and an ancestral farming system that preserves vital food crops and biodiversity in Mexico have become the latest additions to the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) recognized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Latin America and the Caribbean. GIAHS are living heritage systems inhabited by communities that maintain a deep connection with their territories. These evolving and resilient systems are characterized by remarkable agrobiodiversity, traditional knowledge, cultures, and invaluable landscapes sustainably managed by farmers, herders, fishers, and forest dwellers to support their livelihoods and food security. [link]

As Republicans push forward with the "big, beautiful" tax bill in the U.S. Congress, federal food assistance may see big cuts. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, may be cut about 30% under the terms of the bill, which would be the "biggest cut in the program's history," according to Ty Jones Cox, vice president for food assistance policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, currently provides food assistance to more than 40 million individuals including children, seniors and adults with disabilities. [link]

The Trump administration released a sweeping report this past week, offering its analysis of what's driving chronic disease among the nation's children. "The MAHA Report: Make Our Children Healthy Again" catalogues in detail a "chronic disease crisis," including high rates of obesity, asthma, autoimmune conditions and behavioral health disorders among kids. The report identifies four major drivers behind the rise in childhood chronic illness: poor diet, environmental chemicals, chronic stress and lack of physical activity, and overmedicalization. This lays the groundwork for the MAHA commission to develop a strategy for addressing childhood disease, which is supposed to happen by mid-August. [link]

PepsiCo announced that it will not be meeting some of its forward sustainability goals due to external factors like lack of progress on recycling, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and electric grid modernization, alongside internal growth of its business. The company expects delays on realizing its plastic packaging goals, and it also now expects to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 instead of 2040, previously. That said, PepsiCo has increased its regenerative agriculture goal, aiming to drive the adoption of regenerative, restorative, or protective practices across 10 million acres by 2030. This is an expansion of the original 7-million-acre regenerative agriculture goal and expands the ambition both in scale and depth, as it includes specific objectives for nature within the goal. As of 2024, against the newly released goal, PepsiCo has already delivered approximately 3.5 million acres. [link]

Parts of northern Europe have seen their worst drought in decades in recent weeks, with farmers from Scotland to the Netherlands fearing the dry spell will dent harvests if it continues. Countries including France, Belgium, Britain and Germany have seen much lower levels of rainfall than usual in some areas this spring, leaving the soil parched and dusty. The dry spell in northern Europe contrasts with southern Europe, including Spain and Portugal, where rainfall has been up to twice the usual amount for the time of year. [link]

China recently disbursed 1.4 billion yuan ($194.42 million) of central government funds earmarked for agricultural production disaster prevention and relief, according to a statement from the Agriculture Ministry. The funds from the Agriculture Ministry and Finance Ministry will support 30 provinces including Heilongjiang, Jiangsu, Anhui and Henan. The central government will focus on providing appropriate subsidies for pesticides, equipment and unified services for disaster prevention and control. [link]

In Case You Missed It…

Earlier this month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued the final version of its “Insecticide Strategy,” part of an ongoing initiative to bring the agency in compliance with the Endangered Species Act and avoid litigation. See more, here.

May 17, 2025

Spotlight Stories

Spotlight 1 – Civil Eats does a spotlight on Oatman Flats and asks if this Arizona ranch could be a model for southwest U.S. farmers. Check it out, here.

Spotlight 2 – The World Economic Forum says the world urgently needs more young farmers. Read the story, here.

Spotlight 3 – Grist writes that as temperatures rise, the U.S. Corn Belt could see insurance claims soar. Take a read, here.

Industry Updates

Nestlé Nigeria has disclosed plans to source at least 50 per cent of its key ingredients from farmers practicing regenerative agriculture globally by 2030. The partnership between AGRA, Nestlé, and TechnoServe aims to support 25,000 smallholder farmers and eight aggregators across Kaduna and Nasarawa States, promoting sustainable production of maize, soybean, rice, and sorghum. Nestlé is investing $1 million in the project over the next three years to contribute towards establishing regenerative agriculture as the standard in the food industry. [link]

PepsiCo and Yara have announced a long-term partnership for the supply of crop nutrition programs in Latin America to help decarbonize the food value chain. This follows a similar agreement signed last July between PepsiCo and Yara in Europe, through which Yara will supply PepsiCo farmers with best-in-class crop nutrition products and advice as well as digital tools for precision farming. In its initial phase, Yara will supply PepsiCo with products and services in Latin America, benefitting potato farmers in Mexico, Colombia, Chile, and Argentina. [link]

China’s state-owned agricultural conglomerate, Cofco, is building its biggest export terminal outside China at Brazil's largest port in Santos to manage alternative shipments of corn, sugar and soybeans from the United States. The new port will increase the company’s annual export capacity to 14 million tons from 4.5 million, but isn’t expected to reach full capacity until next year. The Santos port fits into China’s wider plan to secure access to South America’s agricultural bounty amid shortages of water and arable land at home. Chinese companies are laying hundreds of miles of railroad across Brazil’s agricultural heartland and finishing work on a $3.5 billion deep-water port on Peru’s Pacific coast. [link]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced several Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) enrollment opportunities for agricultural producers and landowners. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting offers for both the General and Continuous CRP beginning May 12 through June 6, 2025. For four decades, CRP has provided financial and technical support to agricultural producers and landowners who place unproductive or marginal cropland under contract for 10-15 years and who agree to voluntarily convert the land to beneficial vegetative cover to improve water quality, prevent soil erosion and support wildlife habitat. [link]

Canadian farmers and landowners across Manitoba are being encouraged to apply for the Prairie Watersheds Climate Program being led by the Manitoba Association of Watersheds. The program provides funding to adopt beneficial management practices (BMPs) in three areas; cover crops, nitrogen management and rotational grazing. The money comes from the On Farm Climate Action Fund, from Agriculture and Agri-food Canada. [link]

Purdue University’s Institute for a Sustainable Future (ISF) has released the first Indiana Statewide PFAS Assessment report summarizing the uses, exposures to, and sources of contamination from PFAS across the state. Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are commonly known as “forever chemicals” because they persist in the environment. The report serves as a comprehensive review of what is known about PFAS in general and provides specific information on PFAS in Indiana. It describes what PFAS are, where they come from, how they move through the environment and what is known about potential health impacts. [link]

