July 11, 2026
Spotlight Stories
Spotlight 1 – The Western Producer explores the diverse challenges facing young people in agriculture. Ready the story, here.
Spotlight 2 – The Eastleigh Voice warns of an impending “Super El Nino” and offers five hard-won lessons that the world can learn from Africa. Check it out, here.
Spotlight 3 – NPR says that job cuts at a federal soil conservation agency has farmers worried. Take a read, here.
Industry Updates
The Food and Agriculture Organization launched CropSuit, a free web-based application that helps farmers identify the crops most likely to succeed in a given location. The tool combines soil, climate, topography, and land cover data to guide crop selection decisions. [link]
Lloyds Banking Group and regenerative agriculture company Wildfarmed launched the Food & Nature Resilience Fund to help UK farmers transition to regenerative practices. The fund is designed to support farmers in adopting practices that improve biodiversity, soil health, water quality, and reduce carbon emissions. [link]
Walmart is cutting prices on thousands of items, including ground beef and Coca-Cola, to help customers cope with affordability pressures. The move follows years of inflation that have squeezed household grocery budgets. [link]
A new report from the EIT Food Consumer Observatory found that consumers are more likely to support regenerative agriculture when its benefits are communicated clearly. Messaging that ties sustainable farming practices to personally relevant benefits was shown to boost consumer buy-in. [link]
Maine’s Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry awarded nearly $1 million through its Healthy Soils Program to 19 farms. The funding will support projects that improve soil health, increase farm resilience, and strengthen long-term agricultural sustainability. [link]
USDA is accepting 2.2 million acres into the Conservation Reserve Program for 2026. Agricultural producers and landowners enrolled in the program are incentivized for conservation efforts that protect the nation’s natural resources. [link]
Nestle joined the Regenerative Together Program, a new industry initiative to scale regenerative agriculture practices across global food supply chains. The program brings together companies working to accelerate the adoption of regenerative farming methods. [link]
Google signed a deal with agroforestry carbon removal firm Thryve.Earth to purchase 260,000 tons of carbon removal credits. The credits will come from a reforestation project in Sulawesi, Indonesia. [link]
Michigan’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development awarded nearly $500,000 in grant funding to build twelve regenerative farmer networks across the state. The networks are intended to promote sustainable farming practices throughout Michigan. [link]
Chipotle’s food tech venture fund, Cultivate Next, made investments in six agrifood tech companies, including regenerative farming company Simpli. The investments continue Chipotle’s push to back innovation across the food supply chain. [link]
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development and One Planet Business for Biodiversity partnered with EIT Food to implement a blended finance pilot for regenerative agriculture in the East of England. The partnership plans to replicate the model across Europe. [link]
In Case You Missed It…
In late May, the Canadian Alliance for Net-Zero Agri-Food launched the first phase of its new marketplace, which intends to help farmers be rewarded for climate-improving production practices. See more, here.