RR News Update – April 2, 2020

As the pandemic continues to dominate ag industry headlines and experts attempt to predict what the coming months will bring, encouraging news continues to come out of the regenerative community. Read about increasing interest in regenerative practices and new investment activity in the U.S., New Zealand, and China, and more…

 

Leading Off: Advancing Regenerative Agriculture


Farms That Sequester Carbon Deliver Better Economic Performance
Soil Capital launches new analytic tool to help farmers increase their economic performance, benchmark themselves against other farmers in their region, and to identify the most appropriate levers for improvement on their farm. Read more

Accelerating Regenerative Agriculture
Regenerative agriculture involves techniques to ensure healthy soils, climate, workforces, and communities. Investors in these practices leverage data, science, and communication across farming communities for constant improvement. It’s a lot to track. This is the first in a series from Yale Center for Business and Environment on regenerative agriculture and investment. Read more

Continued Coverage of Pandemic Impacts on Agriculture

The Effects of COVID-19 Will Ripple through Food Systems
As winter gives way to spring, farmers across the U.S. are ramping up for the growing season—hiring workers, purchasing materials and taking orders. But measures to rein in the COVID-19 pandemic may derail some of those efforts. Read more

Pastured Meat Producers are Facing Catastrophic Losses
Community-based initiatives have sprung up to support independent livestock producers’ shift to new markets.These efforts could help them weather the pandemic. Read more

Savory Global Network Adapts To Coronavirus Pandemic
Network producers feel secure because of their the ability to grow their own food. Online sales are booming but revenue streams from agritourism and AirBnB rentals have dried up. The Acres U.S.A. team talks to farmers around the country. Read more

Opinion: Bailout for Corporate Agribusiness or a Lifeline for Our Food System?
The COVID-19 stimulus package signed into law last week included US$23 billion for agriculture. This relief is warranted: access to safe and healthy food is paramount right now, and agriculture is a crucial pillar of our economy. But the stimulus bill largely leaves the distribution of funds for agriculture in the hands of Trump’s Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue. Read more

How are you and your operation being impacted by the pandemic?
Shoot us an email at info@rfsi-forum.com and let us know how you’re doing.

Outlook for Agricultural Assets:


Potential Impacts of COVID-19 on Major U.S. Agricultural Markets
COVID-19 containment efforts are interrupting consumption and supply patterns across the world with agriculture markets, production, and shipments also feeling the impacts of the pandemic. Commodity markets have seen significantly higher volatility, mirroring trends in financial markets, and have been driven by investors and traders seeking increased liquidity. Read more

Agricultural Assets: Shelter from the Storm
One time-proven strategy to build wealth is to tap into trends with sustainable momentum that will unfold regardless of financial and economic ups and downs. By investing in plays that benefit from sweeping global transformations, you can settle in for the long haul and ride out crises such as the coronavirus pandemic. Read more

Illinois Farmland Values Remain Steady, Safe Investment, Survey Shows
Illinois farmland values continue to remain at stable levels while other investment options have seen very extreme swings according to the report issued recently at a special Illinois Land Values Webinar. Read more

Regenerative Ag Investment Around the World:


New York State Common Retirement Fund Announces $800 Million in Recent Climate-Related and Sustainable Investments
The worldwide effort to address climate change has spurred innovation and change,” says the NYS Comptroller, announcing that the state will take advantage of the opportunities created by the global transition to a lower carbon, sustainable economy to strengthen the Fund. Read more

New Zealand Service Provides Farmers with Access to Investors
Calm the Farm, launched by environmental funding market Toha Foundry, is a new investment service designed to help conventional farmers convert to regenerative agriculture and increase their production. Read more

China Developing Green Finance in Agriculture
The Henan Green Agriculture Fund (GAF) Project will establish a dedicated investment facility to demonstrate the viability of financing green agriculture investments by providing financing for equity investments and on-lending to eligible firms. Listen here

What We Are Listening To:

Transition Finance for Farmers with Benedikt
Sallie Calhoun and Esther Park, probably the most experienced impact investors in the regenerative agriculture space, join the host and Benedikt Bosel for a conversation about transition finance. Listen here

Regenerating Costa Rican Land Cooperatively With Blacksheep
Next Economy Now looks at how Blacksheep, founded in large part as an act of resistance to protect the local watershed, is regenerating damaged jungle land while growing spices and how they can help others around the world. Listen here

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