Sustainability


  • California opts to preserve credits for dairy digesters in major regulatory update

    A state regulator voted to amend the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, injecting new life into a lucrative biofuels credit market that is used by waste projects throughout the U.S.

    By Jacob Wallace • Nov. 20, 2024
  • People are reflected in a puddle outside the COP29 conference venue
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    Sean Gallup via Getty Images
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    Climate-smart agriculture investments at COP29 nearly double

    The Agriculture Innovation Missions for Climate has mobilized $29.2 billion from more than 800 government and non-government partners over the past three years.

    By Nov. 19, 2024
  • Guardian Agriculture's SC1 eVTOL sprays crops in California. Explore the Trendline
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    Courtesy of Guardian Agriculture
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    Trendline

    Top 5 stories from Agriculture Dive

    Declining farm income and other production challenges have pushed farmers to rethink their operations and adopt new technology in a bid to diversify potential revenue streams. 

    By Agriculture Dive staff
  • Cows, cattle, eating feed
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    dusanpetkovic via Getty Images
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    McDonald’s and Syngenta team up to create a more sustainable hamburger

    The fast-food giant and meat supplier Lopez Foods will pay farmers to use Syngenta's Enogen corn to drive feed efficiencies and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

    By Nov. 14, 2024
  • A large greenhouse facility is seen
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    Courtesy of Cox Farms
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    Cox Farms becomes largest indoor farming operator in North America

    The agricultural subsidiary of telecom giant Cox Enterprises has been on an acquisition spree since its launch in March, doubling the acreage for brands BrightFarms and Mucci Farms.

    By Nov. 14, 2024
  • California Gov. Gavin Newsom talks during a news conference in October 2022.
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    Justin Sullivan/Getty via Getty Images
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    California’s climate disclosure laws survive first legal challenge

    The American Farm Bureau Federation was among business groups that claimed a rule requiring large companies to report their carbon emissions violated the First Amendment. 

    By Zoya Mirza • Nov. 13, 2024
  • Gas pumps are seen at a gas station
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    California biofuel restrictions limit farms’ role in renewable energy transition

    New changes to the state's low carbon fuel standard cap incentives for soybean oil in renewable diesel and give a timeline to phase out subsidies for dairy methane digesters.

    By Nov. 12, 2024
  • A Monarch tractor is seen
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    Courtesy of Monarch Tractor
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    Why the agtech sector may be rebounding

    Total investment increased more than 10% for two consecutive quarters following a dry spell for the category, according to Pitchbook, though fewer deals are happening.

    By Nov. 12, 2024
  • Mississippi State University Assistant Professor Hussein Gharakhani assesses the performance of an autonomous agricultural robot in the field.
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    Courtesy of Mississippi State University
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    Column

    Agtech Seedlings: Deere partners with Mississippi State on farm automation

    Also in this week's farm technology news: A large-scale larvae farm opens in Canada and Nature’s Miracle is set to enter the agricultural electric vehicle market.

    By Nov. 8, 2024
  • dairy cow cattle
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    Getty via Getty Images
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    Small cuts to beef production in wealthier nations could remove years of carbon emissions, study shows

    Eliminating as little as 13% of total production could remove the same amount of total greenhouse gasses emitted over the past three years.

    By Nov. 6, 2024
  • Almonds are seen growing on trees
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    Courtesy of Kind Snacks
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    Campbell’s and Kind receive USDA support to advance regenerative agriculture for key ingredients

    The soup giant secured $3.4 million in funding for tomato growers in California and Kind Snacks announced milestones for sustainable almond farming.

    By Nov. 4, 2024
  • hands are seen cupping soil
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    Jacob Mathers via Getty Images
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    Column

    Agtech seedlings: Indigo Ag taps former Alibaba executive as CFO

    Also in this week's farm technology news: Ohalo launches a self-pollinating almond variety and USAID commits $57.4 million to advance agtech research.

    By Nov. 1, 2024
  • A farmer bends over to tend to a seedling in a vast, brown field.
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    Lisa Maree Williams via Getty Images
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    Q&A

    How food companies can accelerate the regenerative agriculture transition

    Major CPGs and ingredients companies will need to act now if they want to meet their 2030 targets, says HowGood CEO Alexander Gillett.

