February 3, 2024

Spotlight Stories

Spotlight 1 – The Conversation notes that Australia’s soils are notoriously poor. Here’s how scientists are working to improve them. Check out the story, here.

Spotlight 2 – Food Navigator walks through bee study research that reveals environmental vulnerability and a food production threat. Check out the story, here.

Spotlight 3 – Food Dive discusses how to bridge the divide between food companies and farmers when it comes to environmental responsibility. Check out the story, here.

Industry Updates

The Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts has announced new financial support from General Mills for the Conservation Agriculture Reach Everyone (CARE) program – an initiative in partnership with the Oklahoma Black Historical Research Project Inc. The goal of the CARE program is to increase the number of farmers and ranchers in Oklahoma participating in conservation planning and programs to improve soil health, water quality, and the viability of working lands. The CARE program focuses on providing resources and assistance to socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers and ranchers, expanding their knowledge of innovative technology, soil health, and invasive species eradication to sustain their farms, and empowering them to actively participate in all conservation programs. Since its inception in 2017, the CARE program has made significant strides, reaching and positively impacting more than 7,000 producers. [link]

Vanguard Renewables, a national leader in organics-to-renewable energy production, is excited to announce the addition of Foremost Farms USA, one of the largest dairy cooperatives in the United States, to the Farm Powered Strategic Alliance (FPSA). Vanguard Renewables partners with food and beverage manufacturers to recycle their inedible food waste via Farm Powered anaerobic digestion, which converts organic waste into renewable natural gas (RNG). This RNG is then used to generate electricity, heat, and transportation fuel, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. [link]

A new economic analysis involving researchers at the University of Oxford and London School of Economics has found that transforming the global food system could realize benefits of up to $10 trillion per year, and that the costs of achieving this would be relatively small in comparison. The new analysis forecasts that a business as usual approach would mean that by 2050 food insecurity will leave 640 million people underweight in some parts of the world, while obesity will increase by 70% globally. In contrast, an alternative Food System Transformation approach could result in undernutrition being eradicated by 2050, and cumulatively 174 million lives saved from premature death due to diet-related chronic disease. According to the model, these benefits would result in economic gains equivalent to economies being 12% larger on average for 30 years across lower income countries, 3.4% across middle income countries, and 1.7% across high income countries. Furthermore, the cost of achieving this transformation through better policies and practices was estimated to be equivalent to 0.2-0.4% of global GDP per year – much less than the potential multi-trillion-dollar benefits that change could bring. [link]

Kroger announced that it has set a new supplier goal that requires all of its fresh produce suppliers to use Integrated Pest Management practices for all products supplied to the grocery company by 2028 or 2030, based on the grower’s size. The grocer expects medium- to large-sized growers to meet the goal by the end of 2028 and gives small-sized ones until 2030. Kroger said that the change will protect more pollinators and help create a more sustainable produce supply chain. [link]

The Dan Gillespie Soil Health Fund is accepting grant applications that will further the organization’s mission to promote soil health and regenerative agriculture. The Soil Health Fund is an endowment established to make grants that support educational events and programming for youth, current and future farmers and ranchers and others, including women and small stakeholders directly involved in agriculture in Nebraska and surrounding states. The priority for funded projects is to support current and future growers in adopting practices that address water quality and soil health, such as cover crops, reduced tillage, complex crop rotations, and nutrient management to reduce soil erosion, nutrient run-off and greenhouse gas emissions. The next round of competitive funding is open now with a cutoff date of March 1 for an award of up to $1,500. [link]

Bregal Investments is establishing a new strategy dedicated to reducing carbon emissions in agriculture and helping make crops more sustainable while generating salable carbon credits. The Bregal Sphere Nature strategy will invest in so-called agroforestry projects that combine tree- and bush-crops such as cocoa and coffee with plantings of other native trees or bushes. Bregal plans to sell carbon credits generated by the projects it backs, with buyers expected to be businesses looking to compensate for their own emissions. [link]

