May 2, 2026

Spotlight Stories

Spotlight 1 – AgriPulse says that phosphite offers a regenerative path out of agriculture’s fertilizer trap. Ready the story, here.

Spotlight 2 – The New Hope Network shines a light on Zero Foodprint’s work to fund regenerative farming through small consumer donations. Check it out, here.

Spotlight 3 – AgFunder News looks into how a “black market CSA” became a regenerative farm building food security in California. Take a read, here.

Industry Updates

Northern Illinois University STEAM recently was awarded a USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant to help teachers prepare students for food systems careers. The $500,000 grant will be awarded for three years to support the professional development of up to 20 educators annually. Participants will learn about sustainable agriculture, specialty crops, scientific communication, nutrition and food systems-related topics from NIU researchers and industry partners. [link]

Asahi UK is launching a collaboration with malt supplier Boortmalt to support the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices on British barley farms. This will cover barley production equivalent to 100% of the pale malt used to brew Asahi’s local British beers. Participating farms will introduce regenerative practices such as cover cropping, reduced tillage, crop rotation, and reduction in artificial fertilizer use, which can enhance soil fertility and structure, leading to better crop yields and water conservation, and helping to boost biodiversity on farms. [link]

Most Brazilian farmers already adopt at least one regenerative practice, but a lack of knowledge continues to limit the expansion and refinement of this type of management, according to a new survey by agtech company Agrosmart. In a poll conducted among users of its free app BoosterAgro, 78.9% of respondents said they practice no-till farming, 75.3% reported using cover crops, and 66.4% said they adopt crop rotation. However, these practices are not necessarily integrated, often due to insufficient information. Other regenerative practices remain less widespread. Composting is used by 24.7% of respondents, while integrated crop-livestock-forestry (ICLF) systems are adopted by 11.5% and agroforestry by 11%. [link]

U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) has reintroduced the Farmland for Farmers Act, legislation that would limit corporate ownership of farmland in the United States. U.S. Representative Jill N. Tokuda (HI-02) has introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives. Institutional investment in farmland has grown significantly over the past two decades, rising from under $2 billion in 2005 to more than $16 billion in 2025. In an effort to combat growing corporate ownership of farms, the Farmland for Farmers Act would safeguard over 400 million acres of U.S. farmland projected to change hands in the next decade by preventing corporations and hedge funds from treating farmland as a speculative investment. [link]

Interest in regenerative agriculture is rising across Europe, and consumers increasingly pay attention to how their food is produced, according to an ADM after survey of European consumers. The research reveals that awareness of regenerative agriculture is growing – even if many consumers are still learning what the concept means in practice. Consumers in the United Kingdom (73%) and Germany (74%) report the highest levels of having heard of regenerative agriculture, while awareness is somewhat lower in France (60%), the Netherlands (63%) and Poland (58%). [link]

BASF and Nutrien Ltd. have announced a strategic collaboration designed to help farmers gain more value from sustainable farming practices already in use. Under this collaboration, Nutrien agronomists will work directly with growers to optimize yield potential using practical, on-farm sustainability practices. BASF digital tools will help connect growers with biorefineries and document the carbon intensity (CI) of their crops. Together, these tools make it easier for farmers to participate in low-CI biofuel programs, including those supported under the Clean Fuel Production Credit (Section 45Z), and prepare for future low-carbon biofuel markets. [link]

Policymakers, scientists and farmers recently gathered in Darkhan-Uul city, Mongolia to map out how agroecology and agroforestry can help raise productivity while restoring degraded land. The meeting underscored how combining scientific research, traditional knowledge and field experience can strengthen agricultural productivity while also ensuring sustainability. As Mongolia faces mounting pressures from soil degradation, desertification and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns, agroforestry is emerging as a practical mechanism to restore ecosystem health, improve farm productivity and build resilience. [link]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved CarriCea T1, a breakthrough citrus rootstock that helps trees defend themselves against citrus greening disease, the bacterial infection that has destroyed more than 90 percent of Florida’s citrus production over the past two decades. The approval gives American growers a powerful new tool that fights disease at the source while reducing the need for conventional pesticide sprays. Florida’s citrus industry, the center of America’s orange juice supply, continues to face extraordinary disease pressure. CarriCea T1 works by making precise edits to the citrus tree’s own existing genes — not by introducing DNA from other organisms. These edits disrupt the interaction between the citrus plant and the bacteria that cause greening, helping the tree limit infection on its own. [link]

A new study by researchers at the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute at the University of Nebraska offers a comprehensive national-scale assessment of irrigated agriculture in the United States in recent years. The study, “Irrigated agriculture in the United States: Current status and future frontiers,“ shows that irrigated agriculture in the U.S. remains geographically concentrated. Five states — California, Nebraska, Arkansas, Texas and Idaho — account for approximately half of all irrigated farmland nationally. The researchers identify a gradual eastward shift in irrigated agricultural activity. Corn and soybean acreage under irrigation has grown in recent years, while irrigated area for alfalfa, cotton and rice has declined. [link]

Maryland has become the first state in the US to ban surveillance pricing in grocery stores. Maryland’s law bans grocers and third-party delivery services from using a person’s personal data to set higher prices. When engaging in surveillance pricing, stores rapidly change the cost of products based on consumer data, including their location, internet search history and demographics. That means buyers are paying different prices for the same items purchased around the same time. Bills being considered in Colorado, California, Massachusetts, Illinois and New Jersey may likewise regulate surveillance pricing. [link]

