November 15, 2025

Spotlight Stories

Spotlight 1 – The Guardian asks if urban farming could feed the world. Ready the story, here.

Spotlight 2 – Fast Company hosts a missive from the CEO of the Rodale Institute on how it’s time to reimagine farming as an innovative career path. Check it out, here.

Spotlight 3 – Howden and BCG lead a report on the role of insurance in scaling regenerative agriculture and re/afforestation. Take a read, here.

Industry Updates

Acres U.S.A. will host its 50th annual Eco-Ag Conference & Trade Show on Dec. 1–4, 2025, in Madison, Wisconsin. As the premier gathering for soil health champions, ecological innovators and profitable farmers, Eco-Ag 2025 marks five decades of driving agricultural change from the ground up. With more than 30 speakers, 100+ exhibitors and 30 breakout sessions, Eco-Ag 2025 will serve as a trusted platform for farmers, ranchers, consultants and food system professionals seeking practical, proven tools for building resilient operations. Keynote and featured speakers include Gabe Brown, Joel Salatin, Dr. Don Huber, Neal Kinsey, Rick Clark, Dr. Nasha Winters, Dr. Erin Silva, and John Kempf. [link]

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture is helping producers to minimize impacts on natural resources and the overall environment through its Arkansas Discovery Farms Program. The Discovery Farms team documents water quality, soil health, climate effects and resource use in research at 18 private farms across the state’s diverse agricultural sectors. The team also provides demonstrations and educational outreach to promote sustainable farming. [link]

The Gates Foundation has announced a four-year, $1.4 billion investment to support smallholder farmers across sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia adapt to extreme weather. The announcement, at COP30 in Belém, will help farmers ‘build resilience to a warming world and protect hard-won gains against poverty’, the Foundation said in a statement. Farmers in low-income countries produce around one third of the world’s food but face mounting climate threats – as recent World Bank research found, targeted adaptation investments in these regions could boost GDP by up to 15 percentage points by 2050. [link]

Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock has initiated a climate mitigation project combining cocoa farming with forest restoration across the Amazon and Atlantic Forest biomes, targeting emissions reductions of 5.18 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent through sustainable agroforestry systems. The project, approved by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) in late October 2025, will mobilize $30.9 million in total investment over four years, with $23.1 million from GCF and $7.8 million co-financed by Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock through the Executive Commission of the Cocoa Farming Plan (CEPLAC) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). The initiative will directly benefit more than 69,000 family farmers and indirectly impact nearly 400,000 people across 26 municipalities in the states of Bahia and Pará. [link]

After weeks of uncertainty, Congress has unveiled a one-year extension of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 as well as the fiscal year (FY) 2026 agriculture appropriations bill. In lieu of a much-needed five-year farm bill, this one-year extension would continue most farm bill programs unimpeded through at least September 30, 2026. It also suspends permanent price support authority for the 2026 crop and calendar year, ensuring that commodity programs do not revert to outdated 20th century law in the new year. [link]

The One Acre Fund is working to support and empower four million smallholder farmers in Nigeria by 2030 through integrated credit and agroforestry initiatives. Most recently, the organization has distributed 250,000 tree seedlings to farmers in Kwara State, contributing to the 13 million free tree seedlings distributed nationwide in 2025 under its tree planting and agroforestry initiative. The One Acre Fund currently operates in Niger, Kwara, and Nasarawa States, with plans underway to expand into Plateau and Bauchi States in 2026 as part of its long-term growth strategy. [link]

EU member states and the European Parliament have reached a provisional agreement on an overhaul of the EU’s huge farming subsidies, weakening environmental standards as part of plans to cut back regulations and paperwork for farmers. The plans exempt smaller farmers from baseline requirements tying their subsidies to efforts to protect the environment, while the EU would increase the payments they can receive. The EU Commission launched proposals for the overhaul in May, following months of protests by farmers over issues including strict EU regulations and cheap imports. The new plans are part of a series of EU “simplification omnibus” proposals, designed to slim down policies and paperwork for businesses struggling to compete with China and the U.S. [link]

