BARCLAYS — Introduced new policy for the beef sector, requiring sector clients to prevent deforestation in their South American supply chains, according to a policy document seen by Reuters. The policy, which becomes effective July 1, requires beef producers “to prohibit the production or primary processing of beef from areas in the Amazon cleared or converted after 2008.” It also requires producers to commit to a deforestation-free South American supply chain by 2025; monitor, verify, and report volumes of deforestation-free beef; and set a humans right policy commitment across operations and their supply chain. (May 2023)

Six large food and agribusiness companies, in conjunction with their membership in WBCSD’s Soft Commodities Forum (SCF), have announced they will identify soy sourced from Brazil’s Cerrado biome that was grown without contributing to deforestation or native vegetation conversion. Members of the SCF are committed to environmental destruction in their soy supply chains in the Cerrado region, home to 5% of Earth’s total biodiversity and the source of about 15% of the global supply of soy. The six SCF members, including CEF member ADM, are now able to disclose deforestation- and conversion-free soy purchases sourced from municipalities representing 70% of the area at-risk for deforestation associated with soy. (June 2022)

LOUIS DREYFUS COMPANY (LDC) — Committed to eliminating deforestation and native-vegetation conversion for agricultural purposes from its supply chains by year-end 2025. LDC plans to report regularly on progress and conduct supply chain risk assessments to prioritize high-risk areas. (Feb 2022)

JBS FOODS GROUP — JBS, the world’s largest beef and pork processor, committed to achieving net-zero GHG emissions by 2040. Interim targets include: reducing scope 1 and 2 emissions by at least 30% by 2030 (2019 baseline); investing over $1 billion in emission reduction projects; using 100% renewable energy by 2040; achieving zero deforestation across its global supply chain by 2035; investing $100 million by 2030 in R&D projects to scale regenerative farming practices. (March 2021)

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VOLVO — Plans to make its vehicle lineup leather-free by 2030, to coincide with its plans to offer an all-electric lineup by 2030. By 2025, the company aims for 25% of material in new Volvos to consist of recycled or bio-based content (e.g., its new Nordico material) and for its immediate suppliers—including material suppliers—to use 100% renewable energy. (Sept 2021)
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KERING — The French luxury fashion group pledged to omit animal fur from all its fashion brands, starting with fall 2022 collections. (Sept 2021)
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CARGILL — Announced plans to begin selling methane-absorbing wearable devices for cows to European dairy farmers in 2022. The mask-like devices, developed by UK startup Zelp, can reduce methane emissions from cow burbs by over 50%. (June 2021)
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WALMART — Announced new 2025 pollinator commitments to source 100% of produce and floral from suppliers that adopt integrated pest management (IPM) practices and to encourage produce suppliers to protect, restore or establish pollinator habitats on at least 3% of their land. It’s also encouraging suppliers to phase out certain pesticides and label pollinator-friendly plants as attractive to pollinators in its retail locations. (April 2021)

Aveda announced that 100% of its products are now vegan and contain no animal-derived ingredients. The company also appointed its first Global Advocate for Sustainability, model and climate activist Arizona Muse. (January 2021)

Darden Restaurants adopted an animal welfare policy that aims to drive improvements across five priority areas: humane housing, avoidance of pain, slaughter practices, farm animal transportation, and responsible use of antibiotics. As part of the animal welfare policy, the company has committed to purchasing chicken raised without the use of medically important antibiotics by 2023. (2019)

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GENERAL MILLS / WALMART — Announced a collaboration to advance regenerative agriculture across 600,000 acres (243,000 hectares) in the U.S. by 2030. (This represents the approximate number of acres General Mills engages to source key ingredients for products sold through Walmart and Sam’s Club.) The program will provide financial assistance to local organizations in the Northern and Southern Great Plains to develop regenerative agriculture education and coaching resources. (October 2023)