Brazilian microbiologist Mariangela Hungria, whose research has helped farmers in the country sharply boost grain production, has been named the 2025 World Food Prize Laureate, the Iowa-based foundation organizing the prize announced. Hungria has been a researcher for more than 40 years at Brazil's state-run agricultural center Embrapa, where she works on seeds and soil treatments that enable plants to source nutrients through soil bacteria, a particularly important development for soybean crops. [link]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has reversed course and committed to restore climate-focused webpages purged from its websites. This follows a lawsuit from Earthjustice and the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University on behalf of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY), NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), and the Environmental Working Group (EWG). Resources purged from USDA websites include information on climate-smart farming, accessing federal loans, forest conservation, and rural clean energy projects. USDA erased entire climate sections from the U.S. Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service sites, including information helping farmers access billions of dollars for critical conservation practices. It also disabled interactive tools, such as the U.S. Forest Service’s “Climate Risk Viewer,” a “one-stop shop for climate-related geospatial data” with over 140 data layers. [link]

The European Commission proposed weakening more of the environmental conditions tied to the EU's huge farming subsidy program, as part of plans to cut back regulations and paperwork for farmers. Farmers across Europe wielded their political clout last year during months of protests over issues including strict EU regulations and cheap imports. In response, the EU diluted some green conditions attached to farming subsidies. [link]

Thirty dairy farms across the Netherlands are taking part in a three-year pilot project initiated by FrieslandCampina, focused on regenerative agriculture. With financial support from Lidl and backing from the National Growth Fund Program ReGeNL, FrieslandCampina’s member dairy farms are taking concrete steps towards a farming system focused on soil restoration, biodiversity, and a future-proof earning model for dairy farmers. The aim of the pilot is to jointly develop an open-access standard for regenerative agriculture, with a strong focus on measurability of impact. The project explores how regenerative practices, such as herb-rich grasslands and grazing, can contribute to soil health, biodiversity, sustainable food production, and a robust earning model for farmers. Lidl is the first supermarket chain to take and support this initiative. [link]

In Case You Missed It…

In mid-April, a new study in Science said that nearly 17% of the world’s croplands are contaminated with heavy metals. See more, here.

May 10, 2025

Spotlight Stories

Spotlight 1 – The Union of Concerned Scientists says that the next Farm Bill can make the agriculture sector more resilient…if it follows the Agriculture Resilience Act. Check it out, here.

Spotlight 2 – Farm Progress details how farmers can do their part on preventing dangerous and consequential dust storms. Read the story, here.

Spotlight 3 – Fortune writes that after an early boom, organic farming is falling. Take a read, here.

Industry Updates

Community leaders and neighbors from Watsonville and across Santa Cruz County in California gathered to protest the use of pesticides near Pajaro Valley homes and schools. They said chemicals are harming the health of farmworkers and children. Farmworker organizer and activist Dolores Huerta spoke at the rally organized by the Campaign for Organic and Regenerative Agriculture. Huerta is calling on Driscoll's and other ag companies to transition to organic practices near homes and schools and encouraging the community to oppose pesticide use. [link]

As part of Maryland’s 5 Million Trees Program, the Maryland Department of Agriculture is reminding farmers that financial assistance is available for a range of tree-planting programs that can boost farm income, improve soil and herd health, and protect local streams and natural resources. The department’s tree-planting incentives support soil health and agroforestry practices that combine farming and forestry to create healthier conditions for people, animals, and crops by allowing farmers to improve natural resources and generate income by planting nut and berry trees. Eligible participants may qualify for up to 100% cost-share for selected practices and a one-time bonus payment of $1,000 per acre for establishing riparian forest buffers. [link]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued the final version of its “Insecticide Strategy,” part of an ongoing initiative to bring the agency in compliance with the Endangered Species Act and avoid litigation. The EPA has already completed a strategy on herbicides. These strategies, with others to follow, are intended to protect listed species under the law, while communicating clearly with farmers and other users of these chemicals on how and where they can be applied. The new strategy includes guidance on buffer distances for insecticide applications, a process for crediting growers who use conservation programs, and an interactive map that allows people to look up specific chemicals and their restrictions in specific areas. It also includes a three-step framework for reviewing insecticides and developing prohibitions for their use to protect endangered and threatened species. [link]

A new startup is helping farmers grow plant-based feed and fertilizer using wastewater for a more sustainable, profitable food system. Founded by former MIT Tata Center translational research director Jason Prapas, Fyto has built an automated system for harvesting the aquatic plant Lemna on dairy farms. Lemna, or duckweed, is rich in protein and capable of doubling in biomass every two days. Fyto has built an automated cropping system that uses nitrogen-rich wastewater from dairy farms to grow Lemna in shallow pools on otherwise less productive farmland. The Lemna can then be used on farms as a high-protein cattle feed or fertilizer supplement. [link]

Regenagri, a global regenerative agriculture initiative, is set to introduce a suite of updated standards aimed at boosting both the sustainability and traceability of regeneratively produced food and textiles. The enhanced framework will also add measurable criteria to support regenerative claims across supply chains. Although the official release of the new standards is scheduled for June 6, 2025, Regenagri will host two online briefing sessions on June 4 to present a comprehensive overview of the updates and respond to participant questions. [link]

Connecticut is rolling out a new pilot program to research soil contamination levels in farms across the state, aiming to better understand the presence of PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as “forever chemicals.” Exposure to these substances has been linked to a wide range of health issues, including high cholesterol, immune system suppression, hormone disruptions, thyroid disorders, pregnancy complications and neurodevelopmental effects. PFAS contamination in soil can leach into groundwater, affecting drinking water supplies and can be absorbed by crops, leading to consumption by humans and animals. [link]

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is now accepting applications for a grant to develop enterprises, supply chains, and markets for continuous living cover crops and cropping systems in the early stages of commercial development. CLC crops have been shown to enhance water and soil quality, sequester carbon, build soil health, and provide greater biodiversity and pollinator habitat. Significant environmental benefits from these crops will result from widespread production, which requires robust value chains and markets. Grant proposals must aim to develop and accelerate enterprises, supply chains, and markets for CLC crops and cropping systems in the early stages of commercial development in Minnesota. This could include customized equipment to harvest the crop, clean and store seeds, and process crops for food products, as well as market and business development. [link]

A new report from the Sustainable Food Trust challenges the current orthodoxy that meat and dairy products from cattle and sheep are always part of the problem for climate and health. Instead, it argues that grass-fed cows and sheep can be a vital part of the solution – if we change the way we farm and shift away from intensively farmed animal products. "Grazing Livestock" sets out a vivid comparison between industrial livestock systems and regenerative, grass-based systems rooted in nature. While these can be lower-yielding, cattle and sheep raised on pasture deliver multiple benefits from the same area of land – for the environment, public health and animal welfare. [link]

