July 27, 2024
Spotlight Stories
Spotlight 1 – Civil Eats reviews Project 2025’s wish list for how to change the U.S. agriculture industry. Check out the story, here.
Spotlight 2 – AP News writes a story on African farmers and their worries that their soil is dying from chemical fertilizers. Check it out, here.
Spotlight 3 – Forbes conducts an interview with Kiss the Ground on how the organization wants to change our food system. Give it a read, here.
Industry Updates
Subsaharan Africa is estimated to record an annual soil nutrient loss worth up to $4 billion, according to the latest findings by a pan-African organization Biovision Africa Trust (BvAT) in collaboration with the Regional Multi-Actor Network (RMRN). Roughly 65% of arable land in Subsaharan Africa is degraded with soil nutrients rapidly being depleted and soil health deteriorating to the disadvantage of food security across the continent. Findings further disclose that Africa's population is poised to increase 2.5x by 2050, tripling cereal demand and putting soil health at a critical point. [link]
ADM has transitioned more than 2.8 million of its acres to regenerative agriculture in partnership with more than 28,000 growers, the company said in its newly released 2024 regenerative agriculture report. It has also set its 2024 target to 3.5 million acres and increased its 2025 goal from 4 million to 5 million. ADM defines regenerative agriculture as “an outcome-based farming approach that protects and improves soil health, biodiversity, climate and water resources while supporting farming business development.” [link]
A grant of $307 million has been awarded to Nebraska by the EPA, going towards sustainability practices for agriculture and energy in the state. The EPA is awarding a total of $4.3 billion in grants to 30 states, all in an effort to reduce climate pollution. The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy will use the funds from the grant for voluntary programs, such as “efficiency measures to reduce energy costs, incentives for sustainable agriculture practices, advanced livestock waste management, among others.” [link]
A Midwest program manager with American Farmland Trust says new farmer led, regional groups focused on conservation are sprouting up in Illinois. Dr. Staci McGill says “Farmers for Watersheds” groups are focused on farmers sharing experiences, given that farmers tend to learn best from other farmers. Funding can be used for a variety of different things, be that creating a field day, incentivizing farmers directly to institute some of these practices, and capitalizing on how society can create mentorships and peer programs within farmer groups. McGill says five million dollars in Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) funding has been set aside to establish the Illinois “Farmers for Watersheds” program. [link]
India gained 2,660,000 hectares of forest annually from 2010 to 2020, securing the third spot globally behind China and Australia, according to FAO. The UN agency commended India for its efforts in restoring degraded lands and expanding agroforestry through innovative approaches, including developing a national policy to better support agroforestry initiatives. However, the FAO also highlighted challenges posed by climate change, such as increased wildfire intensity and pest outbreaks, affecting forest sustainability globally. [link]
The Navarra 360º project will grant 80 farmers in Navarre, northern Spain, a €3 million (US$3.3 million) investment from EIT Food, Foodvalley and Food Innovation Hub (FIH) Europe to support their crop rotation system. The project aims to boost sustainable practices in the Spanish province. The aim of the project is to reduce the use of phytosanitary products by 20% and mineral fertilization by 49%, and it will be carried out by 2026. The implementation is expected to inform the design and delivery of further landscape projects in other parts of Europe. [link]
A class of nanoscale particles called “nanocarriers” could make crop agriculture more sustainable and resilient to climate change, according to a group of specialists at Purdue University. Based on a 2022 workshop focused on nanomethods for drug delivery in plants, researchers have now published their conclusions in Nature Nanotechnology. Their article, titled “Towards realizing nano-enabled precision delivery in plants,” reviews the possibility nanocarriers could make crop agriculture more sustainable and resilient to climate change. The recent article says that nano-enabled precision delivery of active agents in plants will transform agriculture, but there are critical technical challenges that we must first overcome to realize the full range of its benefits. [link]
Dairy company, FrieslandCampina, has launched a pilot to accelerate regenerative agriculture. The pilot brings together a diverse group of 20 FrieslandCampina member dairy farmers from the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany in a study group. Based on practical experience, they will develop knowledge, experience and insight about the effects of regenerative farming practices over the next few years. This will also focus on practical and financial feasibility of measures. [link]
The Government of South Sudan, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Bank, is enhancing its support for smallholder farmers to build resilience against climate-related challenges, including recurring floods and extreme weather conditions. A significant $30 million grant from the World Bank's International Development Association aims to support sustainable agricultural practices, agroforestry, and natural resource management for farmers, fisherfolks, and livestock herders. South Sudan, one of the most climate-vulnerable nations, has experienced severe climate change impacts, with excessive flooding over the past four years destroying livelihoods and exacerbating food insecurity. [link]