Nestlé Brazil has signed a general cooperation agreement with the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) to accelerate research aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the supply chains of key ingredients used by the company. The first two projects under the partnership will focus on the milk and cocoa chains, which, along with coffee, are Nestlé’s most important raw materials. The first initiative will measure emissions from dairy cows fed with different diets, while the second will focus on developing more efficient agroforestry systems for cocoa production. The partnership with Embrapa includes investments in genetic research, agroforestry systems, and other regenerative practices. [link]

A new survey from Environmental Defense Fund gathered insights from 156 agricultural finance institutions across 17 countries and found that the majority are stepping up to manage climate risks. The survey found that 94% of respondents see climate risk as a critical risk that they need to manage, and the vast majority currently offer sustainability-related products and services to farmers. While the survey results point to strong global momentum, they also reveal regional variations in how institutions are managing climate risks and opportunities, including that every institution based outside of the U.S. offers sustainability-related financial products and services, versus 48% in the U.S. [link]

Mirova, the French climate-focused investment firm backed by Kering and other corporate heavyweights, has invested $30.5 million (€26.4 million) in Indian climate tech startup Varaha. This investment will help to expand the startup’s regenerative farming program, supporting hundreds of thousands of smallholder farmers in northern India. The deal marks Mirova’s first carbon investment in India, but its structure is unusual. Rather than taking equity, the Paris-based firm is investing cash and will get a share of the carbon credits generated in return over time. [link]

The U.S. plans to eliminate tariffs on bananas, coffee, beef and certain apparel and textile products under framework agreements with four Latin American nations. The expected move—which would apply to some goods from Ecuador, Argentina, El Salvador and Guatemala—is part of a shift from the Trump administration to water down some of its so-called reciprocal tariffs in the midst of rising prices for consumers, as well as legal uncertainty after a Supreme Court hearing this month. The administration in September foreshadowed the move by issuing an executive order saying it would consider a reduction in tariffs on some items not produced in the U.S. when foreign nations agree to trade deals with Washington. [link]

Sustainea Bioglycols has announced the launch of a new regenerative agriculture project in collaboration with Primient, a U.S. producer of plant-based ingredients. The project will support around 1,000 acres of farmland near Lafayette, Indiana, with a focus is on implementing regenerative agricultural techniques that aim to improve soil health, increase carbon sequestration, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and lessen environmental impact. This initiative builds on Sustainea’s ongoing partnership with Primient, which includes collaboration on the development of the first U.S. Bio-MEG facility. The project aims to promote large-scale adoption of regenerative practices in the Lafayette area and ensure responsible sourcing of corn—the raw material used in Sustainea’s Bio-MEG production. [link]

PepsiCo expects to expand its regenerative agriculture program in Canada by 240,000 acres. According to a company statement, “Cool temperatures, an abundance of rich, fertile soil and long summer days that provide extended stretches of sunlight make Canada’s farms ideal for growing high-quality oats and potatoes that are used to make PepsiCo products like Quaker Oats and Lay’s potato chips.” Now, PepsiCo is working with farmers in Saskatchewan and Manitoba to nearly double its regenerative agriculture footprint to more than 500,000 acres of farmland by year end. It partners with farmers, nonprofits, retailers, and policymakers in its efforts to spread regenerative agriculture. [link]

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) will award more than $3.1 million in grants to 34 state organizations as part of the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program. The RFSI program builds on MDARD’s success at the state level by making further targeted investments in local food processing, aggregation and distribution, meaning more avenues for farmers to sell in their communities and more opportunities for Michigan families to purchase nutritious, locally grown foods. MDARD says that these grants further investments into the state’s food hubs, farm stops, fruit and vegetable farmers, regenerative agriculture practitioners, fish hatcheries, and food processors. [link]