The Bernard J. Tyson Impact Fund, part of American Heart Association Ventures’ Social Impact Funds, is distributing $900,000 to four organizations to combat food insecurity. The funding is made possible by a grant from the Walmart Foundation to support companies and organizations that combat food insecurity. Recipients of funding from the Bernard J. Tyson Impact Fund include both nonprofit and for-profit organizations working to positively impact factors that affect cardiovascular health in historically under-resourced communities. [link]

The Agricultural Cooperatives Union tabled a proposal to the Greek Ministry of Rural Development and Food, calling for the establishment of a national standard for regenerative agriculture in Greece. The plan was prompted by the keen interest demonstrated during the “Agrothessaly 2025” event, which focused on the topic of regenerative agriculture. Regenerative agriculture is the process of restoring degraded soils using management practices (e.g., adaptive grazing, no-till planting, no or limited use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizer, etc.) based on ecological principles. [link]

In a landmark decision, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of gene-edited pigs developed by PIC (Pig Improvement Company) for human consumption. This approval marks a significant advancement in biotechnology, particularly in the livestock sector, as these pigs are engineered to resist porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), a viral infection that has long plagued the global pork industry. PRRS is responsible for substantial economic losses in the pork industry, with estimates suggesting a cost of approximately $560 million annually in the US alone. [link]

Beyond Meat raised $100 million from a plant-based nonprofit, providing the alternative meat company with much-needed cash as it struggles with declining sales, distribution hiccups and a dimmed consumer outlook. Unprocessed Foods will provide the debt financing loan in exchange for the right to purchase up to 12.5% of Beyond’s shares. Unprocessed is an affiliate of Ahimsa Foundation, which focuses “on advocating for plant-based diets.” The loan comes as Beyond reported a “disappointing” first quarter, according to founder and CEO Ethan Brown, with U.S. retail sales falling 15.4% to $31.4 million and product volume slumping 23.3%. [link]

Mondelez International’s impact investing arm, Sustainable Futures, has made a strategic investment in eAgronom, an Estonia-based agritech startup focused on scaling regenerative agriculture across Europe. The funding, part of eAgronom’s ongoing Series A2 round, aims to support the company’s expansion into new markets and increase its footprint to over 4 million hectares of farmland by 2026. Founded in 2016, eAgronom currently works with more than 3,000 farms managing 2.5 million hectares across 10 countries, including Poland, Romania, and Sweden. The company provides farmers with digital tools to improve soil health, measure carbon impact, and participate in carbon credit markets, offering both environmental and financial incentives for sustainable farming. [link]

More than 60% of the EU’s agricultural soils are degraded due to intensive agriculture, with similar damage to about 40% of British soils, a report has found. Experts from the Save Soil initiative said nourishing and restoring agricultural soils could reduce the impact of the climate crisis and provide protection against the worsening extremes of weather, as well as the food shortages and price rises likely to accompany them. This degradation of soil is changing the land’s water cycle and exacerbating the impact of the climate crisis in a vicious circle. [link]

In Case You Missed It…

In mid-April, the UK government announced that it would cut import tariffs on dozens of food items to keep costs low for consumers. See more, here.

May 3, 2025

Spotlight Stories

Spotlight 1 – Rolling Stone writes about what business leaders can learn from regenerative agriculture. Check it out, here.

Spotlight 2 – Forbes discusses why climate resilience is essential to feeding the public in the future. Read the story, here.

Spotlight 3 – Nature has published a new article on the global deforestation footprint of agriculture and forestry. Take a read, here.

Industry Updates

Norway has banned the marketing of unhealthy food and drinks to children. It will still be legal to sell these products to children and youth, however a new regulation now in force makes it illegal to market unhealthy products to children under the age of 18. When it comes to products covered by the ban, the unhealthiest products, such as candy, soft drinks, ice cream and energy drinks, cannot be marketed particularly towards children. For other products, such as cereals, yogurt and fast food, limits for different nutrients are used to cover the unhealthiest products in these categories. [link]

PepsiCo has announced that it will remove artificial ingredients from popular food items in its product portfolio by the end of 2025. The company's CEO said that 60% of its current portfolio doesn't have any artificial colors and that its Lay's and Tostitos brands will be out of artificial colors by the end of this year. [link]

A federal U.S. judge has denied the state of Florida's request to dismiss a lawsuit against it for trying to ban cultivated meat. The lawsuit by Upside Foods against Florida’s ban on cultivated meat is able to proceed, after the judge rejected the state’s motion to dismiss the case. Upside Foods was among the first two startups to be allowed to sell cultivated meat in the US back in 2021, receiving approval from both the US Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration. In 2024, amid a growing wave of politically charged discontent against cultivated meat, Florida passed a bill that made it a crime to produce or sell cultivated meat, in what was the first such ban on these products in the US. [link]

A new report issued this past week asserts that regenerative agriculture programs are being used to “greenwash” routine use of several dangerous pesticides on farm fields. Corporations that sell pesticides are entwining themselves with the movement, incentivizing farmers financially to adopt regenerative practices, the report notes. They then follow on with recommendations to use their products. The new report takes aim at some of the world’s largest agrochemical companies, including Germany-based Bayer, which bought seed and chemical giant Monsanto in 2018 and calls regenerative agriculture its “vision for the future of farming.” As part of its push for regenerative, Bayer offers growers rewards for engaging in certain practices, including not tilling their soil and for planting “cover” crops as a means to improve soil health. To handle weed problems in regenerative fields, Bayer recommends a mix of strategies, including “sustainable use of herbicides.” [link]

Global food and beverage company Nestlé and ingredients supplier ofi (olam food ingredients) announced the launch of a new joint cocoa agroforestry partnership, targeting regenerative farming practices to reduce carbon emissions and combat deforestation. Singapore-based ofi is one of the world’s largest suppliers of food ingredients, and has collaborated with Nestle over the past fifteen years to produce sustainable cocoa. In this new effort, the companies will work with approximately 25,000 farmers across Brazil, Ivory Coast, and Nigeria to convert their farms to agroforestry, a land management practice that integrates trees with pastures and crop lands, and implement crop residue management. Key components of the program include training farmers on climate-smart agricultural practices and wider environmental and sustainability issues. [link]