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32 investors, representing $7.3 trillion in combined assets under management signed a statement calling on G20 finance ministers to align agricultural support with climate and nature goals by 2030, citing the material financial risk to portfolios if the goals are not achieved. The statement, an engagement under the FAIRR Initiative investor network, calls for the repurposing of agricultural subsidies (which make up 15% of total agricultural production value globally) to align with government, multilateral, and private sector commitments to transition to net zero and protect and restore nature by 2050. It asks finance ministers to 1) link financial support with environmental obligations; 2) shift current incentives away from the production of climate- and nature- damaging agricultural products and to sustainable agriculture;3) shift subsidies away from production of high emissions products like dairy and red meat; and 4) increase funding for workers affected by reforms. (Aug 2023)

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PEPSICO / WALMART — Announced a 7-year collaboration to invest $120 million in regenerative agriculture practices. The companies aim to support U.S. and Canadian farmers to improve soil health and water quality on more than 2 million acres of farmland (more than 800,000 hectares) and deliver approximately 4 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emission reductions and removals by 2030. (July 2023)

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ADM — Is expanding its regenerative agriculture program in North America. After enrolling more than 1 million acres in 2022, the company is expanding its program to cover 2 million acres in 2023 across 18 U.S. states and Canada (with a goal of 4 million acres globally by 2025). The expansion will offer producers financial incentives and technical support for implementing practices including cover cropping, improved nutrient management and conservation tillage. (July 2023)

NESTLÉ — Is investing to help bring regenerative agriculture practices to wheat farms within its DiGiorno supply chain. The initiative will bring regenerative agriculture practices to over 100,000 acres of farmland, nearly double the amount needed to grow the amount of wheat used in DiGiorno pizza (and thus helping accelerate Nestlé’s transition to regenerative agriculture in its broader supply chain). Nestlé will partner with CEF member ADM and with Ardent Mills, two primary wheat flour suppliers for DiGiorno. (July 2023)

PEPSICO — Announced a $216 million multi-year investment in strategic partnership agreements with three farming organizations to drive the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices across the United States. Together, these initiatives should accelerate regenerative practices on more than three million acres and deliver approximately three million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions reductions and removals by 2030. (March 2023)

CARLSBERG — Announced three efforts in France, Finland, and the UK to source its barley regeneratively, working towards its goals of obtaining 30% of agricultural raw materials from regenerative practices and sustainable sources by 2030 and 100% by 2040. In the UK, Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (CMBC) is committing to 100% regenerative barley for Carlsberg Danish Pilsner by 2027 and all UK brands by 2031. CMBC, with ADM, has contracted with 23 farmers to grow 7,000 metric tons of regenerative barley in 2023. (March 2023)

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ADM / PEPSICO — Announced a 7.5 year strategic commercial agreement to collaborate on projects that aim to significantly expand regenerative agriculture across their shared North American supply chains. This strategic partnership is expected to reach up to 2 million acres by 2030. By 2030, the companies expect the partnership to eliminate 1.4 million metric tons of greenhouse gases at the farm level and increase value directly for farmers. (Sept 2022)

Regenerative agriculture impact fund — CEF member Unilever, along with AXA and Tikehau Capital, announced a Memorandum of Understanding outlining their shared ambition to create a private equity “impact fund” dedicated to accelerating and scaling the transition to regenerative agriculture, viewed as a key approach to fighting climate change. The three partners aim to invest €100 million ($104 million) each and will open the fund to additional investors with a target of reaching €1 billion ($1.04 billion). Managed by Tikehau Capital, the fund will promote regenerative agriculture practices with a three-pronged focus on protecting soil health, helping ensure the future supply of “regenerative ingredients” and helping support technological solutions to underpin the transition. (May 2022)

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List of Regenerative Agriculture, 2021-2020 (PDF)

Alternative Protein (planet based, non-animal)