More than 100,000 smallholder farmers in Tanzania are set to benefit from a pioneering agroforestry program aimed at improving agricultural practices and boosting household, community, and national incomes. The initiative, scheduled to run from 2026 to 2028, will be implemented by the non-governmental organization Vi Agroforestry in collaboration with multiple development partners. Part of the overarching goal of the program is to shift farmers away from routine subsistence cultivation towards treating agriculture as an economic opportunity. [link]

In Case You Missed It…

Earlier this month, Israel’s Believer Meats has received official clearance from the USDA to produce and sell its cultivated chicken in the United States, becoming the first non-U.S. startup to reach the milestone. See more, here.

November 8, 2025

Spotlight Stories

Spotlight 1 – AgFunderNews explains why smallholder farmers must be the epicenter of a global supply chain transformation. Ready the story, here.

Spotlight 2 – The International Institute for Sustainable Development declares that the redirection of agricultural subsidies is crucial for promoting healthy soils. Check it out, here.

Spotlight 3 – JustFood writes about how regenerative agriculture - and funding - is slowly taking root. Take a read, here.

Industry Updates

Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) inaugurated its new specialty feed protein production line in Tianjin, China as part of the Group’s strategic plans to expand its activities further downstream and diversify its offering with value-added products. The new specialty feed protein production line will initially focus on producing fermented soybean meal, with an annual production capacity of 60,000 metric tons. The facility employs synergistic fermentation technology developed by LDC’s R&D Center in Shanghai, that utilizes multiple probiotic strains to break down anti-nutritional factors in soybean meal, enhancing its feed protein content, palatability and digestibility. Rich in small-molecule organic acids, LDC’s fermented soybean meal supports animal gut health and helps strengthen immunity during stress or illness. [link]

PepsiCo, in collaboration with Griffith Foods and Milhão, announced the launch of a pioneering direct farmer incentive pilot program to advance regenerative agriculture in Brazil’s Cerrado region. The new pilot program introduces a hybrid Payment for Practice and Payment for Outcomes model, directly compensating farmers for adopting regenerative agriculture practices such as composting, biological inputs, and reducing chemical fertilizer use. Farmers receive upfront payments to offset the cost of sustainable inputs, and then also receive performance-based bonuses for reducing agrochemical applications throughout the season. The pilot will cover 7,000 acres, with plans to scale to 30,000 acres, PepsiCo’s full corn sourcing volume in the region, by year three. The initiative is co-funded by PepsiCo and Griffith Foods, with additional contributions from Milhão. Total investment is expected to reach $1 million by year three. [link]

British retailer Waitrose is committing to nature-friendly farming by investing £1 million (€1.17 million) alongside the Soil Association Exchange and Regenified. The new initiative accelerates the company’s Farming for Nature program, aiming to support 2,000 British farmers in adopting regenerative practices to enhance business resilience, secure food supplies, and combat climate change. The partnership with Soil Association Exchange, a farm measurement tool, involves a four-year program to support early-adopting farms in key Waitrose supply chains. Waitrose will also offer 100 farms free access to the Regenified certification framework for three years. [link]

Green Carbon Inc. has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Living Roots Pte. Ltd. to jointly develop and commercialize biochar-derived organic fertilizers for rubber plantations in Thailand and other parts of Southeast Asia. The partnership aims to establish a new model that integrates regenerative agriculture with carbon credit generation through the effective use of agricultural residues. Together, the two companies will build a supply system capable of providing more than 3,000 tons of biochar annually, implementing a circular solution that simultaneously enhances farmers’ incomes, regenerates soil, and creates CDR (Carbon Dioxide Removal) credits. [link]

Reps. Mike Lawler (NY-17), Don Beyer (VA-08), and Chellie Pingree (ME-01) introduced the Innovative Practices for Soil Health Act, bipartisan legislation to improve soil health on farms and support sustainable alternatives to annual agriculture. The legislation would ensure United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) conservation programs are better able to support farmers who incorporate perennial systems and agroforestry into their operations. [link]

