October 24, 2026
Spotlight Stories
Spotlight 1 – Texas A&M asks if regenerative agriculture worth it. Read the story, here.
Spotlight 2 – Mongabay reports that silvopasture is popular with U.S. farmers despite waning financial supports. Check it out, here.
Spotlight 3 – Investigate Midwest writes that funding shortages and increased demand are stalling conservation efforts in Illinois. Take a read, here.
Industry Updates
The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol has reported 20% lower greenhouse gas emissions and 75% lower soil loss from its U.S. Regen cotton pilot. The results point to the potential of regenerative practices to reduce the environmental footprint of U.S. cotton production. [link]
A new study published in Neotropical Biology and Conservation is the first anywhere to examine how silvopastoral practices affect stream water quality. The first field test suggests that trees on cattle farms may keep Panama’s tropical streams cleaner. [link]
Researchers at the ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute (CCARI) in Goa, India are studying whether growing fodder grasses alongside cashew trees can reduce soil erosion and water runoff. The extensive study is also assessing whether the practice can improve plantation productivity. [link]
Green Plains has launched Farm Forward, a new farmer-focused initiative. The initiative is designed to turn policy innovation into farmer opportunity. [link]
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and The Hershey Company announced a new partnership in Cross River State, a key cocoa-producing area of Nigeria. The partnership aims to improve farmer livelihoods, strengthen supply chain resilience, and advance deforestation-free cocoa production and biodiversity conservation. [link]
The Trump administration plans to hand out another $8 billion in direct payments to U.S. farmers. The payments are aimed at farmers who face losses from market disruptions and high fuel costs. [link]
The Symbiosis Coalition has signed a 320,000-ton, ten-year carbon-removal deal in Brazil with the agroforestry firm Working Trees. The coalition is a consortium of corporate carbon-removal buyers including Google, Meta, and Microsoft. [link]
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is accepting applications for $1.4 million in Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) grants. The grants support research, education and technology transfer projects focused on agricultural fertility, regenerative agriculture, and water-quality protection. [link]
Research from Rothamsted Research suggests improved nitrogen management could reduce energy-related carbon emissions from English farms by up to 13%. The research also highlights the potential of green ammonia to further lower agriculture’s environmental footprint. [link]
The Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) is committing R$250 million (US$50 million) from its climate fund to Belterra for agroforestry-based cocoa production. The investment will develop 4,000 hectares of degraded land in the Amazon. [link]
The University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) Institute of Agroforestry (IAF) will host the 6th International Conference on Agroforestry (ICAF 2026). The conference will take place November 25-27, 2026. [link]
North-West University (NWU), ASSET Research, and the Agricultural Research Council hosted a joint research forum on conservation and regenerative agriculture in South Africa. Held at NWU’s Living Laboratory for Sustainable Agriculture research farm, the forum aimed to exchange evidence-based insights, strengthen industry partnerships, and map out practical steps to advance sustainable agriculture. [link]
Calley Means, a senior adviser to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on his “Make America Healthy Again” policies, quit his role on Thursday. Means had become frustrated with White House delays on advancing human health & nutrition priorities. [link]
In Case You Missed It…
In late-September, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced increased financial assistance for its Regenerative Pilot Program from $700 million to $1 billion in fiscal year 2027. See more, here.