Regenerative ag pioneer Colin Seis, a producer from New South Wales, Australia, will present a workshop on Aug. 6 in Fort Pierre, SD. Seis didn’t set out to help reinvent agriculture. Instead, he changed the way he farmed in 1979 because he had no choice…with wildfire ravaging most of his operation at that time. He adopted low input agriculture as a way to survive without much income over the near-term and has evolved to now only using limited fertilizer inputs alongside rotationally grazed livestock and the production of multi-species crops on 2,000 acres. Today, his operation is the most profitable it has ever been. [link]
Applications will soon open for the latest round of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) Soil Health Financial Assistance Program grants. The grants are available to individual producers, producer groups, and tribal and local governments to purchase or retrofit soil health equipment. Grant awards will provide up to 50% cost-share, with a minimum award of $500 and a maximum award of $45,000. Examples of eligible new or used equipment include, but are not limited to, no-till drills, air seeders, strip tillage units, and more. [link]
A new report from The Organic Center details the nutritional difference in organic produce relative to conventional produce, along with the environmental, human health and socioeconomic benefits of organic produce production and farming. The report’s findings are based on a review of 85 scientific studies throughout the world conducted over the last three decades on the health and environmental impacts of organic produce and agriculture, according to a news release. The Organic Center says organic produce is more nutritious and tastier than non-organic produce and contains more antioxidants and nutrients. Eating organic produce reduces dietary exposure to pesticides, while farming organically drastically improves the health of those growing food by limiting chemical exposure from pesticide application. [link]
Researchers at Harper Adams University and the University of Leeds have launched a short survey on regenerative agriculture for anyone who is over 18 and involved in farming. The survey aims to find out more about its participants’ perceptions and use of regenerative agriculture practices. As farmers fill in the survey, the team is hoping it will discover what practices farmers consider regenerative agriculture, which of these practices have been implemented, and the perceived impacts they have had. Results from the survey will also be used to create maps of regenerative agriculture practice in the UK – and to highlight knowledge gaps and where changes in practice and targeted policy interventions might be needed. [link]
A research project at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) aiming to advance the Mississippi farming industry in sustainability and economic growth has earned a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Dr. Fan Zhang, associate professor in the School of Construction Management, and Dr. Zhe Qiang, associate professor in the School of Polymer Science and Engineering, are the recipients of a $139,000 USDA Solid Waste Management Grant for their yearlong project titled “Empowering Rural Communities by Implementing Plastic Waste Management Trainings for Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana Farmers.” This initiative includes establishment of a plastic waste management training program for farmers in rural areas designed to stimulate economic gains, address climate pollution, and increase community and business resilience. [link]
ALUS and General Mills are expanding the regenerative agriculture pilot program, Growing Roots, after exceeding several targets set for the initial two-year pilot period. General Mills has committed to incremental funding to further the goals of Growing Roots through 2026. From 2022–24, ALUS enrolled 115 producers who are managing 234 regenerative agriculture projects across more than 12,000 acres of farmland. ALUS and General Mills launched Growing Roots in 2022 in response to interest in regenerative agriculture from producers, consumers, corporations, and governments. Through the pilot program, over 60 percent of participants learned or tried a new practice. Participants also noted that Growing Roots created unique opportunities for networking and knowledge sharing among producers. [link]
Results from a 2023 study on regenerative agriculture were recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), finding that the integration of crop and livestock systems was successful as long-term carbon storage solutions and increased soil fertility. The study was conducted by Colorado State University's Department of Soil and Crop Sciences together with the Graduate Degree Program in Ecology. The main practices reviewed were no-till, cropping system intensification like cover cropping, double crops, and intercrops, perennial plant integration, and silvopasture. [link]
PepsiCo Foods North America has unveiled an initiative to expand opportunities in the agriculture industry for young people, who make up just 9% of U.S. farming. The effort, called the Planting Pathways Initiative, will start with pilot partnerships that provide job pathways both on the farm and within the agriculture sector at large. Initial partners include Practical Farmers of Iowa and the Farm Foundation. The initiative is part of the company’s PepsiCo Positive (pep+), a plan announced in 2021 to transform the CPG giant’s supply chain and put environmental and social progress at the forefront. [link]
In Case You Missed It…
In late May, farm machinery companies, DeLaval and John Deere, co-launched a digital ecosystem to help dairy farmers become more sustainable and efficient. See more, here.