The Good Food Institute released its State of the [Plant Based Meat & Dairy] Industry report for 2024. The annual series of reports explores the challenges and opportunities for plant-based food, fermentation-derived proteins, and cultivated meat. While investment in alternative protein continued to fall in 2024, global sales of plant-based meat and dairy alternatives are up, as is interest in whole foods. [link]

A research team led by the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) says that the less intensively the soil is managed, the better the soil can function. Surprisingly, it applies to both conventional and organic farming. These important insights for making agriculture more sustainable are published in the journal Science. Research on farms across the Netherlands now shows that it is mainly the intensity of tillage that determines whether the soil can retain all its functions. Not only less frequent plowing, but also making more use of mixtures of grasses and plants from the bean family, such as clovers, contributes to multi-functional healthy soil. [link]

McDonald’s regulars are reducing their fast-food trips, fueling concerns about an economic malaise fanning across the restaurant sector. The burger giant posted a 3% drop in revenue in its latest quarter, driven in part by fewer guests visiting its U.S. locations. Same-store sales in its home market dropped 3.6% in the three months ended March 31, the second consecutive quarterly decline. Chief Executive Chris Kempczinski said consumers were “grappling with uncertainty,” but he was confident in the chain’s ability to navigate tough conditions and gain market share. [link]

A new report finds that transitioning towards regenerative production practices in coffee holds strong benefits for smallholder farmers, exports, greenhouse gas emission reduction, and local economies. JDE Peet’s, Nestlé, and the Rudy & Alice Ramsay Foundation supported international non-profit TechnoServe in conducting the study surrounding the benefits of regenerative coffee production. The Regenerative Coffee Investment Case studied nine of the world’s leading coffee producing countries and found that smallholder farmer incomes increase by an average of 62 per cent, while coffee exports are boosted by 30 per cent. [link]

The Maryland Department of Agriculture has released a new video in the Conservation Video Series focusing on saltwater intrusion’s effects on farmland in Maryland’s Lower Eastern Shore. Saltwater intrusion occurs when seawater flows into coastal areas like Maryland’s Lower Eastern Shore. It can lead to unsafe drinking water, ghost forests, lower crop yields, and soils that can’t support plant growth. Launched in 2022, the department’s Conservation Video Series showcases local farmers and the conservation projects they have installed to manage manure, safeguard local streams, build healthy soils, and protect the natural resources that we all depend on. [link]

The Vertical Farm at Illinois State University is now open to train and prepare students for careers in agriculture and horticulture specialty crop production and as a demonstration site for local community groups, schools, and business entrepreneurs. The $200,000 project is a joint partnership of The College of Applied Science and Technology, Department of Agriculture, and Office of Sustainability and is located adjacent to the Office of Sustainability at 305 North School Street, Normal, Illinois. [link]

In Case You Missed It…

In early-April, it was announced that the WK Kellogg Co. is being investigated by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for potentially violating the state’s consumer protection laws due to health claims tied to its cereals. See more, here.

April 19, 2025

Spotlight Stories

Spotlight 1 – Reuters looks at why McDonald’s is focused on regenerative agriculture. Check it out, here.

Spotlight 2 – Wicked Leeks asks if soil holds the key to better nutrition. Read the story, here.

Spotlight 3 – The Michigan Daily says that the USDA needs to modernize its farm subsidies. Take a read, here.

Industry Updates

The blocking of federal funding for R&D projects mentioning ‘climate change,’ ‘greenhouse gas emissions,’ and related terms “would directly undermine US farmers’ competitiveness and long-term output,” warns a new report from environmental think tank The Breakthrough Institute. The Breakthrough Institute estimates that up to $424 million in federal funding for climate-related food & ag projects could be at risk based on a review of 100,000+ federal grant records featuring climate-related keywords. Practices such as no-till farming and cover cropping can enhance soil fertility, improve moisture retention, and reduce erosion—outcomes that directly boost crop yields and decrease the need for costly inputs like irrigation and fertilizers. [link]

Researchers at Michigan State University have made a groundbreaking discovery in Earth's deep soil layers, uncovering a new group of active microbes known as CSP1-3. These microbes were found in soil samples as deep as 70 feet from both Iowa and China, regions chosen for their deep and similar soil structures. Professor James Tiedje, a renowned microbiologist at MSU, explained that these microbes belong to a previously unidentified phylum and trace their ancestry back to aquatic environments like hot springs. Unlike surface microbes, they thrive in nutrient-poor environments and contribute significantly to water purification by breaking down carbon and nitrogen compounds washed down from above. Next, scientists plan to grow these microbes in labs and look for ways to tackle pollution or develop helpful technologies. [link]

Teagasc and VistaMilk Research Ireland Center have launched GroundTruth, an innovative citizen science project, facilitated by Research Ireland. The project, which is co-funded by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, and the Department of Education, aims to improve soil literacy and engage communities across Ireland in research. GroundTruth will provide a user-friendly resource pack equipping participants with tools and knowledge to collect soil health data and measure aboveground biodiversity. It will also run a dedicated soil health week featuring a series of engaging webinars, a media campaign to raise awareness and various on-farm workshops across the country, providing hands-on learning experiences and showcasing best practices in soil health management. [link]

Technology is the key to meeting growing food demands and higher yields each year while protecting the environment that provides it, according to a recent report by agriculture and AI researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The report shows how AI can reduce labor requirements, aid sustainable agriculture and enhance precision livestock and crop management for farmers. As agriculture modernizes, tools like AI, robots, sensors and plenty of data will help farmers do their work more efficiently, according to the researchers. Understanding this data and how to use it can increase the yield, health and resilience of crops. [link]

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has announced the cancellation of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities (PCSC) program. The Partnerships for Climate Smart Commodities initiative will be reformed and overhauled into the Advancing Markets for Producers (AMP) initiative, with existing grant agreements reviewed according to the following: a minimum of 65% of federal funds must go to producers; grant recipients must have enrolled at least one producer as of 12/31/2024; and grant recipients must have made a payment to at least one producer as of 12/31/2024. Select projects may continue if it is demonstrated that a significant amount of the federal funds awarded will go to farmers. USDA will contact current partners individually to provide information about their future participation. USDA will honor all eligible expenses incurred prior to April 13, 2025. [link]

The U.S. Commerce Department said most tomatoes imported from Mexico to the United States will face duties of 20.91% from July 14 as it withdraws from an agreement it said had failed to protect domestic tomato growers. In 2019, Mexican tomato producers struck an agreement with President Donald Trump's first administration to avert an anti-dumping investigation and end a tariff dispute. At the time, the United States said the agreement closed loopholes and included an inspection mechanism. [link]