Savanna Institute, a nonprofit organization based in Illinois and Wisconsin, has been selected as a finalist for the Food Planet Prize. This award, which is open to nominations from throughout the world and all parts of the food system, is presented each year to initiatives that show the greatest potential for restoring environmental resilience while feeding the world. This year’s Food Planet Prize will consist of a $1.5 million award to the winner, with the other three finalists each receiving $150,000. The Savanna Institute conducts research, demonstration, and education to support the widespread adoption of agroforestry and perennial agriculture across the US Midwest. [link]

A study published in Environmental Technology & Innovation finds that organically managed coconut farms significantly improve soil health across numerous markers when compared with conventional (chemical-intensive) plantations. The research took place in Ben Tre Province of Vietnam across 12 organically managed farms in Mo Cay Nam and 12 chemical-intensive farms in Mo Cay Bac. The organic farms were managed under organic criteria for at least three years, while the conventional farms had been under chemical-intensive farming practices for over 20 years. Soil analyses were conducted for microbial life as well as physical and chemical properties. [link]

A new study published in PLOS One shows that English farmers shrank their environmental footprint between 2010 and 2021, with decreases in several key areas, including greenhouse gas emissions, fertilizer overuse and cattle populations. To assess how English farming practices have evolved in recent years, researchers used a modeling approach to estimate the environmental impacts of farming practices across the country in 2010, 2016 and 2021. Using data from environmental measurements and farming activities, they modeled greenhouse gas emissions, the risk of creating algal blooms due to overfertilization, and the release of compounds that contribute to acid rain. Across the measured time period, modeling showed about an 18% drop in greenhouse gas emissions, a 13% reduction in overfertilization, and a 21% decrease in contributions to acid rain. [link]

BASE Ireland is running a survey for farmers interested in regenerative agriculture. The aim is to collect data on enterprise type, location, types of management practices used for crops, grassland and livestock and what influences decision making on farms. Project lead Rob Coleman said the survey is practical and user-friendly. He said it will help the project team to understand the extent and variety of regenerative agriculture practices used on farms. [link]

The U.S. House of Representatives passed its version of a five-year farm bill after stripping a provision opposed by the “Make America Healthy Again” movement that would have blocked some lawsuits against pesticide makers. The House passage shows progress for the long-stalled, sweeping legislation, which funds agricultural and food aid programs, but it will still need to pass the Senate before it can advance to President Donald Trump’s desk. Historically bipartisan, the farm bill has faced hurdles since the prior bill expired in 2023, as Republicans and Democrats in both chambers battle over its provisions, which range from farm subsidies to food stamps. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman said in a statement that he would release that chamber’s farm bill text in the coming weeks. [link]

A complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin argues that ultra-processed foods are addictive. The lawsuit claims that these foods have been designed this way by Kraft Heinz, PepsiCo, and other packaged food giants, and seeks $1 billion in damages, as a result. This is the second consumer lawsuit targeting ultra-processed foods. It comes a few months after San Francisco filed the first government lawsuit on the issue, claiming food manufacturers engineered a “public health crisis.” [link]

A study in Nature provides the first quantitative spatial and temporal analysis of wild meat consumption in Central Africa, revealing a sharp increase in demand that is largely driven by urban populations. The total annual biomass of wild meat consumed across Central Africa has increased from an estimated 0.73 million metric tons in 2000 to 1.10 million metric tons in 2022. This increase is threatening wildlife populations and raising concerns about long-term nutritional security in rural areas. Meat from wild animals is fundamental for the diets of many rural populations, accounting for 20% of the recommended daily protein intake. However, as wild meat trade continues to increase across the region, the scale of consumption is likely to be unsustainable. [link]

Some of New York City’s biggest construction projects are also helping fresh foods grow in urban farms and community gardens in the five boroughs, and beyond. Trucks carrying valuable dirt from beneath construction sites regularly roll into the city’s Clean Soil Bank in East New York, Brooklyn, which is run by the NYC Office of Environmental Remediation. City compost is mixed on-site with sandy sediment to create a nutrient-rich blend suitable for growing plants. Some of the soil ends up going back to private and public building projects, after rigorous testing for contamination. But a portion also goes to community gardens, school yards, and urban farms working to feed New Yorkers facing food insecurity. [link]

The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved an innovative new project in Paraguay that will create jobs within sustainable agroforestry value chains in rural areas and expand access to long-term financing. The $100 million “Scaling up Finance for Sustainable Agroforestry in Paraguay” project will be implemented by Agencia Financiera de Desarrollo (AFD), Paraguay’s national development bank. It will be structured around three core mechanisms. First, a line of credit will incentivize smallholder and medium-scale producers to invest in sustainable agroforestry activities. Second, a Forestry Investment Fund will mobilize equity financing to larger-scale plantation projects and close financing gaps by attracting institutional and private investors. Finally, funding will also be allocated to strengthen AFD’s Environmental and Social Management System and support project management and technical oversight. [link]

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) recently awarded two grants totaling $1.5 million to Ducks Unlimited (DU) for projects in Kansas and Iowa through its Conservation Partners Program (CPP). The grants, which were part of an $8.7 million award to eight states, will help generate an additional $6.4 million in matching contributions for a total of $15.1 million earmarked specifically to support voluntary conservation practices on agricultural and ranching lands in the Midwest and West. Collectively, the grants will support technical assistance to help producers implement sustainable practices, such as cover crop planting, soil health education, and grazing management, that will improve irrigation and enhance riparian habitat. The result will put 1,900 management plans into effect and improve more than 490,000 acres. [link]

In Case You Missed It…

In early April, it was reported that Sazerac had approached Jack Daniel’s maker Brown-Forman about a potential deal, according to people familiar with the matter. See more, here.