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Mitigating Risk and Capturing Opportunity: The Future of Alternative Proteins (Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS)) — Assesses the security benefits of a shift to alternative proteins from meat, specifically through reducing: 1) climate change (reducing emissions, and demand for grain, fertilizer, water, and land); 2) the threat of zoonotic disease, antimicrobial resistance, and future pandemics; and 3) bioterrorism (using animal pathogens on human populations) and disruption of concentrated meat supply chains (using either pathogens or attack to infrastructure). The paper concludes with an argument for the economic opportunities alternative proteins offers, such as creating new food sources, intellectual property, and increased production flexibility. (May 2023)

PEPSICO (CEF MEMBER) — Committed to serve more climate-friendly food through the Cool Food Pledge, an initiative involving workplaces, hotels, universities, hospitals and restaurants aiming to cut greenhouse-gas emissions 25% by 2030 (2015 baseline). (April 2022)

BEYOND MEAT / KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN (KFC) — KFC restaurants across the U.S. are launching a plant-based Beyond Fried Chicken, which Beyond Meat developed exclusively for KFC. The product will be available for a limited time, but KFC CEO Kevin Hochman says the “intent isn’t to be one and done.” (Jan 2022)

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BEYOND MEAT / PIZZA HUT — Beyond Meat launched its plant-based Beyond Italian Sausage™ Crumbles as a permanent menu item at Pizza Hut Canada locations. Canada is the second Pizza Hut market to permanently offer a Beyond Meat item nationally. (Jan 2022)

BURGER KING UK — Became the first major UK fast food chain to launch vegan nuggets, as part of its commitment to having a 50% meat-free menu by 2030. (Jan 2022)
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JBS — Plans to invest $100 million to enter the cultivated protein market. The investment will fund the acquisition of BioTech Foods and the development of Brazil’s first cultivated protein R&D center. (Dec 2021)

UNILEVER — Announced a partnership with food-tech company ENOUGH to develop plant-based meat products. (May 2021)
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TYSON FOODS — Unveiled 100% vegan meat products through its Raised & Rooted™ brand, including plant-based burger patties, bratwurst, and Italian sausages. (May 2021)

ELEVEN MADISON PARK — The three Michelin star restaurant in New York announced plans to no longer serve meat or seafood when it reopens in June. It will be the first all-vegan three Michelin star restaurant in the world. (May 2021)

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EPICURIOUS — The food and cooking website announced it would no longer feature beef in recipes, articles, or newsletters to encourage more sustainable cooking. (May 2021)

Plant-based food company Beyond Meat announced global distribution agreements with McDonald’s and Yum! Brands, the parent company of KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut. (March 2021)

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PepsiCo and Beyond Meat announced The PLANeT Partnership, a joint venture to develop plant-based snack and beverage products. (January 2021)

IKEA set targets to ensure 50% of the main meals offered in its restaurants and 80% of the pre-packaged foods it sells are plant-based by 2025. (November 2020)

Unilever announced plans to achieve €1 billion of annual global sales from plant-based meat and dairy alternatives within the next 5-7 years. (November 2020)

Tesco committed to achieving a 300% increase in its sales of plant-based meat alternatives by 2025, becoming the first UK retailer to do so. The company will publish the sales of plant-based proteins as a percentage of its overall protein sales annually. (October 2020)

Burger King partnered with plant-based food company Impossible Foods to introduce the Impossible Whopper, a plant-based version of the chain’s most iconic burger. After a successful pilot rollout, BK started selling the Impossible Whopper in all U.S. restaurants in August.(2019)

Plant-based food company Beyond Meat Inc. outperformed its initial public offering (IPO) expectations, with its stock selling about 163% above the IPO price on its first day of trading. (2019)

The Walt Disney Company will add more than 400 vegan food options to dining locations in their U.S.-based theme parks by 2020. (2019)

“The Future of Food” (Forum for the Future) finds that 55% of the food companies analyzed have made efforts to increase the availability of plant-based products for consumers. The report also makes five recommendations to accelerate the shift to a more sustainable global food system. (2019)