JBS USA will invest $1.1 million in climate-smart agriculture for New York farmers to end an investigation and settle a lawsuit alleging the company’s net-zero claims were misleading, according to the New York Attorney General Leticia James. Under the settlement, JBS has agreed to frame its 2040 net-zero target as a “goal” rather than a “commitment” or “pledge;” the company’s site now calls the target an “ambition.” Additionally, the firm will define any steps it’s taking when issuing consumer-facing statements that say the company is “taking real acting” or similar language, according to the agreement. James filed a lawsuit against JBS in February 2024, alleging that the company was misleading consumers about its greenhouse gas reduction efforts. The New York AG alleged in the suit that the meatpacker had “no viable plan” to reach its 2040 net-zero goal. [link]

McDonald’s said its big push into value meals is paying off at a time when more consumers are feeling economic pressure. The Chicago-based burger giant said sales for its most recent quarter climbed after it boosted spending on value meals, new products and marketing, part of the Golden Arches’ broader effort to win back cost-conscious eaters. McDonald’s has been working to restore its reputation for value after raising menu prices in the post-pandemic period. McDonald’s in September resumed advertising Extra Value Meals, and the company is spending tens of millions of dollars behind marketing and discounting the deals. [link]

Chocolate giant Barry Callebaut announced a long-term partnership with Planet A Foods, a start-up innovating in sustainable cocoa-free chocolate alternatives. The partnership aims to meet the growing consumer demand for sustainable chocolate solutions without cocoa – though Barry Callebaut has affirmed that cocoa remains at the core of its business and will continue to play a central role in its future. Planet A’s ChoViva brand offers a cocoa-free chocolate alternative solution made from locally available crops, such as sunflower seeds, designed to offer a chocolate-like experience without compromising on quality or taste. Barry Callebaut’s goal is to shorten supply chains and reduce its environmental footprint, complementing the group’s broader sustainability ambitions. [link]

A new project has been launched in Scotland to evaluate ten key soil health indicators and develop a practical framework that helps farmers better manage and improve the health of their soil. The project is led by researchers from the Organic Research Centre (ORC), an RSK ADAS company, which manages the knowledge exchange and delivers the shortlist of early indicators of soil health. Colleagues from Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) will lead on the interpretation framework. The project will create a ranked list of early indicators of soil health coupled with a practical interpretation framework to tackle that need head-on. It will cover biological metrics like the soil food web, phospholipid fatty acids and CO2 burst, all of which are key areas of interest for farmers exploring the impact of their management on soil biology. The findings will be shared through workshops, freely available news items published online and through the channels of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and SRUC, ensuring accessibility to farmers across the UK. [link]

In Case You Missed It…

In mid-October, dsm-firmenich and Bayer signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to accelerate sustainability across the animal agriculture sector through enhanced environmental footprint measurement. See more, here.

November 1, 2025

Spotlight Stories

Spotlight 1 – The Yale Center for Environmental Communication writes about an ecologist serving up climate science on a plate. Ready the story, here.

Spotlight 2 – Devdiscourse covers the radical shift taking place across the global farming landscape as AI and regenerative practices converge. Check it out, here.

Spotlight 3 – UNSW Sydney reviews the hidden cost of food production in Australia. Take a read, here.