The U.S. Agriculture Department is fast-tracking state requests to yank soda from food-stamp programs. Arkansas is among the first in line. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is seeking clearance from the USDA to implement the changes, and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said her agency would move “very, very quickly” to approve them. Arkansas proposes to make candy and all types of soda—including diet and low-sugar versions—ineligible for purchases under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, starting in July 2026. The Republican governors of West Virginia and Utah have said they plan to pursue similar restrictions in their food-aid programs. Lawmakers in other states are working on legislation that would require their governors to do the same. [link]

The University of Vermont’s (UVM) new Soil Health Research and Extension Center (SHREC) will begin accepting soil samples and offer local testing tailored to Vermont’s unique soil conditions on Earth Day, April 22. SHREC will advance soil health research and provide invaluable resources to Vermont farmers by supplying specific insights with advanced soil health tests, including biological tests, carbon and organic matter analysis, and the ACE protein test for organic nitrogen. Previously, to receive soil health reports, farmers had to send samples out of state. [link]

The Cornell Maple Program is leading a multi-year study on growing high-value fruit and nut species within a 350-acre maple sugarbush in Cornell’s Arnot Forest. The agroforestry system aims to showcase increased farming efficiency and profitability, diversified crop offerings, and strengthened business resilience. To support producers, the maple program is also developing and testing distinctive products like maple-elderberry wine, maple-pawpaw ice cream and maple hazelnut spreads. [link]

A new article in Nature Food says that soil health is responsible for approximately 12% and 22% of global variations in crop production and nitrogen use efficiency, respectively. The paper says that while the influence of climate on crop yields is comparable to that of soil health, it is substantially overshadowed by the role of agricultural management, which accounts for roughly 70% of the global yield variation. In regions such as China, India, and the central United States, the influence of soil health on crop yields and nitrogen use efficiency is less pronounced due to the dominant effects of farming practices, including the intensive use of fertilizers. Enhancing global soil health could increase crop yields by 7.8 Mt while reducing nitrogen surplus by 8.1 Mt worldwide by 2050. [link]

Agrifoodtech investment in developing markets reached $3.7 billion in 2024, surging a remarkable 63% year-over-year (YoY) and bucking the 4% decline observed in the agrifoodtech sector at the global level. Total funding in developing markets accounted for 23% of global agrifoodtech investment, according to AgFunder’s 2025 Developing Markets AgriFoodTech Investment Report. The funding increase was achieved across 523 deals, showing an 8.4% YoY decline in deal activity, indicating the industry closed fewer and larger deals, according to the new report, which was released in partnership with Indian VC Omnivore, Dutch development bank FMO, and sugar reduction company Blue Tree Technologies. [link]

Prime Video will release the film, Common Ground, a documentary about regenerative agriculture, April 22 on Earth Day. The film originally premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2023 and features appearances from celebrities including Rosario Dawson, Laura Dern, Donald Glover, Woody Harrelson, Jason Momoa, Ian Somerhalder and Nikki Reed. Common Ground explores how a conversion to regenerative agriculture could revitalize the soil and save farmers millions of dollars. [link]

In a bid to support economic growth and lower costs for consumers, the UK government has suspended import tariffs on dozens of food and beverage items until 2027. The temporary suspension, which will apply to 89 products including pasta, fruit juices, spices and agave syrup, will run until July 2027 and is expected to save UK businesses at least £17 million per year. The move aims to lower costs for companies and reduce prices for consumers as part of the government’s wider 'Plan for Change' initiative, which focuses on boosting economic growth for UK industries. [link]

The Spanish government, alongside the regional governments of Navarra and La Rioja, has introduced Europe’s first AgriFoodtech Sandbox, designed to accelerate technological advancements in the agrifood industry. Managed by the National Center for Food Technology and Safety (CNTA), the initiative will offer a controlled environment where innovative products, processes, and technologies can be tested under regulatory oversight. The sandbox will allow startups, companies, and industry groups to experiment with novel approaches in the agrifood value chain. These include new ingredients, food preservation methods, packaging strategies, and ways to enhance resource use and waste recovery. [link]

Fair Trade USA is partnering with Acorn, an initiative of Rabobank, to expand fair access to the carbon economy for smallholder coffee and cocoa farmers in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. According to Fair Trade USA, Acorn’s farmer-first model guarantees that 80% of carbon credit proceeds go directly to farmers and that farmers retain full ownership of their data. Acorn’s unique Carbon Removal Units (CRUs) focus on agroforestry, so farmers are planting trees to support soil quality and crop yield. By linking agroforestry expansion with equitable carbon credit systems, coffee and cocoa farmers not only keep forests standing but are actively regenerating landscapes, improving soil health, and creating opportunities for diversified income. [link]

Nearly 17% of the world’s croplands are contaminated with “heavy metals”, according to a new study in Science. These contaminants – arsenic, cadmium, lead, and others – may be invisible to the eye, but they threaten food safety and human health. Heavy metals and metalloids are elements that originate from either natural or human-made sources. They’re called “heavy” because they’re physically dense and their weight is high at an atomic scale. Heavy metals do not break down. They remain in soils for decades, where crops can absorb them and enter the food chain. Over time, they accumulate in the body, causing chronic diseases that may take years to appear. [link]

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs signed into law the Arizona Healthy Schools Act, which bans food and beverages containing 11 ingredients in school meals. Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, any public school that participates in a federally funded or assisted meal program shall not serve, sell or allow a third party to sell ultra-processed food on the school campus during the normal school day. Arizona joins California, West Virginia, Virginia and Utah in enacting laws to restrict food served at school. Like the other four state laws, the Arizona law targets synthetic dyes: Yellow No. 5 and No. 6, Blue No. 1 and No. 2, Red No. 3 and No. 40, and Green No. 3. Other ingredients banned in the Arizona law are potassium bromate, propylparaben, titanium dioxide and brominated vegetable oil. [link]

In Case You Missed It…

In mid-March, a bipartisan group of Pennsylvania state legislators introduced a sweeping package of bills intended to address the safety of food and farm chemicals. See more, here.

April 12, 2025

Spotlight Stories

Spotlight 1 – ABC Listen presents an audio story on how caring for soil brings great benefit to crops and human health. Check it out, here.

Spotlight 2 – Edie writes about why the Woodland Trust believes trees on farms are a solution to nature, climate, and food security challenges. Read the story, here.

Spotlight 3 – Defector conducts an interview with a recently fired USDA Program Coordinator. Take a read, here.