Fast food chain Carl’s Jr. has partnered with plant-based food company Beyond Meat to introduce the Beyond Famous Star, a plant-based version of the chain’s most iconic burger. The plant-based Beyond Famous Star burger is available at over 1,000 locations across the United States. (2019)

Sodexo partnered with plant-based egg producer JUST to include the plant-based “JUST Egg” on menus at its higher education, healthcare, and corporate sites across the United States. (Feb 2020)

Tyson Foods launched the Coalition for Global Protein, an initiative aimed at engaging stakeholders across the food and agriculture sector to boost sustainable production of high-protein foods. (Feb 2020)

Cargill launched a new private label for plant-based protein options, such as patties and ground products. The new label will be available at retailers and in restaurants in early-April. (Feb 2020)

Alternative protein startup Nature’s Fynd received $80 million in Series B financing from Generation Investment Management, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, ADM Ventures, and more. (Mar 2020)

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BAYER — Launched “ForGround,” a digital farming platform to help US farmers enact more sustainable agricultural practices. ForGround will provide enrolled farmers data-based recommendations to improve soil health, reduce water and chemical use, and cut emissions and soil erosion. Outcomes will be third-party certified. (Aug 2022)

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RALPH LAUREN — The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation, together with the Soil Health Institute, launched The U.S. Regenerative Cotton Fund—an industry-first initiative to help US farmers implement regenerative agricultural practices across over 1 million acres and sequester 1 million metric tons of CO2e by 2026. (Nov 2021)
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CARGILL — Unveiled a new Cargill RegenConnect™ program that pays US farmers for achieving positive environmental outcomes and improved soil health through voluntary regenerative agriculture practices. Farmers will gather, measure, and verify farm data through the Regrow MRV platform and be paid per metric ton of carbon sequestered. (Sept 2021)
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NUTRIEN — Nutrien, a Canadian fertilizer company, announced its “Feeding the Future Plan” to address the challenge of sustainably feeding a growing global population while protecting the planet. Commitments include reducing GHG emissions by 30% per ton of products produced, enabling growers to adopt sustainable and productive agricultural products and practices on 75 million acres globally, and launching a carbon program that rewards farmers for climate-smart agriculture and soil carbon sequestration. (April 2021)

Alternative Proteins Research

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Taking Alternative Proteins Mainstream (Boston Consulting Group (BCG)) — This new study explores the alternative proteins market. Unlike alternative dairy, which grew 12% in 2022 in the U.S., alternative proteins sales fell 0.4%. But increasing this market from 2% today to 8% could yield an emissions equivalent to decarbonizing 95% of the aviation industry, according to the report. However, to grow, companies must find ways to attract mainstream customers. The report details four strategies to increase demand, including (Feb 2023):

Limit front-of-pack “vegan” and “vegetarian” labeling as only 5% of U.S. consumers self-identify as such and might steer away from products labeled this way (instead using a phrase such as “does not contain animal products”);
Identify the alternative protein source to increase confidence in the product’s source;
Highlight the product’s sensory appeal, communicating to consumers this product tastes good;
Highlight health benefits (rather than just stating nutritional information).

Veganuary, an annual event to encourage people around the world to try a vegan diet during January, saw record participation this year with 629,000 people from 228 countries engaged. (April 2022)

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The total market value of plant-based foods has achieved a record high of $7.4 billion after growing 6.2% in 2021, according to the Good Food Institute. Plant-based food retail sales grew three times faster than total food retail sales, with most plant-based categories outpacing their conventional counterparts. (March 2022)

GFI

The Protein Transformation: A Critical Driver of the Net-Zero Economy (MSCI ESG Research, Blue Horizon) — Examines food-industry trends toward plant-based products and alternative proteins, as well as potential climate-transition risks to food companies’ valuations. The report concludes that companies generating over 50% of their revenue from such products have, on average, 95% lower climate-transition risk across their value chain, and the food sector could avoid an estimated $295 billion of market-cap loss by limiting global warming to 1.5°C. (Jan 2022)