Industry Updates

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said that food benefits under one of the country’s biggest social assistance programs will not be issued next month amid the ongoing federal government shutdown. More than 41 million depend on the monthly payments, according to the USDA. In some states, like New Mexico, dependence on the program is as high as 21% of residents, it said. The agency’s announcement came after more than 200 Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives called on USDA to draw on its emergency reserves to fund November food benefits. [link]

The European Union-ASEAN Business Council (EU-ABC) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) said they have identified animal health, dairy development, agricultural mechanization, organic and regenerative agriculture, and climate-resilient farming practices as possible areas of collaboration. In a statement, EU-ABC Executive Director Chris Humphrey also highlighted his organization’s ongoing engagement in ASEAN through the Health Summit in Kuala Lumpur and the annual Sustainability Summit hosted by its Philippine Chapter. He reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to forging partnerships with rural communities, promoting inclusive and sustainable agriculture, and supporting the conclusion of the EU–Philippines Free Trade Agreement. The Philippines is set to assume the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2026. [link]

The European Parliament has approved the EU Soil Monitoring Law, which aims to restore European soils by 2050. Member states will now be required to monitor and assess soil health across their territories. The law introduces no new legal obligations for landowners or land managers; however, it requires EU Member States to support farmers in improving soil health and resilience. The law will enter into force 20 days after its publication in the EU Official Journal (likely late November 2025), with transposition into national law within 24–36 months. [link]

The European Union (EU) has launched a three-year program in Ghana aimed at making cocoa production more sustainable, traceable, and compliant with the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). In a statement posted on its website, the EU mission in Ghana indicated the new partnership is being implemented by a consortium of four civil society organizations focused on forest governance: Solidaridad West Africa, Tropenbos Ghana, Taylor Crabbe Initiative, and Rights & Advocacy Initiatives Network (RAIN). The program, named the “Deforestation-Free Cocoa Project,” is funded by a 2 million euro ($2.3 million) budget, 99% of which is contributed by the EU. It aims to directly support approximately 5,000 cocoa farmers and involves rehabilitating over 1,000 hectares of old plantations by integrating agroforestry systems between 2025 and 2028. [link]

PepsiCo has significantly expanded its Climate Resilience Platform (CRP), an open-access, open-source tool helping farmers to plan for the impacts of climate change. CRP, which originally launched in 2023, translates climate research into actionable insights for those in the agricultural space, enabling them to anticipate yield risks and implement targeted interventions. PepsiCo has worked with partners including the Alliance of Biodiversity International and the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research to expand the tool to additional geographies and crops – namely cotton and rice. Efforts have also been made to enhance the platform’s accessibility and improve data accuracy and relevance. [link]

Americans will now be able to walk into a grocery store and buy cultivated meat off the shelf for the first time. Californian startup Mission Barns will hold the US’s first retail sale of cultivated meat on November 1, selling pork meatballs at Berkeley Bowl West. The retail debut comes nearly two months after Mission Barns introduced its cultivated meatballs and bacon to diners at Fiorella restaurant in San Francisco’s Sunset District. [link]

France’s Parima, formed this month after Gourmey’s acquisition of Vital Meat, has received regulatory approval to sell cultivated chicken in Singapore. Parima has become the first European startup to be cleared to sell cultivated meat for human food anywhere in the world, following approval from the Singapore Food Agency (SFA). The approval marks Singapore’s second authorization for cultivated meat this year, with Friends & Family Pet Food Co getting the nod for its Kampung bird products, and the first for human applications since Vow‘s cultured quail in 2024. [link]

Kraft Heinz reported lower third-quarter sales and trimmed its full-year outlook amid industry concerns about higher inflation and a pullback in consumer spending. The company now expects organic net sales for the year to be down 3% to 3.5%. It had previously expected organic net sales to be down 1.5% to 3.5%. Earlier this year, Kraft Heinz said it would split into two companies, one with brands including Heinz, Philadelphia and Kraft Mac & Cheese and the other company’s portfolio featuring Oscar Mayer, Kraft Singles and Lunchables. [link]

As consumers prepare to enjoy Thanksgiving meals, a new study reveals that regeneratively farmed turkeys are significantly more nutrient-dense than conventional birds. Research on US-based Diestel Family Ranch found that its turkeys contain up to 79% more omega-3s and three times more antioxidants — underscoring regenerative agriculture’s benefits for food nutrition and environmental health. The nutrient boost is linked to regenerative farming methods that improve soil health, feed quality, and fatty acid ratios. Maintaining a healthy omega-6:3 ratio is essential for health, with a recent study finding that an elevated omega-6:3 ratio in consumer diets can lead to various autoimmune, inflammatory, and allergic diseases. [link]