Industry Updates

British farmers fear they will no longer be able to afford to restore nature in England and reduce their carbon footprint after government funding for doing this was frozen. The environment secretary announced that the sustainable farming incentive (SFI), which pays farmers for making space for nature on their land, would be paused and overhauled before June’s spending review. The scope of the scheme – and its budget – are being reassessed. In England, 70% of land is farmed, so if nature is to recover, farmers need support to make space for it on their land. This includes planting trees and hedges, digging ponds and leaving strips of land for wildflowers. [link]

South African farmers and sustainability experts warn that continued unusual weather patterns will adversely affect crop quality and livestock in the coming months, driving up food prices and raising concerns over food security. Shakti Satyapal, managing director of Roadway Farms and director of Sustainability Truthing, said South Africa is experiencing unseasonably heavy rainfall, including thunderstorms, strong winds, and hail, leading to severe flooding that has damaged infrastructure and crops across multiple regions. KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, the Northern Cape, and the North West have all been hit by torrential downpours, with low-lying areas particularly affected. Livestock are also at risk, as sudden temperature fluctuations disrupt their health and access to feed and water. [link]

In a new report, the World Bank highlights that agricultural activities contribute significantly to global air pollution, with intensive fertilizer use, livestock farming, and crop-residue burning as major sources of particulate matter (PM2.5). These emissions not only harm the environment but also reduce agricultural productivity, potentially costing the global economy $5 billion annually. Regions like Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Southern Africa are particularly affected by these practices, which hinder crop yields and disrupt food supply chains. To address this, the World Bank calls for comprehensive solutions, including reducing ammonia emissions from fertilizers, improving manure management, and discouraging crop-residue burning. [link]

In Barbados, Joshua Forte, an environmental entrepreneur, has unveiled a plan to convert 1,000 acres into regenerative organic farms that prioritize soil health, biodiversity, and sustainable food production. Fortified by innovative practices and a commitment to sustainability, the Journey to 1,000 Acres initiative is not only about farming but also about fostering community engagement and education. Goals of the new initiative include addressing local food security; promoting sustainable agriculture and its many ecological and economic benefits; educating and engaging communities; and rejuvenating local soils. [link]

After a quarter of a century of development, the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry made a significant step toward a long-term goal of furthering the black walnut industry in Missouri with a recent patent for its first black walnut cultivar — The UMCA “Hickman” Walnut. UMCA “Hickman” was chosen as the first cultivar to be patented within the species for kernel production — for food production as opposed to timber production — because its characteristics make it uniquely suited to tree nut orchard production. In particular, this cultivar showed high rates of spur-bearing. Ultimately, this means that the tree produces more nuts for harvest, especially earlier in its life, giving producers opportunity for improved return on investment. [link]

Farmers, researchers, practitioners, policy makers, and community leaders will gather at the University of Rhode Island’s Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences on May 19-20 for the inaugural Rhode to Regenerative: From Land to Sea conference. This two-day event, organized with the agricultural network, Why Regenerative, will explore regenerative agriculture, an approach to food production and ecosystem management that restores and enhances soil health, water systems, and biodiversity from forests and farms to kelp beds and coastal fisheries. The conference is designed for farmers, students, researchers, investors, policy makers, funders, suppliers, and the public, and will include a field session, intergenerational knowledge exchange, and actionable solutions for the Northeast and beyond. [link]

CMI Orchards and Royal Family Farming announced that their joint venture, The Soil Center, will break ground later this spring. TSC was established to repurpose agricultural byproducts into carbon-rich soil amendments supporting crop production and reducing the need for synthetic soil additives. Through practices such as vermicomposting and biochar production, TSC will upcycle organic waste from orchards, row crops, dairy and beef operations into valuable agriculture products such as garden soil blends, compost, worm castings and biochar. Beginning this year, TSC will process over 100,000 tons of dairy manure, chicken manure, culled fruit and woody waste on an annual basis. [link]

WK Kellogg Co is being investigated by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for potentially violating the state’s consumer protection laws due to health claims tied to its cereals. Paxton said that Kellogg is marketing some of its cereals as “healthy” even though many contain blue, red, yellow, green and orange artificial food colorings. The Texas attorney general noted Kellogg announced in 2015 that it would remove artificial food dyes from its products in the U.S. in 2018 but that the company has failed to do so — despite removing the colorings from products sold in Canada and Europe. [link]

Climate Bonds is launching the Agrifood Transition Framework — a new tool designed to guide financial institutions, investors, and stakeholders through the complexities of financing a credible, just, and science-aligned transition in the agrifood system. This Framework marks a pivotal step in ensuring that capital flows into companies that are not only addressing climate mitigation but also driving climate adaptation, protecting nature, and supporting social equity. It builds on Climate Bonds’ Agrifood Transition Principles and integrates the Agriculture Criteria launched in 2024, as well as evolving work on deforestation- and conversion-free sourcing. [link]

The Bezos Earth Fund and Global Methane Hub have joined forces to cut livestock emissions through natural, science-backed breeding methods with a new initiative. This initiative is backed by $19.3m from the Bezos Earth Fund, a project launched by Jeff Bezos to combat climate change, and $8.1m from the Global Methane Hub, a philanthropic alliance to support the reduction of methane emissions. It will fund research and breeding programs across North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa and Oceania to help livestock naturally produce less methane. The combined funding will support grants to deliver the tools that will identify naturally low-emission-producing livestock based on biological traits and shape future breeding programs. [link]

Nestlé and UNESCO have introduced “Youth Impact: Because You Matter”, an initiative that will provide grants to 100 teams of young social impact innovators. These grants will support skill development and innovative solutions aimed at enhancing the resilience and sustainability of food systems. Its focus lies in promoting regenerative agriculture, addressing climate change, and advancing sustainable packaging, mainly by assisting young people around the world to embark on jobs related to sustainable agriculture and food production. [link]

North Carolina State has been working to examine basalt as a soil amendment and lime replacement in the state. Basalt, a dark-colored, dense igneous rock formed from solidified lava that has been used to make concrete and asphalt aggregates is increasingly being used as a soil amendment for agriculture. Because basalt is known to capture carbon dioxide (CO2), the idea is that farmers could apply it to their fields and take advantage of the carbon credit trading market. Another benefit is that basalt is said to raise soil pH, so farmers could theoretically use basalt as a soil amendment to replace lime. Basalt contains nutrients, including calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, potassium, and copper. If it is released to the soil, these nutrients could potentially help improve soil fertility. [link]

In Case You Missed It…

In mid-February, the European Commission published a communication outlining its strategic vision for the agriculture and food sector, aimed at ensuring sustainability, competitiveness, and resilience by 2040. See more, here.