US retail sales of plant-based seafood increased 23% in 2020, according to Good Food Institute’s "State of the Industry: Alternative Seafood" report. 78% of consumers surveyed said they’d try plant-based seafood “based on flavor messaging alone.” (Oct 2021)
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State of the Industry Report: Cultivated Meat (Good Food Institute) — Details the commercial landscape, investments, regulatory developments, and scientific progress in producing meat through cellular agriculture. Finds $366 million were invested in cultivated meat companies in 2020, nearly 6 times higher than in 2019. Over 70 companies are currently developing cultivated meat inputs, services, or end products, ranging across over 15 types of meat categories. (May 2021)

Food for Thought: The Protein Transformation (Boston Consulting Group and Blue Horizon) — Reviews factors supporting the rise of alternative proteins globally and projects growth scenarios through 2035. Suggests alternative proteins may reach full parity in taste, texture, and price with conventional animal proteins by 2035, contributing between 11-22% of all the meat, seafood, eggs, and dairy consumed globally. Finds such a switch would reduce as much CO2e as Japan emits annually and conserve enough water to supply the city of London for 40 years. (May 2021)

Plant-based food retail sales reached $7 billion, growing 27% over the past year—almost 2x faster than total US retail food sales—according to the Good Food Institute and the Plant-Based Foods Association. Dollar sales of plant-based foods grew 43% from 2018 to 2020, compared to just 17% growth for total US retail food dollar sales over the same period. A record $2.1 billion was invested in plant-based food companies in 2020. (April 2021)

"The Future of Food: Meatless" (McKinsey, The Next Normal, Oct 2019) Four McKinsey experts share what they see—and foresee—in the evolving meat and protein market.

Food/Ag Climate Impact & Risks

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Think Eat Save: Tracking Progress to Halve Global Food Waste (United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)) — This Food Waste Index Report tracks country-level progress to halve food waste by 2030. Key findings (April 2024):

The world wasted 1.05 billion metric tons of food in 2022, 19% of all food available to consumers, at retail, food service, and household levels. (This is in addition to the 13% of food lost in the supply chain.)
60% of this waste (631 million metric tons) comes from households (about 79 kg per person annually). 28% comes from food service, and 12% from retail.
Food loss and waste generates 8-10% of GHG emissions.
Food waste is not only a high-income country problem, with observed average levels of household food waste differing by just 7 kg/capita/year in high-, upper-middle-, and lower-middle-income countries.
Warmer temperatures correlate with higher levels of food waste per capita.
Japan and the UK (which reduced food waste by 18% and 31% respectively) show that change at scale is possible. As do case studies around Public Private Partnerships (see pp. 91-97).

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The State of Food and Agriculture 2023 (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)) — Finds that the current agrifood systems impose approximately $12.7 trillion in hidden costs to health, society, and the environment, adding up to almost 10% of global GDP. 70% of this is driven by unhealthy diets, leading to obesity, non-communicable diseases, and labor productivity losses (primarily in high- and upper-middle-income countries). 20% is environment-related, including GHG and nitrogen emissions, land use change, and water use (and is probably underestimated due to data limitations). Low-income countries are proportionately affected most by these hidden costs (primarily undernourishment and poverty), as agrifood systems make up about 27% of their GDP on average (vs. less than 8% in high income countries). Next year’s edition will focus on assessments targeting specific agrifood system components, value chains, and sectors to identify the best ways to mitigate these costs. (Nov 2023)

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Power Shift and Toward Fossil Fuel-Free Food (Global Alliance for the Future of Food and Dalberg Advisors) — “Power Shift: Why we need to wean industrial food systems off fossil fuels” is a briefing paper that details the intertwining of food and energy systems, with food systems accounting for at least 15% of global fossil fuel use annually. The report serves as a call for action to stakeholders in both sectors to pursue a collaborative approach to transforming both sectors. “Toward Fossil Fuel–Free Food: Why collaboration between food and energy systems players is key” is a discussion paper that looks at what is hampering collaboration in the food-energy nexus, particularly a lack of vision and an imbalance of priorities, and how to address this. Both reports explore several high-impact opportunities to collaborate between sectors including: phasing out fossil fuel-based agrochemicals; shifting to renewables; reviewing fiscal policies; ensuring sustainable food environments; and addressing corporate consolidation. (Nov 2023)

