October 3, 2026
Spotlight Stories
Spotlight 1 – An article in Communications Earth & Environment discusses how government support can help drive agroforestry adoption in smallholder farming systems. Read the story, here.
Spotlight 2 – The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) looks inside Brazil’s search for a workable model to finance regenerative landscapes. Check it out, here.
Spotlight 3 – AgNavigator reports on corporate funding approaches to regenerative agriculture amid the all-important question of who should pay for this work. Take a read, here.
Industry Updates
Scientists have streamlined a method for measuring DNA-bound phosphorus in soil, making it cheaper and easier while preserving its accuracy. The technique could reveal how soil microbes help recycle phosphorus and ultimately support more sustainable fertilizer and nutrient management. [link]
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Jordan signed a cooperation agreement with the National Agricultural Research Center (NARC). The partnership will launch climate adaptation interventions to combat drought and water scarcity. [link]
Arizona State University’s Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems is launching a new nationwide program called Kernel. The program will provide organic farming mentorships to farmers wishing to convert their farming practices. [link]
India issued its first PRAMAAN certificates under the Indian Forest and Wood Certification Scheme (IFWCS) this past week. PRAMAAN is linked with sustainable forest management, agroforestry, and responsible practices in wood-based industries. [link]
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced increased financial assistance for the Regenerative Pilot Program from $700 million to $1 billion in fiscal year 2027. The increase will give more producers the opportunity to adopt conservation systems that improve soil health, water quality, and long-term farm resilience. [link]
EU national governments want to weaken a European Commission proposal linking fishing-industry funding to broader environmental objectives. The pushback comes amid negotiations over the bloc’s next long-term budget. [link]
A new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) examines the strengths and limitations of existing approaches to monitoring agroforestry. The report highlights the Global Forest Resources Assessment Remote Sensing Survey (FRA RSS) as a promising framework for improving global agroforestry monitoring. [link]
In a new landmark study published in Nature, 11 researchers tracked the impacts on the carbon cycle across the Mississippi watershed and its 11 states after almost a century of liming. The results show that while liming can initially release carbon, it becomes a carbon sink after a few decades, effectively removing the greenhouse gas from the atmosphere. [link]
A team of researchers at the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering at CU Boulder has developed a low-cost electronic sensor that continuously monitors soil pH. The sensor offers new insight into the intricate ecosystem beneath farm fields. [link]
A new handbook from SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education), “Cover Crops: Improving Soil Health, Stewardship and Profitability on the Farm,” has been published. The handbook is designed to help farmers improve their understanding of how cover crops can fit into their operations. [link]
In Case You Missed It…
In early September, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced a first-of-its-kind regenerative farming lease on state-owned land, looking to help farmers who lease property from the state to prioritize and scale regenerative agriculture practices. See more, here.