April 5, 2025

Spotlight Stories

Spotlight 1 – AP News says that plastics are seeping into farm fields, food, and human bodies. Can they be stopped? Read the story, here.

Spotlight 2 – Yahoo News writes about how Canadian farmers are sidelining sustainable farming efforts to focus on responding to U.S. tariffs. Check it out, here.

Spotlight 3 – Mongabay reports on how the federal funding freeze is leaving agroforestry farmers in the lurch. Take a read, here.

Industry Updates

Ghana has struck a landmark $25bn agreement with the private sector to combat climate change and drive sustainable development, marking one of the largest nature-based initiatives globally. The Ghana Green Guard Initiative, a collaboration between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), developer CarbonPura, and Private Sector Participation in Health (PSPH), aims to restore degraded ecosystems, enhance water security, and generate revenue through carbon financing and biodiversity monetization. Under the initiative, more than 12mn hectares of land will be restored through reforestation, regenerative agriculture, coastal restoration, and efforts to curb illegal mining. [link]

Generative agriculture firm, Todd, is pleased to introduce the world's first regeneratively grown vegetable and flower seed products, developed to reverse the damage caused by over-farming and synthetic fertilizers, by exhibiting tolerance to regenerative farming practices that heal the earth. The company seeks to partner with high-growth, market-leading branded organic and biodynamic farms. Todd produces its seed products on its own research farms located throughout the US, and in close partnership with several family-owned regenerative farms to trial varieties and produce seed. Every one of the over 2,000 vegetable and flower varieties are produced and tested each year, allowing complete quality control and traceability. [link]

American Farmland Trust (AFT) is raising money to support farmers and ranchers affected by recent federal funding losses or delays. The goal is to provide 200 farmers a grant each up to $10,000. The AFT Brighter Future Fund aims to raise $2 million through donations, which will be distributed via the organization’s Emergency Resilience Grant. Now in its fifth year, the Brighter Future Fund has helped more than 400 farmers across the United States and over 50,000 acres of farmland. The fund has distributed over $4.5 million to support agriculturalists facing hardships. [link]

Illinois Governor, JB Pritzker, has proposed a 31% funding cut to a popular cover crop subsidy program for next year's state budget, despite an overall increase in the budget itself. Six years ago, Illinois became the second state in the nation to offer subsidies to farmers for planting cover crops in the fall, an effort to reverse its status as one of the worst states for agriculture runoff. Demand for the Fall Cover for Spring Savings program — which offers a $5 per acre discount on the following year’s crop insurance premiums — has outpaced state funding every year since. Two state lawmakers introduced bills to increase the program's annual funding but they did not clear a recent committee deadline. Lawmakers can still negotiate funding for the program as they continue to work to pass a budget by the end of May. [link]

A new study published in the journal PNAS has debunked the idea that grass-fed beef is an environmentally friendly option. The research finds that even under the most optimistic scenarios, grass-fed beef is not less carbon-intensive than industrial beef and is three to 40 times as carbon-intensive as most plant-based and animal-based alternatives. It is sometimes claimed that cattle grazing enhances soil carbon sequestration. However, the study authors find that the evidence for this is not conclusive, and that even if it were true, the effect would not be impactful enough to reverse beef’s carbon intensity. [link]

Regenerative agriculture pioneer Advancing Eco Agriculture (AEA) today launched “Groundwork: AEA Agronomic Consulting,” customized packages for farmers of all backgrounds who want to transition to regenerative farming. AEA’s Groundwork offers strategic, customized plans and hands-on support for creating resilient farm systems. The new service seeks to address significant knowledge and mentorship gaps that often exist among current and aspiring regenerative growers. Previously, AEA’s agronomic consulting services were only available to customers of its products. [link]

Recent farmland sales in Iowa are showcasing strong values for high quality farmland. A pair of farms in northwest Iowa sold at an average price of $21,750/acre. Prime locations near grain elevators and feedlots, exceptional soil quality, and attractive supply/demand dynamics for farms in the area were factors contributing to the strong sale prices. [link]

A bipartisan group of U.S. House and Senate Representatives have introduced the New Producer Economic Security Act to support young farmers and ranchers in accessing farmland. The legislation would authorize a new pilot program to address the interrelated challenges of land, capital, and market access for new producers through innovative, locally-led solutions. The bill helps secure the American food system by establishing a pilot program within the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA). [link]

Mountain Hazelnuts (MH), a sustainable agroforestry social enterprise operating in Bhutan, has secured a $7.9m (€7.3m) equity investment from investors led by Mirova and Finnfund, which will be used to finance climate-resilient farming initiatives. MH was established in 2009 as a public-private-community partnership with Bhutan’s government to create a business generating income for vulnerable communities in Bhutan by planting 10 million hazelnut trees to restore degraded mountain slopes. The company has been an important driver for Bhutan’s rural economy, providing hazelnut trees, agricultural inputs, and technical support to smallholder families and community groups to create further income-generating opportunities that also help to restore land. [link]

Sweeping new tariffs announced by the White House on April 2 have the potential to dramatically increase the cost of ingredients and finished food products in the United States. Among the measures, President Donald Trump announced a new universal minimum tariff of 10% on all goods imported to the United States, including food and agricultural products, effective April 5. The White House also unveiled “retaliatory tariffs” targeting more than 50 countries, with individual rates from 10% up to 49%. The new tariffs targeted several of the world’s top coffee-producing nations. The world’s biggest cocoa producers also face steep new import levies. Olive oil, cheese and alcoholic beverages including wine and beer from European nations also will get more expensive under the new tariffs. Imports of semaglutide, a key ingredient used in the formulation of GLP-1 weight loss drugs including Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus, accounted for $15.6 billion in imports from the EU, ranking ahead of all food, beverage and agricultural products. Those imports now face a tariff of 20% or more, potentially increasing costs and disincentivizing their popularity among US patients. [link]

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has awarded a total of $431,637 to 10 new projects under the Developing Markets for Continuous Living Cover Grant. These grants help develop enterprises, supply chains, and markets for continuous living cover crops and cropping systems in the early stage of commercial development. Funding was provided to the MDA by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund and state’s General Fund. Continuous living cover (CLC) refers to agricultural systems in which there are living plants and roots in the ground throughout the entire year. This can take many forms, from winter cover crops sown between summer annuals to agroforestry practices, perennial forage crops, perennial biomass crops, and perennial grain production. [link]

In Case You Missed It…

In early March, it was reported that booming cocoa prices are stirring interest in turning Nigeria into a bigger player in the sector, with hopes of challenging top producers Ivory Coast and Ghana, where crops have been ravaged by climate change and disease. See more, here.