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The Global Land Squeeze: Managing the Growing Competition for Land (World Resources Institute (WRI)) — As population and consumer demand grows, more land will be needed for agriculture, wood, and cities. This report estimates that under a business-as-usual scenario, 600 million hectares (Mha) of new agricultural land will be needed by 2050, and 80 Mha will be needed for cities. Wood demand will grow 54%, including an 88% growth in industrial wood harvest and a 22% growth in fuelwood (requiring 600 Mha of secondary forest in addition to 200 Mha of existing plantations). The report offers four pillars to address the global land squeeze: Produce-Protect-Reduce-Restore. (July 2023)

Produce more food and fiber on existing agricultural lands and forests.
Protect remaining natural and semi-natural ecosystems from conversion and degradation.
Reduce projected growth in demand for land-intensive goods (such as meat), particularly by high consumers.
And restore degraded ecosystems and marginal agricultural land (with limited improvement potential) back to nature.

Food Systems Methane (Global Methane Hub and ClimateWorks Foundation) — Finds that innovations in the areas of livestock-raising and consumption (including dietary shifts), food waste, and rice cultivation could eliminate 5.6 gigatons of CO2 equivalent by 2050. The innovations could reduce the cost of capping temperature rise at 1.5°C by $100 billion by 2030 and $1 trillion by 2050. To date, $10.1 billion has been pledged for technologies and practices to reduce methane in agriculture, but $1.54 trillion is needed by 2050. (May 2023)

Global food consumption alone could add between 0.7°C and 0.9°C to warming by 2100, according to new research in Nature Climate Change. 75% of this warming is driven by foods that are high sources of methane (ruminant meat, dairy and rice). However, 0.5°C of anticipated warming could be avoided from simultaneous improvements to production practices, the universal adoption of a healthy diet and consumer- and retail-level food waste reductions. (March 2023)

Global hotspots for soil nature conservation (Nature) — Researchers conducted a global field survey exploring soil biodiversity and functions in 615 topsoil samples from all continents. The research found that temperate ecosystems had the highest species richness, temperate and arid regions the most unique communities of soil organisms, and colder high-latitudinal ecosystems were hotspots of ecosystem services. This diversity reveals the complexity of protecting multiple ecological dimensions of soil. More than 70% of these hotspots are not adequately covered by protected areas (with 50% under no form of conservation) and are vulnerable to global change. (Oct 2022)

Assessing the Financial Impact of the Land Use Transition on the Food and Agriculture Sector (Race to Zero) — Finds some of the world’s most valuable food and agriculture companies could lose up to 26% of their value by 2030 if they don’t adapt to new government policies and consumer behavior tied to climate change, and could face permanent sector-wide losses equivalent to the 2008 financial crash. The analysis identifies the land transition as a blind spot for investors and business. Early movers who accelerate this transition by developing solutions for a net zero and nature positive future could gain a share of the $4.5 trillion opportunity that will accompany the coming land use transition. (Sept 2022)

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Ambitious Climate Mitigation Pathways for U.S. Agriculture and Forestry: Vision for 2030, a new report from Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) with economic analysis from ICF, provides a roadmap for how farms, ranches, and forests can get the U.S. 17% of the way toward its 2030 goal of cutting national emissions in half. The report sets the first science-based targets for reduced emissions from U.S. agriculture and increased carbon storage from U.S. forestry, and identifies the most effective, lowest-cost pathways to achieve those targets. By 2030, U.S. farms and ranches can cut agricultural emissions by 23%, and U.S. forests can boost carbon storage by 43% compared to 2018 levels, according to the report. (Sept 2022)