At least three cargoes of Brazilian soybeans were traded recently to a U.S. East Coast crusher, which is not typical for this time of year, according to industry trade sources. End-users import some Brazilian soybeans to the East Coast during most years, though those shipments are typically for summer delivery. The $1.35 discount to March soybean futures the cargoes were booked at is also not usual for this time of year. Plunging Brazilian soybean prices have made arbitrage trade viable for East Coast destinations. [link]

Although an ever-growing number of Canadian farmers and ranchers are implementing regenerative practices, most Canadians still don't understand how regenerative agriculture contributes to their lives. A new national campaign, Stories of Regeneration, aims to bridge the gap and foster relations between producers and consumers. Created by Regeneration Canada, the campaign evolved from a series of farm-to-table events held this past summer into what has now become a collection of films, podcast conversations, articles, and webinars that shine a light on the many benefits derived from farming in a way that is good for the people and the planet. The Regeneration Canada team, with support from Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada through the AgriCommunication Program, is now proudly launching these stories featuring ten farmers from eight provinces, each representing operations with diverse production systems. [link]

Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding announced $2.232 million in funding for research proposals on issues critical to sustaining and growing the state's $132.5 billion agriculture industry. Funded projects will address complex challenges ranging from reducing impacts of climate change and measuring soil and water conservation, to tackling emerging animal care issues, and developing plant-based solutions to reduce threats to human health. [link]

Nestlé UK and Ireland has announced a new partnership with The Allerton Project, a research farm in Leicestershire with an award-winning blueprint for future rural landscapes. The partnership is promising for Nestlé UK and Ireland as it provides an opportunity for farmers and suppliers of Nestlé to receive practical, context-based land management advice to deliver positive environmental outcomes on their land. The Allerton Project will also provide a mix of immersive, field-based training with classroom-based content to managers and executive-level staff to further embed perspectives on supply chain resilience within Nestlé’s working culture and the integral part it plays in Nestlé’s operations. [link]

Researchers recently published a study in the journal, Nature, showing that human diets rich in plant-based alternatives substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions (30%-52%), land use (20%-45%), and freshwater use (14%-27%), with vegan diets showing the highest reduction potential. Daily food expenditures for plant-based diets increased by 3%-5%. The study took place in Sweden. [link]

Farmer protests have exploded across the EU in countries like France, Belgium, Portugal, Greece, and Germany as new green rules across the bloc have led to higher taxes and rising costs. Farmers are also upset about the opening of the domestic market to cheap Ukrainian imports to help Kyiv's war effort against Russia. Frustrations came to a head in Brussels late this week, where farmers threw eggs and stones at the European Parliament, and started fires and set off fireworks as they demanded EU leaders at a summit nearby do more to help them. [link]

A new partnership in Michigan between the Plant Coalition (Michigan plant agriculture organizations), the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), and Michigan State University has been put in place to help the local agriculture industry mitigate and adapt to climate change, while promoting environmental sustainability alongside the protection and efficient use of the state's water resources. The Agricultural Climate Resiliency Program — which operates through MSU AgBioResearch and MSU Extension — was established through the MDARD budget with $1 million in recurring funds to support faculty and Extension positions. A one-time investment of $5 million will go toward a competitive grants program, in which MSU researchers and Extension specialists can apply for three-year grants of up to $1.25 million. Proposals for the first set of projects are due March 1 and will be evaluated by a panel of experts from MSU, MDARD and the plant coalition. [link]

A partnership has been created in Arizona to turn trash into soil. The Arizona Green Guys and Abby Lee Farms have been taking food waste, tree cuttings, and drywall, and processing them into soil products. The entities have been removing 300 tons of garbage per week, with plans to double this rate in the future. Each day, workers tend to nearly 30,000 yards of soil, with the waste taking 9 months to become nutrient-rich soil for fertilizing crops. The ultimate goal is to provide a product that is local, organic, and sustainable to area farmers and gardeners. [link]

In Case You Missed It…

In early January, it was reported that King Arthur Flour Company had recently rolled out a new “Climate Blend” whole wheat flour, using wheat from two farms that employ regenerative agriculture techniques. Read more, here.