July 18, 2026
Spotlight Stories
Spotlight 1 – Aspen Public Radio looks into how regenerative agriculture practices are helping western Colorado farmers cope with the warmest winter on record. Ready the story, here.
Spotlight 2 – Food Dive explains the multi-faceted benefits that arise from conservation practices on farmland. Check it out, here.
Spotlight 3 – A new article published in Nature shows how healthier diets would transform global agriculture. Take a read, here.
Industry Updates
A new Minnesota state audit found weaknesses in a farm program designed to protect water quality. The report raises questions about oversight of incentives for farmers enrolled in the program. [link]
The Maryland Department of Agriculture awarded $670,000 in grants to support soil health and agroforestry practices. The funding will help farms and organizations adopt conservation practices that benefit climate, soil, and water quality. [link]
Syngenta and Groundwork BioAg announced a strategic partnership to market mycorrhizal fungi technology to farmers. The collaboration aims to expand access to biological products that improve soil and crop health. [link]
General Mills, ADM, and Walmart announced a new collaboration to accelerate regenerative agriculture across 40,000 acres of Midwest wheat farmland. The partnership continues efforts by major food companies to scale regenerative practices across supply chains. [link]
Puratos announced a major expansion of its regenerative agriculture program across its U.S. wheat supply chain. The bakery and chocolate ingredients company is accelerating adoption of regenerative practices among its wheat suppliers. [link]
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture will gather public input on the socioeconomic impact of large-scale dairies in the state. The review comes as the state considers how large dairy operations affect local communities and economies. [link]
A $96 million project will expand agroforestry and sustainable forest management in Vietnam. The initiative aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen the country’s forest carbon framework. [link]
USDA-supported regenerative conservation practices have grown more than 360% over the past decade, according to a new American Farm Bureau Federation analysis. Nearly 40 million acres were enrolled in regenerative conservation practices by fiscal year 2023. [link]
The world’s longest-running soil experiment suggests that even stable soil carbon can break down as temperatures rise. The finding indicates rising temperatures could release additional CO2 from soils long considered a reliable carbon sink. [link]
Michael Fields Agricultural Institute will host its Annual Alternative Crops Field Day on August 5. The event will feature crops including millet, buckwheat, mung beans, and kernza. [link]
Shredded lettuce supplied to Taco Bell by Taylor Farms has been linked to a parasitic cyclosporiasis outbreak infecting thousands of people across five states. The FDA is further investigating the source of the outbreak. [link]
Pladis, maker of McVitie’s, Turtles, and Godiva, launched a new sustainability initiative to support farmers adopting regenerative practices. The program aims to strengthen the company’s agricultural supply chains. [link]
In Case You Missed It…
In mid-June, Nestlé announced that it was teaming up with Wildfarmed to use the UK miller’s “regeneratively farmed” wheat in its KitKat bars. See more, here.