    By Oct. 30, 2024
  • Free-range chickens roam outside.
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    Courtesy of Happy Egg
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    Happy Egg merges with regenerative producer to scale sustainable farming practices

    The merger with Egg Innovations further enhances the company’s ability to meet growing consumer demand for climate-friendly and humanely-raised offerings.

    By Oct. 30, 2024
  • Chickens move along hangers at a processing and slaughter facility.
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    Paula Bronstein via Getty Images
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    Pilgrim’s Pride reports slow progress on sustainability

    The poultry giant acknowledged it may not be able to achieve its net-zero goals as parent company JBS faces pressure to improve its climate record.

    By Oct. 29, 2024
  • Farmers are seen releasing a drone in a soybean field
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    evandrorigon via Getty Images
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    Farmers more willing to try new technologies that boost productivity: report

    A McKinsey survey found producers are interested in products and practices that improve crop yields, although cost challenges and skepticism remain barriers to adoption.

    By Oct. 28, 2024
  • Tractors with the Agtonomy logo are seen in wine vineyards
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    Courtesy of Agtonomy
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    Column

    Agtech seedlings: Agtonomy raises nearly $33M for self-driving tractors

    Also in this week’s farm technology news: USDA changes acreage reports to handle indoor farms, and Verdant Robotics unveils an AI weedkiller that ‘aims before it shoots.’

    By Oct. 25, 2024
  • The World Bank headquarters shown at night.
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    Win McNamee via Getty Images
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    World Bank set to double agriculture investments to $9B per year

    The lending giant aims to improve farm productivity, climate resiliency and advance digital technologies.

    By Oct. 24, 2024
  • A logo of the of the UNFCCC COP29 climate conference.
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    Sean Gallup via Getty Images
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    COP29 president reveals final text of 9 climate-focused pledges including food waste

    Azerbaijan’s Mukhtar Babayev said the documents serve as “vital tools to drive progress on climate action” and will complement the official negotiation process at the annual UN summit.

    By Zoya Mirza • Oct. 23, 2024
  • Close-up photograph of a dumpster with a sign that says "food waste"
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    Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. (2008). [Photograph]. Retrieved from Flickr.
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    Food waste responsible for 14% of US methane emissions: ReFED

    The report, produced with Global Methane Hub, identifies the top emission reduction solutions both upstream and downstream of consumers.

    By Jacob Wallace • Oct. 21, 2024
  • The exterior of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C.
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    Jemal Countess via Getty Images
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    Column

    Agtech seedlings: US lawmakers propose tax credits for agtech investments

    Also in this week's farm technology news: A former Monsanto exec is named the CEO of Freight Farms, and fruit breeding company Bloom Fresh adds blueberries to its portfolio.

    By Oct. 18, 2024
  • A row of king-sized Hershey chocolate bars sit on the shelf in a store.
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Hershey invests $500M to improve cocoa farming struggles

    The confectionery giant is working with cooperatives in Côte d’Ivoire to partner with growers as a way to standardize cocoa cultivation and lift profits.

    By Elizabeth Flood • Oct. 18, 2024
  • regenerative agriculture
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Q&A

    The regenerative ag revolution starts with women: Q&A with Stephanie Anderson

    In her new book, Anderson, a former farmer turned creative writing professor, talks to women across the U.S. who are leading the movement to transform the food system.

    By David Silverberg • Oct. 18, 2024
  • A Deere tractor is seen running without a person in the driver's seat
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    Courtesy of Deere & Co.
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    Deep Dive

    Driving automation on the farm: Self-driving tractors look to fill agriculture’s labor shortage

    John Deere and startup Agtonomy are introducing new ways to bring artificial intelligence to the field, with execs saying the technology holds the potential to open new job pathways for the next generation of farmers.

    By Jesse Klein • Oct. 16, 2024
  • A pineapple farm near a forest is seen in an aerial view
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    Courtesy of Fresh Del Monte
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    Fresh Del Monte boosts regenerative agriculture 11% across farms

    The produce giant said it's met a number of sustainability targets ahead of a 2030 deadline and also introduced new goals to improve human rights in agriculture.

    By Oct. 15, 2024
  • A woman uses a digital tablet while working at a cow farm
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    Jay Yuno via Getty Images
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    Column

    Agtech Seedlings: Deere launches dairy sustainability tool with DeLaval

    Also in this week's farm technology news: Cibo Technologies partners with Scoular to prepare for biofuel tax credits, and AcreShield raises $2.5 million to help farmers with seed selection.

    By Oct. 11, 2024