April 12, 2025
Spotlight Stories
Spotlight 1 – ABC Listen presents an audio story on how caring for soil brings great benefit to crops and human health. Check it out, here.
Spotlight 2 – Edie writes about why the Woodland Trust believes trees on farms are a solution to nature, climate, and food security challenges. Read the story, here.
Spotlight 3 – Defector conducts an interview with a recently fired USDA Program Coordinator. Take a read, here.
Industry Updates
British farmers fear they will no longer be able to afford to restore nature in England and reduce their carbon footprint after government funding for doing this was frozen. The environment secretary announced that the sustainable farming incentive (SFI), which pays farmers for making space for nature on their land, would be paused and overhauled before June’s spending review. The scope of the scheme – and its budget – are being reassessed. In England, 70% of land is farmed, so if nature is to recover, farmers need support to make space for it on their land. This includes planting trees and hedges, digging ponds and leaving strips of land for wildflowers. [link]
South African farmers and sustainability experts warn that continued unusual weather patterns will adversely affect crop quality and livestock in the coming months, driving up food prices and raising concerns over food security. Shakti Satyapal, managing director of Roadway Farms and director of Sustainability Truthing, said South Africa is experiencing unseasonably heavy rainfall, including thunderstorms, strong winds, and hail, leading to severe flooding that has damaged infrastructure and crops across multiple regions. KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, the Northern Cape, and the North West have all been hit by torrential downpours, with low-lying areas particularly affected. Livestock are also at risk, as sudden temperature fluctuations disrupt their health and access to feed and water. [link]
In a new report, the World Bank highlights that agricultural activities contribute significantly to global air pollution, with intensive fertilizer use, livestock farming, and crop-residue burning as major sources of particulate matter (PM2.5). These emissions not only harm the environment but also reduce agricultural productivity, potentially costing the global economy $5 billion annually. Regions like Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Southern Africa are particularly affected by these practices, which hinder crop yields and disrupt food supply chains. To address this, the World Bank calls for comprehensive solutions, including reducing ammonia emissions from fertilizers, improving manure management, and discouraging crop-residue burning. [link]
In Barbados, Joshua Forte, an environmental entrepreneur, has unveiled a plan to convert 1,000 acres into regenerative organic farms that prioritize soil health, biodiversity, and sustainable food production. Fortified by innovative practices and a commitment to sustainability, the Journey to 1,000 Acres initiative is not only about farming but also about fostering community engagement and education. Goals of the new initiative include addressing local food security; promoting sustainable agriculture and its many ecological and economic benefits; educating and engaging communities; and rejuvenating local soils. [link]
After a quarter of a century of development, the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry made a significant step toward a long-term goal of furthering the black walnut industry in Missouri with a recent patent for its first black walnut cultivar — The UMCA “Hickman” Walnut. UMCA “Hickman” was chosen as the first cultivar to be patented within the species for kernel production — for food production as opposed to timber production — because its characteristics make it uniquely suited to tree nut orchard production. In particular, this cultivar showed high rates of spur-bearing. Ultimately, this means that the tree produces more nuts for harvest, especially earlier in its life, giving producers opportunity for improved return on investment. [link]
Farmers, researchers, practitioners, policy makers, and community leaders will gather at the University of Rhode Island’s Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences on May 19-20 for the inaugural Rhode to Regenerative: From Land to Sea conference. This two-day event, organized with the agricultural network, Why Regenerative, will explore regenerative agriculture, an approach to food production and ecosystem management that restores and enhances soil health, water systems, and biodiversity from forests and farms to kelp beds and coastal fisheries. The conference is designed for farmers, students, researchers, investors, policy makers, funders, suppliers, and the public, and will include a field session, intergenerational knowledge exchange, and actionable solutions for the Northeast and beyond. [link]
CMI Orchards and Royal Family Farming announced that their joint venture, The Soil Center, will break ground later this spring. TSC was established to repurpose agricultural byproducts into carbon-rich soil amendments supporting crop production and reducing the need for synthetic soil additives. Through practices such as vermicomposting and biochar production, TSC will upcycle organic waste from orchards, row crops, dairy and beef operations into valuable agriculture products such as garden soil blends, compost, worm castings and biochar. Beginning this year, TSC will process over 100,000 tons of dairy manure, chicken manure, culled fruit and woody waste on an annual basis. [link]
WK Kellogg Co is being investigated by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for potentially violating the state’s consumer protection laws due to health claims tied to its cereals. Paxton said that Kellogg is marketing some of its cereals as “healthy” even though many contain blue, red, yellow, green and orange artificial food colorings. The Texas attorney general noted Kellogg announced in 2015 that it would remove artificial food dyes from its products in the U.S. in 2018 but that the company has failed to do so — despite removing the colorings from products sold in Canada and Europe. [link]
Climate Bonds is launching the Agrifood Transition Framework — a new tool designed to guide financial institutions, investors, and stakeholders through the complexities of financing a credible, just, and science-aligned transition in the agrifood system. This Framework marks a pivotal step in ensuring that capital flows into companies that are not only addressing climate mitigation but also driving climate adaptation, protecting nature, and supporting social equity. It builds on Climate Bonds’ Agrifood Transition Principles and integrates the Agriculture Criteria launched in 2024, as well as evolving work on deforestation- and conversion-free sourcing. [link]
The Bezos Earth Fund and Global Methane Hub have joined forces to cut livestock emissions through natural, science-backed breeding methods with a new initiative. This initiative is backed by $19.3m from the Bezos Earth Fund, a project launched by Jeff Bezos to combat climate change, and $8.1m from the Global Methane Hub, a philanthropic alliance to support the reduction of methane emissions. It will fund research and breeding programs across North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa and Oceania to help livestock naturally produce less methane. The combined funding will support grants to deliver the tools that will identify naturally low-emission-producing livestock based on biological traits and shape future breeding programs. [link]
Nestlé and UNESCO have introduced “Youth Impact: Because You Matter”, an initiative that will provide grants to 100 teams of young social impact innovators. These grants will support skill development and innovative solutions aimed at enhancing the resilience and sustainability of food systems. Its focus lies in promoting regenerative agriculture, addressing climate change, and advancing sustainable packaging, mainly by assisting young people around the world to embark on jobs related to sustainable agriculture and food production. [link]
North Carolina State has been working to examine basalt as a soil amendment and lime replacement in the state. Basalt, a dark-colored, dense igneous rock formed from solidified lava that has been used to make concrete and asphalt aggregates is increasingly being used as a soil amendment for agriculture. Because basalt is known to capture carbon dioxide (CO2), the idea is that farmers could apply it to their fields and take advantage of the carbon credit trading market. Another benefit is that basalt is said to raise soil pH, so farmers could theoretically use basalt as a soil amendment to replace lime. Basalt contains nutrients, including calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, potassium, and copper. If it is released to the soil, these nutrients could potentially help improve soil fertility. [link]
In Case You Missed It…
In mid-February, the European Commission published a communication outlining its strategic vision for the agriculture and food sector, aimed at ensuring sustainability, competitiveness, and resilience by 2040. See more, here.