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Significance of transport emissions within the global food system (Nature Food) — Reviews the emissions implications from transporting food globally, finding transport accounts for roughly 19% of total global food system emissions—generating up to 7.5 times more GHG than previously estimated. Of total food transport emissions, the international trade of vegetables and fruits contributes over one-third (36%), nearly double the amount of emissions generated from production. (June 2022)

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The Food Security Information Network (FSIN) has published an updated analysis of the extent and causes of acute food insecurity worldwide, and a blueprint for mitigation, in the sixth annual Global Report on Food Crises. In the study, encompassing 906 million people across 53 countries, FSIN estimated a total of 193 million people in its designated “crisis,” “emergency,” and “catastrophe” levels, indicating a high risk of loss of livelihood, starvation, or death. The top three—and highly interconnected—drivers of extreme food insecurity in 2021 were armed conflict, economic shocks, and extreme weather. The full report breaks down the variability of food insecurity by different combinations of severity, region/country, and root cause(s). It also urgently calls on the international community to (May 2022):

Boost the development of local, sustainable food systems in at-risk areas by supporting farmers’ ability to increase crop yields and access markets
Provide support to diversify the livelihoods of rural communities as a means of enhancing their resilience to specific shocks.
Mobilize the investments and political will to “collectively address the causes and consequences of escalating food crises across humanitarian, development and peace perspectives.”

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An Enhanced Assessment of Risks Impacting the Food and Agriculture Sector (WBCSD, KPMG) — Analyzes 20 risks impacting the food and agriculture sector, with insights from 12 companies. It also outlines key “risk clusters” so companies can “assess how the occurrence of one risk may change the likelihood of a connected risk being triggered.” (Feb 2022)

Food Emissions 50 Company Benchmark (Ceres) — Assesses the 50 largest North American food companies with exposure to the highest-emitting agricultural commodities on their climate performance in 3 categories: GHG emissions disclosures, emission-reduction targets, and progress with developing and implementing action plans for a climate transition. The benchmark is meant to guide investors’ engagements with companies. Companies assessed include McDonald’s, Walmart, and JBS USA. (Aug 2021)

True Cost of Food: Measuring What Matters to Transform the U.S. Food System (The Rockefeller Foundation) — Examines 14 metrics beyond production, processing, retailing, and wholesaling (e.g., health, environment, biodiversity, livelihoods) to calculate the total cost of the U.S. food system. Concludes the U.S. is estimated to spend $1.1 trillion on food annually but the “true cost” is over $3 trillion. Details fundamental shifts for stakeholders to catalyze a healthy, equitable, sustainable system. (July 2021)

Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Food Systems: Building the Evidence Base (U.N. FAO, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, NYU, Columbia University) — Analyzes global food-system emissions by integrating all food-related emissions, including non-agricultural, which the IPCC omits from its reporting guidelines. Researchers found the food system emitted 16 billion metric tons of GHGs in 2018, whereas the IPCC reported 5.3 billion metric tons of emissions. An accompanying policy paper encourages more holistic policy approaches for the sector. (July 2021)

Global Vulnerability of Crop Yields to Climate Change (Boston University, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change Foundation) — Warns climate change could diminish global crop yields by 10% by 2050 and by 25% by 2090 if farmers can’t adapt better than they have in the past. (June 2021)

Multiple Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Food Systems: Building the Evidence Base (Environmental Research Letters Journal) — Finds GHG emissions from activities connected to growing and consuming food have been significantly underestimated and may be twice as large as previously understood. Summarizes multiple reports from scientists analyzing all emissions linked to the food life cycle, from production to consumption, which show a variety of interventions beyond limiting meat consumption should be considered to fight emissions. Additional coverage by Axios (June 2021)

21% of growth for agricultural output has been lost since the 1960s as a result of climate change—equal to losing the last 7 years of productivity growth—according to researchers at Cornell University. (April 2021)

