October 18, 2025
Spotlight Stories
Spotlight 1 – IPAK-EDU writes about a recent MAHA petition asking the USDA Secretary to support small farms. Ready the story, here.
Spotlight 2 – Politico carries a guest column stating that Europe urgently needs the next generation of farmers. Check it out, here.
Spotlight 3 – Bain & Co. looks into why U.S. sustainable crops are suddenly in high demand. Take a read, here.
Industry Updates
New Zealand pledged to cut biogenic methane emissions by up to 24% from 2017 levels by 2050, which its conservative government said would protect the agriculture sector and meet the country’s climate commitments. The announcement comes after the government in April ended a plan to put a price on agricultural emissions including methane produced by belching sheep and cattle, relenting to farmer pressure that the plan would make their business unprofitable. New Zealand, home to five million people, has about 10 million cattle and 26 million sheep. Nearly half its total greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture, mainly methane. [link]
A British farming charity has launched its first international demonstration farm. LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) has expanded its global presence with the launch in Limpopo, South Africa, marking its first international demonstration site and a significant step in promoting sustainable agriculture beyond the UK. The farm is run by Valerie and Graeme Whyte and focuses on Integrated Pest Management (IPM), exporting avocados and macadamia nuts to the UK through Tesco. [link]
In an alarming revelation, recent studies have indicated a significant increase in global crop water consumption over the past decade. Research demonstrates that water usage for 46 key agricultural crops surged by 9% globally from 2010 to 2020. The research suggests that a reevaluation of irrigation practices and crop choices is essential for future sustainability. Innovative techniques, such as deficit irrigation and the use of drought-resistant crop varieties, may offer viable solutions for reducing overall water demand. [link]
FairFruit has launched a strategic plan to expand its position on the US market as a reliable year-round supplier of sustainable specialty vegetables from Guatemala and Peru. For the last two decades the company – a champion of regenerative agriculture – has been making inroads in the US with its stringless snow peas and sugar snap peas from Guatemala and Peru. Its portfolio has steadily expanded to include French beans, baby carrots, English peas, and butternut squash, with rainbow carrots and broccolini soon to be added. [link]
Farmland LP, the largest U.S. manager exclusively focused on organic and regenerative farmland, and Carbon Friendly, a leader in regenerative carbon project development, have submitted the first regenerative farming carbon credits produced in the United States to Verra for issuance under the VM0042 methodology. Following site visits in late 2024, a Verra-accredited third-party auditor spent nine months reviewing the project against Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard methodology. The completed review was submitted to Verra in October for final approval and issuance of carbon credits. [link]
The Penn State Extension Forestry and Wildlife Team, in collaboration with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Bureau of Forestry, and Pasa Sustainable Agriculture, will host an inaugural Mid-Atlantic Agroforestry Conference focusing on Forest Farming and Multifunctional Buffers. This in-person event will give agroforesters, forest landowners, new and beginning farmers, and conservation professionals insight into the state of agroforestry, products and marketing approaches, and case studies from practitioners. The conference will be held June 4–5, 2026, at the Special Events Building, Ag Progress Days site in Pennsylvania Furnace, Huntingdon County. [link]
Nestlé said it would cut 16,000 jobs and take a fresh look at exiting some of its 2,000-plus brands, part of a sweeping restructuring under new Chief Executive Philipp Navratil aimed at reviving the consumer-products giant’s fortunes. The layoffs equate to 6% of the company’s 277,000-strong global workforce. About 12,000 of the job cuts will be white-collar roles, with 4,000 in manufacturing and supply-chain positions. Nestlé also reported a pickup in organic sales growth for the third quarter to 4.3%, accelerating from 2.9% in the first half. The company said its sales performance reflected a recovery in sales volumes and steady pricing, with volumes returning to growth in the third quarter after a decline in the second. [link]
Lidl GB (Great Britain) has outlined a groundbreaking £30 billion investment in British food and farming over the next five years. The commitment, which represents a 100% increase over their previous investment, aims to bolster the resilience and sustainability of the British supply chain while enhancing the quality and value of products offered to consumers. The initiative is designed to provide 650+ British suppliers, along with numerous farmers and growers, with the stability and confidence needed to invest in their operations and innovate for the future. [link]
The Regenerative Organic Alliance (ROC) is kickstarting a new program, Journey to ROC, to welcome and encourage more farmers and packaged food brands to implement regenerative agriculture practices. Journey to ROC is a partnership between ROC and RegenAgri, another regenerative certifier that has less rigorous standards. Farms and brands that want to achieve ROC Certification but have not yet met its high threshold will have the opportunity to become RegenAgri certified to encourage them to keep continually improving their land, eventually graduating to ROC Certification within three to five years. The two organizations will also begin a data-sharing partnership, which is one benefit of RegenAgri, given that both organizations are practice- and outcome-based, meaning that the practices being implemented on a farm are just as important as how farmers achieve positive outcomes. [link]
CMI Orchards is unveiling a bold, multi-faceted approach to advancing regenerative agriculture and transparent environmental leadership across the tree fruit industry. Anchored by its impact-driven platform CMI SOARS – Sustainable Orchards and Regenerative Solutions—and the launch of its consumer-facing brand Planet Positive, CMI is setting new standards for measurable sustainability to drive real, environmental and commercial value. Through SOARS, CMI established measurable goals to increase soil biodiversity and fruit micronutrient density, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and expand carbon sequestration through regenerative practices such as composting, biochar production, and vermicomposting (worm farming). The consumer-facing pillar of this initiative, Planet Positive, will officially debut at this year’s IFPA Global Produce & Floral Show. It is designed to bridge CMI’s regenerative achievements with a transparent, trusted way for shoppers to make environmentally responsible choices, delivered in a brand with an emotional message. [link]
Klim, the technology company behind an operating system for regenerative agriculture, has launched a new digital companion tool designed to simplify and scale regenerative practices for UK farmers and food & beverage companies. The platform offers personalized, field-level recommendations and consolidates data input into a single annual entry - removing the complexity and fragmentation that has long hindered adoption. Looking ahead, Klim plans to launch an AI-powered digital agent in Q1 2026 to provide farmers with real-time, personalized support on regenerative agriculture questions - further enhancing the platform’s usability and impact. [link]
In Case You Missed It…
In late September, the United Nations held its second Global Conference on Sustainable Livestock Transformation. See more, here.