November 2, 2024

Spotlight Stories

Spotlight 1 – Civil Eats discusses the “soft path” of water for farmers in the parched western U.S. Read about it, here.

Spotlight 2 – Virginia Tech showcases the work of a Ph.D. student harnessing the power of mustard for sustainable pest management. Check out the story, here.

Spotlight 3 – Food Tank says that “sustainability” is the freedom to farm how we should be farming. Check it out, here.

Industry Updates

A Hicksville, Ohio, production facility is turning chicken manure into a product that redefines plant nutrition management with the potential to boost farmers’ return on investment and protect the environment. EnviroKure Inc. has pioneered a technology that maximizes the potential of all fertilizers by using a process involving hydrodynamic bioconversion technology to create two products—a solid, less used, fertilizer that can be directly applied to land, and its “foundational Biostim product” that can be blended into a variety of products and utilized as an ingredient in value-added fertilizers. Chicken manure is historically known as “nature’s finest fertilizer,” but it is also known to harbor pathogens such as E. coli and salmonella. EnviroKure’s technology removes pathogens and produces a product that is soil-building and amplifies nutrients in the soil. [link]

A university study which aims to identify ways in which farming in Gloucestershire can be more sustainable has been awarded £30,000 in funding. Led by the University of Gloucestershire (UoG), the new Gloucestershire Food and Farming for Net Zero project will work to identify ways to support positive changes to how people eat and farm across the county. The funding has been awarded by UK Research and Innovation to support the UK’s target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. [link]

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has published its ‘Living Planet Report 2024’, which reveals a “system in peril”, with a global wildlife decline of 73%, up 4% from 2022’s estimation. The report, now in its 15th edition, offers a comprehensive overview of trends in global biodiversity and the health of the planet. It condemned the current food system model, which it deems “inherently illogical”, due to its undermining of society’s capacity to feed its population now and into the future. [link]

Big Picture Ranch has announced the launch of a 100 Million Acres Pledge, an ambitious movement to regenerate 100 million acres of U.S. farmland by 2030. Through a broad coalition of partners, including founding pledge member Maker’s Mark, this initiative serves as a catalyst to mobilize communities across the country. The 100 Million Acres Pledge encourages brands, farmers, and individuals to commit to transitioning 10% of U.S.-sourced acreage into certified regenerative systems by 2030, contributing to healthier soils, more resilient ecosystems, and a sustainable future. Big Picture Ranch is a production company co-founded by filmmakers Josh and Rebecca Tickell, known for their work in environmental activism and sustainability-focused documentaries including “Kiss The Ground,” and “Common Ground”. [link]

Treehouse California Almonds is developing a new biochar manufacturing facility in Delano that will be the first commercial system directly tied to agriculture on the west coast. Treehouse Almonds is partnering with biochar producer Sitos Group on the $9 million slow pyrolysis biochar manufacturing facility that will transform almond shells into biochar. The facility will be funded by private investment from Sitos Group shareholders and New Markets Tax Credits, a federal program that provides tax credits to attract private investment. [link]

The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Crop Improvement, led by Cornell, has been awarded a second five-year, $25 million grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to continue advancing its mission of improving global food security and agricultural resilience. This renewed funding will enable the Innovation Lab for Crop Improvement (ILCI) to strengthen its interdisciplinary efforts to support demand-driven, socially responsive crop improvement programs in key regions around the world. Established in 2019 with an initial $25 million grant from USAID, ILCI supports public plant breeding programs in low-resourced countries. In its initial phase, the lab collaborated with National Agricultural Research Institutions across 11 countries to advance crop improvement initiatives designed to address food security needs in Central America, the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa. [link]

Viterra Ltd. is partnering with xFarm Technologies SA to support farmers in the adoption of agricultural practices focused on carbon measurement and regenerative agriculture provided through the latest technological tools and agronomy assistance for sustainable farming. Participating farmers will have access to Viterra Sustainable Farming, a farm management information system (FMIS) developed by xFarm Technologies to facilitate farmer’s day-to-day operations while encouraging more sustainable practices. Viterra also will help farmers adopt regenerative agricultural practices and produce low-carbon crops through its Regenerative Agriculture Program, which is designed to help them identify the most appropriate regenerative agriculture practices for their land and provide them with the most advanced tools from xFarm Technologies to implement these practices. [link]

A Missouri State agriculture professor has received a six-figure grant for a drone-assisted study of pastureland, especially how trees and grasses grow and remain healthy. The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded a $300,000 grant to Michael Goerndt, associate professor in the university's School of Agricultural Science and Conservation, for the project. Titled “Adaptation of Pasture and Forestland to Silvopasture and Black Walnut Systems in Southern Missouri," this new project will study the integration of pastureland and Black Walnut forests. [link]

Gucci owner Kering, drugmaker GSK and building materials producer Holcim became the first companies to adopt science-based targets to protect nature established by a new group that aims to reduce biodiversity loss resulting from human activity. The measures from the Science Based Targets Network initially are focused on protecting land and reducing freshwater usage. The three companies’ adoption of the nonprofit’s targets comes amid a growing push from businesses to pay more attention to their impact upon the natural world. Established after a year-long pilot program, the targets largely include reducing freshwater usage, often through water recycling and reducing leakages, while Kering in particular is committing to avoiding development or exploitation of natural ecosystems. The move to set science-based targets to project nature comes while negotiations from governments, nonprofits and civic groups take place at the COP16 conference in Cali, Colombia, a global conference aimed at protecting biodiversity and nature. [link]

Regenified, a leader in regenerative agriculture verification, has released a new report - Exploring Consumer Appetite for Regenerative Agriculture - that highlights a growing interest in regenerative agriculture. The in-depth study involved 850 U.S. consumers, segmented into General Consumers and Values Based Shoppers, showing an emergence of a subset of consumers spanning both groups—dubbed the Emerging Regenerative Market—who demonstrate significant interest in regenerative values and a desire to purchase regenerative products. While the data reveals an increasing recognition of regenerative practices, it also highlights the need to increase understanding and access. Consumers preferences for certification, nutrient density, and product availability underpin the opportunity for market expansion. [link]

The OECD will release the latest estimates of government support to agriculture along with monitoring and evaluation of agricultural policy developments on Wednesday, November 6. Agricultural Policy Monitoring and Evaluation 2024: Innovation for Sustainable Productivity Growth is based on the OECD’s comprehensive system for measuring and classifying support to agriculture — the Producer and Consumer Support Estimates (PSE and CSE) and related indicators. The report covers 54 countries, including all OECD members, five non-OECD EU member states and 11 economies. This year’s report focuses on policies fostering sustainable productivity growth in agriculture. [link]

Enrollment for incentive payments for regenerative grazing and climate-smart fieldscapes has begun as of Nov. 1, according to Rob Myers, director of the University of Missouri’s Center for Regenerative Agriculture. The program is part of a $25 million USDA grant to the University of Missouri. The regenerative grazing program offers payments of $50 per acre for Missouri farmers who develop management plans for prescribed grazing on eligible pastures. Support is available for designing grazing plans that can improve pasture productivity and soil health. Another enrollment option focuses on small and underserved farmers who implement three or more climate-smart practices appropriate to their farms; the participants also need to be willing for their farms to serve as demonstration sites for those practices. [link]

In Case You Missed It…

In mid-October, Tesco unveiled the nationwide launch of a regeneratively farmed milk product in the UK. See more, here.