November 29, 2025
Spotlight Stories
Spotlight 1 – The International Chamber of Commerce says that agricultural transformation starts from the soil up. Ready the story, here.
Spotlight 2 – AgFunder News details why the regenerative organic certification exists…and why the food system needs it. Check it out, here.
Spotlight 3 – The International Earth Day Network discusses the hidden dangers of monoculture farming. Take a read, here.
Industry Updates
African Golden Food has secured a $1 million equity investment to accelerate the development of its flagship Smart Circular Agro-Food & Carbon Innovation Vehicle in Ghana’s Kwahu Afram Plains. Investors include FrugalFP B.V. of the Netherlands and an Aberdeen-based group led by John Lind. Advisory support was provided by Mubanga Kasonde of MK Consult in the UK. The project integrates cassava and sweet potato processing, large-scale agroforestry, and renewable energy, forming a climate-smart model designed to boost food security, community prosperity, and long-term environmental resilience. The initiative aims to restore 10,000 hectares of degraded land and generate 2,500 rural jobs over the next decade. [link]
The European Union and its French development partners are pressing Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire to accelerate reforms in the cocoa sector, saying new research shows the industry must adopt tougher sustainability standards to remain competitive and protect farmer livelihoods. At a two day feedback workshop in Accra this week, researchers presented findings from the EU and AFD-funded Cocoa4Future project, which ran in Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire and examined agroforestry models, disease control, and the socioeconomic dynamics of cocoa farming. Organizers said the work offers practical pathways for scaling sustainable practices that could help producers meet tightening European market requirements on deforestation, traceability, and labor standards. [link]
Kellanova, Walmart and Indigo Ag have announced a new partnership designed to strengthen farmer prosperity through regenerative agriculture across Arkansas. Through the Source by Indigo program, the collaboration provides farmers with resources, data, and technical support to build more resilient and profitable rice farming operations across the state. The co-investment builds on four years of partnership between Walmart and Indigo Ag, which has already helped rice farmers supplying Walmart’s Great Value brand reduce emissions by over 37,000 metric tons of CO2e, conserve over 11 billion gallons of water, and put more than $900,000 into farmers’ pockets. Kellanova’s participation expands this effort, creating new opportunities for farmers while supporting the company’s commitment to sustainable sourcing and community well-being. [link]
Climate scientists identify reducing meat consumption as a critical climate strategy, but it appears in just 1.2% of climate journalism, according to new research released by the Center for Biological Diversity and Brighter Green. The report, “Missing Ingredients: How Agriculture and Diet Get Overlooked in Media Coverage of Climate Change” assessed more than 10,000 articles from U.S. media outlets about climate change over the past three years and found terms related to dietary shifts appeared in only 1.2%, or 115 articles, of the coverage. The broader themes of animal agriculture or meat appeared in only 3.2%, or 343 of the articles, despite the sector being responsible for 19% of global greenhouse gas emissions. [link]
Bunge and ForFarmers announced a strategic agreement aimed at improving sustainability within the soybean meal supply chain in Europe. The companies signed an agreement to establish a low-carbon soybean meal flow starting with the Netherlands. The supply agreement requires Bunge to supply close to 100,000 metric tons soybean meal to ForFarmers from various origins. ForFarmers will receive supply chain traceability and verified carbon footprint calculations through blockchain technology, providing transparency on the flow from its origin to its destination. [link]
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is now accepting applications for two Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation (AGRI) grants that help Minnesota farmers strengthen their operations in the face of biosecurity threats and extreme weather. The AGRI Protecting Livestock from Avian Influenza (Protect) Grant and the AGRI Preparing for Extreme Weather (Prepare) Grant are now open for applications. Together, these programs help Minnesota livestock and specialty crop producers invest in equipment and improvements that reduce disease risk, enhance biosecurity, and build long-term resilience. [link]
New research has found cover crops that are viable in Washington’s normal “off season” don’t hurt the soil and can be sold as a biofuel source. In a paper recently published in the journal Biomass and Bioenergy, a team led by Washington State University scientists looked at four cover crops grown for multiple years in western and central Washington fields. Two showed promising results. Triticale, a hybrid of wheat and rye, produced the highest yields, and hairy vetch, a vine-like legume with hairy leaves, provided stable yields at low costs while adding nitrogen to the soil. The study showed that each crop included in the field trials can also be processed into biofuels through a liquefaction process. [link]
The Regreening Africa Phase II (RA II) Project was officially launched on Tuesday in Kukpalgu, Mion District, Northern Region inside Ghana. The project is funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by a consortium led by World Agroforestry (ICRAF), in collaboration with World Vision Ghana (WVG), Catholic Relief Services (CRS), CARE, Sahel Eco, and Agronomes et Vétérinaires Sans Frontières (AVSF). The second phase of the initiative aims to restore degraded landscapes, strengthen climate resilience, and improve livelihoods for smallholder farmers in the Bawku West, Garu, Tempane, and Binduri districts in the Upper East Region, as well as Yendi and Mion districts in the Northern Region of Ghana. [link]
New research from Lincoln University’s Center of Excellence Designing Future Productive Landscapes has found that healthier farm systems encompassing soil, plant and animal health can provide measurable benefits to people. Together, the researchers compared regenerative and conventional farming systems to assess how these practices influence the nutritional quality of milk and yogurt. Milk and yogurt from the regenerative system showed a lower omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, which supports cardiovascular health (reducing blood clots), improves mental health, and has properties that can aid in delaying Alzheimer’s disease and reduce the risk of certain cancers. They also contained higher levels of Streptococcus thermophilus, aiding digestion for lactose-intolerant individuals, improving gut motility and reducing inflammatory bowel symptoms. The regenerative farm showed a greater abundance of some soil organisms than the conventional farm, improving soil microbiome diversity. This is striking, given that only five units of nitrogen (N) were applied per hectare annually, compared to the average of 190 units of N per hectare on conventional farms. [link]
In Case You Missed It…
In late September, HowGood and Kiss the Ground announced the release of the Regenerative Agriculture Industry Map. See more, here.