McDonald’s has expanded its partnership with Arla Foods to launch a new nature-led sustainability drive across British dairy farms. The fast-food chain has joined Arla’s FarmAhead Customer Partnership program, expanding a relationship that began in 1987. The latest phase focuses on ReNature, a biodiversity project designed to assess and improve soil health, wildlife habitats and overall biodiversity on around 60 organic dairy farms supplying Arla. The cooperative will share the findings across its milk pool to create measurable benchmarks for sustainable farming. [link]

After more than 15 years of research and development, Dole has successfully introduced a new, non-GMO pineapple variety that embodies the taste and aroma of a pina colada. The new variety contains all the tanginess and sweetness you’d typically find in a common pineapple, except it’s juicier, lighter in color, and slightly more delicate, with subtle notes of creamy coconut and vanilla. It also has a smaller core, which means more of the fruit is edible, thereby minimizing food waste. [link]

A new law has taken effect in Norway that aims to ban advertising of unhealthy products directed at children. The new law is meant to protect minors from, for example, promotion of sugary soft drinks or energy drinks. It doesn’t regulate sales of unhealthy food or drink, however, and it will still allow producers like beverage giant Coca-Cola to sponsor such events as the youth football tournament Norway Cup. [link]

Verra’s methodology for improved agricultural land management has been approved by the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) as meeting the Core Carbon Principles (CCPs). This will enable the generation of tens of millions of high-integrity carbon credits from farming projects worldwide. The methodology, VM0042 Improved Agricultural Land Management, v2.2, quantifies greenhouse gas emission reductions and soil organic carbon-based removals resulting from regenerative agriculture, including activities such as reduced tillage, improved fertilizer use, residue and water management, diversified cropping, and effective grazing systems. [link]

The Maryland Department of Agriculture is excited to announce that the 2025-2026 enrollment period for its popular Conservation Buffer Initiative will run from November 1st, 2025 through April 30, 2026. To help Maryland meet its ambitious tree planting goals, qualifying farmers who plant forest buffers through this program will receive a one-time $1,000/acre signing bonus for trees along with the program’s standard incentive payment. Payment rates range from $500 per acre for existing grass buffers to a maximum of $4,500 per acre to install a riparian forest buffer with pasture fencing. Mowing and hay harvesting are allowed for on-farm use; nutrient applications are not. Farmers receive 75% of the project cost upfront and the remaining 25% after verification of planting for new or improved buffers and 100% of the eligible payment for existing buffers that have been field-verified. [link]

Danone has launched a program that enhances the skills of dairy farmers worldwide and strengthens the resilience of the dairy farming industry. The program, dubbed the Milk Academy, targets training in farm management, sustainability, and regenerative agriculture, teaching farmers techniques to improve herd productivity and soil health, and investigating ways to reduce methane emissions. According to the French multinational food products corporation, the Milk Academy is the first of its kind within the dairy industry, geared toward developing the supply chain and enhancing the skills of its network of farmers. [link]

Israel’s Believer Meats has received official clearance from the USDA to produce and sell its cultivated chicken in the country, becoming the first non-US startup to reach the milestone. The firm has received the USDA’s green light for its product label and factory in North Carolina, which was completed earlier this year and is the world’s largest cultivated meat facility. In a post on LinkedIn, CEO Gustavo Burger called it “a major milestone that authorizes us to begin commercial production and sales of our cultivated chicken products in the US and export to international markets”. [link]

In Case You Missed It…

In late August, Exomad Green announced that its latest biochar field study revealed the transformative impact of biochar on soil health and agricultural sustainability. See more, here.