March 29, 2025

Spotlight Stories

Spotlight 1 – CGIAR writes about sustainable farming and its ability to cultivate a water-wise future. Read the story, here.

Spotlight 2 – The Spirits Business looks into how top spirits brands are embracing regenerative farming. Check it out, here.

Spotlight 3 – AP News says that Earth’s storage of water in soil, lakes, and rivers is dwindling…and it’s especially bad for farming. Take a read, here.

Industry Updates

A new University of Michigan study suggests cover crop mixtures improve farmland soil health while reducing carbon emissions better than traditional single-species cover crops. The study, to be published in the April issue of the journal Soil Biology and Biochemistry, researched soil collected from 10 farms with varying field conditions in Lenawee, Tuscola and Monroe counties. Researchers planted a legume and grass cover crop compared to the more traditionally planted cereal rye and found that the mixture increased nitrogen content in the soil more than cereal rye planted on its own. [link]

Michigan potato growers have an opportunity to get free soil testing done on their fields. Michigan State University and the Michigan Potato Industry Commission are working on a new research project that aims to identify which management practices are most effective at building soil health in potato-based cropping systems, while also looking to assess which aspects of soil health drive yield and quality of potatoes. Any row-crop farmer with potatoes in the rotation in Michigan is eligible to participate. Once enrolled, a member of the research team will visit fields and sample soils prior to planting and 60 days after planting in 2025. Results will be shared back through a report and an optional consultation. [link]

Following recent tariffs on agricultural goods by China, along with trade uncertainty with the United States and ongoing animal disease outbreaks, the government of Canada has announced new supports for Canadian farmers via its AgriStability program. AgriStability offers affordable, whole farm protection to support producers when challenges are beyond their capacity to manage. The additional proposed supports include increasing the compensation rate from 80% to 90% and doubling the current payment cap to $6 million for the 2025 program year. To get money to producers faster, the Government of Canada has also provided provincial and territorial governments with the option to proactively enter into an agreement to issue interim payments at a higher payment rate and initiate Targeted Advance Payments in the event of tariffs, or for the hog sector in the event of African Swine Fever. [link]

The European Living Lab project, entitled ‘Soilcrates`, is about to kick off with a call for farmers across Ireland’s mid-west who are keen to learn more about the initiative. The Living Lab project – Soilcrates – is part of the EU mission, ‘A soil deal for Europe’, and involves clusters of farmers from the three communities and beyond, who come together alongside academic partners to help develop, test, and explore farming practices to improve soil health, in real-life farm environments. The overall aim of the project is to be farmer led, driven by the needs of the farmers, taking on board their challenges as well as their knowledge and expertise, and contributing to more resilient and biodiverse farms all round. [link]

Agrifood corporates McCain Foods, McDonald’s, and Waitrose & Partners will participate in a new regenerative farming pilot launched by King Charles III’s Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI) nonprofit. “Routes to Regen” will provide support for UK farmers transitioning to regenerative agriculture practices. Financial institutions Lloyds Banking Group, NatWest, Barclays, Aon, and Tokio Marine Kiln will work together with those agrifood corporates on the project. Participating farmers will be able to access financial, technical, and “peer-to-peer” support such as events where they can swap knowledge with other farmers. [link]

The National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC) in Saudi Arabia has launched the Agroforestry Action Plan Development Project, aiming to enhance environmental sustainability, social development, and economic growth. The project focuses on assessing the current state of agroforestry, applying global best practices, and encouraging investment to ensure sustainable forest management. It contributes to the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 by promoting sustainable environmental practices and combating desertification. As part of the project, NCVC will activate its memorandum of understanding signed in December 2024 with the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), to boost research collaboration and apply advanced agroforestry techniques. [link]

ADM and Mitsubishi Corporation ("MC") have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding to form a strategic alliance to explore potential areas of future collaboration across the agriculture value chain. Together, ADM and MC are committed to creating value and driving solutions that will help shape the future of the global agriculture value chain. The companies note that in recent years, the importance of secure and resilient food and agriculture supply chains has come into sharper focus, driven both by short-term dislocations as well as structural demand shifts powered by global population growth, economic development, and increasing consumer preference for sustainably sourced products. It has thus become essential to adopt a comprehensive and cross-industrial approach, connecting multiple businesses in different segments to address these challenges. [link]

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he would significantly cut the size of the department he leads, reshaping the nation’s health agencies and closing regional offices. As part of the reorganization, Kennedy is creating a new subdivision called the Administration for a Healthy America, combining offices in HHS that address addiction, toxic substances and occupational safety among others into one focused on chronic-disease prevention programs and health resources for low-income Americans. The announcement said that broader cuts wouldn’t affect the FDA’s inspectors or drug, medical device or food reviewers. Many FDA probationary workers in the medical devices division were rehired a week after they were cut last month. [link]

Google recently announced a spate of sustainability-focused partnerships, covering a broad distribution of land area around the world. The tech giant said it is backing a range of projects across the globe, including developing innovative irrigation systems to support California’s dairy industry; boosting water infrastructure like irrigation canals and storage reservoirs in Chile’s Maipo Basin; backing an irrigation efficiency pilot project in Changhua, Taiwan; and using artificial intelligence to improve irrigation systems on potato farms in the Seine River basin in France. The quartet of water preservation and sustainable farming projects build on Google’s target to restore 120% of the volume of freshwater consumed across its offices and data centers, on average, by 2030. [link]

A new University of Houston study of hemp microbes can potentially assist scientists in creating special mixtures of microbes to make hemp plants produce more CBD or have better-quality fibers. The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports from the Nature Publishing Group and examined microbiomes living in and around the roots (rhizosphere) and on the leaves (phyllosphere) of four types of hemp plants. The research indicates that hemp cultivation can be improved by better understanding these distinct microbial communities, which impact growth, nutrient absorption, stress resilience, synthesis and more. This could help decrease the need for chemical inputs and allow growers to use more sustainable agricultural practices. [link]

In Case You Missed It…

Earlier this month, AgFunder reported that global agrifoodtech funding reached $16 billion in 2024, a 4% decline relative to 2023. See more, here.