December 2, 2023
Spotlight Stories
Spotlight 1 – Poverty is killing the Amazon rainforest. Treating soil and farmers better can help save what’s left. Check out the story, here.
Spotlight 2 – An article from Civil Eats looks at the potential for virtual fences to expand regenerative grazing practices. Check it out, here.
Industry Updates
Food waste reduction pilot projects in Wisconsin could get a boost through state grants under a plan proposed by Democratic lawmakers. Senate Assistant Minority Leader Jeff Smith, D- Brunswick, and State Rep. Francesca Hong, D- Madison, are looking for co-sponsors on a bill that would give $200,000 over the next two years to organizations that are preventing food waste, redirecting surplus food to hunger relief organizations or composting food waste. According to data from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, about 854,000 tons of food were thrown away in Wisconsin in 2020, the majority of it still edible. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources aims to reduce food waste in landfills by 50 percent by 2030. [link]
Scientists are increasingly concerned about how to keep the grass and other plants that livestock eat in pastures from wilting under extreme heat and drought. Researchers from around the world are working to develop new varieties of pasture plants that can tolerate high temperatures, less rain and more variability in the weather that is expected from climate change. At stake is how much food prices might rise as the planet warms. Less grass growing in pastures would mean that farmers either have to spend more on buying feed for their herds or reduce the number of animals on their farms. [link]
Amidst water scarcity and diminishing arable land, some individuals in Egypt are transitioning to soilless farming. However, experts caution that the high initial costs and certain crop limitations may impede widespread adoption in the African nation. Soilless agriculture, also known as hydroponics, involves cultivating plants using nutrient-rich water outside the traditional soil, typically within controlled greenhouses. A 2020 WWF report revealed that hydroponics utilizes only 10% of the resources required for traditional cultivation, contributing to reduced deforestation and minimized pesticide use. Arable land constitutes less than 5% of Egypt, and the country is expected to be classified as "water scarce" by 2025 due to climate change and the construction of a dam by Ethiopia on a major tributary of the Nile River. Although startup costs for hydroponics are high, profitability of these systems can offer a quick return on investment for a country that needs greater food security ahead. [link]
Seasonal weather patterns are changing in Michigan and the broader Great Lakes region of the U.S., creating new challenges for farmers on how to handle their water management and irrigation practices. Rain events in the spring and fall are becoming heavier, while drought conditions are increasingly present during the summer. Farmers are adding traditional conservation measures like tile drainage to their fields, but this many times isn't enough. An increase in precipitation can be detrimental for fields as it can cause heavy erosion and a lack of soil nutrients. Increased soil runoff into streams and lakes also harms water quality. The local Farm Bureau is creating technical and financial support programs and looking to find new methods of water management, as a result. [link]
FoodChain ID, a pioneer in global sustainability certification, and ReSeed, the first provider of full lifecycle carbon credit traceability, have announced a partnership to increase transparency in measurement and verification of sustainable practices in the agri-food supply chain. ReSeed will collect and process data for carbon credit measurement protocols to allow monetization and incentivization for farmers deploying sustainable practices in the field, while also leveraging their legal and technical knowledge to validate carbon estimates under international standards and provide field technical assistance to sort eligible farmers based on sustainability standards for farming activities. FoodChain ID will serve as the exclusive verifier for the carbon credit partnership under ISO 14065 accreditation. FoodChain ID's independent technical experts will perform yearly audits of farm practices under international sustainability standards, adding third-party credibility to the measurement of carbon sequestration in soil. [link]
American Airlines is joining the race to remove carbon from the atmosphere, tapping a novel agricultural waste method that is much cheaper than many existing approaches and could boost the fledgling industry. The airline company is purchasing credits from a startup called Graphyte, which creates bricks of plant material like sawdust or tree bark that seal in their sequestered carbon dioxide before burying them in the ground for long term carbon storage. Graphyte charges a fraction of the price ($100/metric ton) companies pay for direct air capture ($675/metric ton), the most heavily funded carbon removal technology. Graphyte’s first project in Pine Bluff, Ark., collects waste from two timber mills and a rice-milling operation. The company aims to start manufacturing its biomass bricks in January and burying them in July. By then, it hopes to be making roughly 140 pallets of blocks a day, enough to store 50,000 metric tons of carbon annually. [link]
McCain Foods has announced the launch of Presia Ag Insights, a newly formed business unit to develop digital technologies that support farmers in building resiliency within their operations. With Presia, farmers and crop-sourcing partners can better evaluate and predict crop yields, optimize harvest timing and enhance on-farm sustainability practices. Specializing in satellite-based, data-driven intelligence that can transform the way we understand crop growth, Presia will accelerate the future of farming and foster the monitoring and adoption of regenerative agricultural practices by stakeholders across the agriculture sector. [link]
As a lead in to COP28 climate talks in Dubai, World Animal Protection said that the restriction of factory farming should play a key role in efforts to cut climate-warming greenhouse gases. Factory farming is responsible for at least 11% of global emissions, according to World Animal Protection. It said around 70% of the 80 billion animals reared every year for food were held in factory farm systems, contributing 6.2 billion metric tons of CO2 emissions annually. The COP28 presidency of the United Arab Emirates has urged countries to sign a "leaders' declaration" committing them to align food production with broader emissions goals. It is also spearheading initiatives to promote agricultural innovation. [link]
A new research report published in Nature finds that roughly 47% of the world is suitable for profitable diversified farming systems, with a large area present in the Global North. When the findings were combined with knowledge about biophysical potential for cropland expansion and intensification, the team found that different areas could benefit from diversification to achieve sustainable intensification through cropland expansion (e.g., Europe), intensification (e.g., sub-tropics and tropics), or both (e.g., West Africa). [link]
The World Economic Forum, with support from the Government of the United Arab Emirates, along with more than 20 corporate and research partners in the food sector, has launched the First Movers Coalition for Food. The initiative uses the combined procurement power of industry for sustainably produced farming products to speed up the adoption of sustainable farming, innovations and transitional funding. The coalition comprises corporate champions from multinational and regional companies with significant purchasing power, value chain partners, farmer organizations and research partners alongside governments to improve existing food systems. Corporate partners account for a combined revenue of $2.1 trillion and a combined procurement value of $10-$20 billion. [link]
The Emirates Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems and Climate Action was launched this week at COP28 in Dubai, reaffirming existing international commitments to halt climate change and nature loss while building overall resilience. The Declaration covers issues including: food systems adaptation, the maintenance of smallholder farmer and indigenous group livelihoods, the enhancement of early warning systems, improved water management, the protection of soils, reduced food loss and waste, the promotion of more sustainable aquaculture, beneficial changes in consumption (with a focus on the Global North), and improved access to nutrition (with a focus on the Global South). [link]
In Case You Missed It…
In mid-October, it was reported that Smithfield Foods is looking to go public again. Check out the story, here.