Food systems are responsible for one-third of human-caused GHG emissions, according to a study published in Nature Food that reviewed emissions from 1990 to 2015. In 2015, food systems attributed to 34% of all GHG emissions, with the largest contribution (71%) from agriculture and land use/land-use change activities. The remaining stemmed from supply chain activities involving retail, transport, consumption, fuel production, waste management, industrial processes, and packaging. (March 2021)

“Farming Our Way Out of the Climate Crisis” (Project Drawdown) highlights the important role that natural “carbon sinks” play in reducing GHG emissions and addressing climate change. The report also discusses how farmers can create new carbon sinks through different land use and agriculture practices. (Jan 2021)

“Agriculture and Climate Change: Reducing Emissions Through Improved Farming Practices” (McKinsey & Company, May 2020) identifies 25 measures to reduce on-farm emissions by around 20% by 2050, compared with a business-as-usual scenario. The report finds that 15 of the 25 measures would result in cost savings or are cost neutral.

Investment in Sustainable Food & Ag
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Future Fit Food and Agriculture report series (Food and Land Use Coalition, The World Business Council for Sustainable Development, and We Mean Business Coalition) — These two reports discuss the need for food and agriculture companies to rapidly adapt to changing sustainability regulation and explore the costs and benefits of mitigating the largest portion of food sector emissions. The analysis shows how investments of $205 billion per year between 2025-2030 (less than 2% of food sector revenues) could mitigate nearly half of global food system emissions while unlocking many other co-benefits (such as supply chain resilience). (April 2024)

The first report explores developments in voluntary frameworks and standards and their influence on legislation for businesses. It finds that businesses that are already working to deliver voluntary targets will find the introduction of new regulation less disruptive to their operations.
The second report details emissions reductions and mitigation costs across the food and agriculture value chain. It finds that farmers have the most potential to reduce emissions, while having lower profit margins, suggesting companies must work together across value chains to arrive at a fair distribution of costs and benefits.
Also released was a third supporting report detailing the business case for Scope 3 emission reductions across different sectors in the agriculture and food value chains.

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Landscape of Climate Finance for Agrifood Systems (Climate Policy Initiative (CPI)) — Agrifood systems received just 4.3% of total global climate finance ($28.5 billion) in 2019/20, according to this first comprehensive analysis of the agricultural sector. During that same time period, only 10% of total venture capital investments ($2.3 billion) in agrifood tech went to companies focused on climate change solutions. The report estimates that climate finance for agrifood systems must increase at least sevenfold to reach the most conservative estimated needs for the climate transition (and 12-fold or even 41-fold according to some scenarios). Between public subsidies ($670 billion globally/year) and private capital investments in agriculture ($630 billion/year), the report notes there is enough liquidity available to finance this transition, if these funds were partially repurposed. (Aug 2023)

Reducing Greenhouse Gases with Incentives at the Farm (The Markets Institute at WWF) — This report provides a landscape analysis of on-farm incentive programs implemented by more than 20 companies across the industry. It draws from interviews with more than 90 experts from corporations, industry associations, and civil society groups. The report describes and analyzes a variety of incentives companies are utilizing to reach farm-relevant sustainability outcomes, including 1) price premiums, 2) financing, 3) knowledge sharing, 4) new products or markets, and 5) supplier contracting. It provides several case studies under each of the five categories and concludes with a “Challenges” section, based on challenges companies have shared. (Aug 2023)

Regenerative Agriculture Financing Program: Results of the 2022 Pilot (Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and Farmers Business Network (FBN)) — Details the results from the first year of FBN’s Regenerative Agriculture Financing program, which provided farmers with a 0.5% interest rate rebate if they achieved climate and water quality benchmarks established by EDF (specifically nitrogen management and implementing one or more soil health practices). Key findings of the RAF program, which included 48 farmers and 42,000 acres (17,000 hectares) across 18 states (July 2023):

83% of participating farmers who completed program requirements met environmental standards.
Farmers achieved average crop yields equal or greater to national averages for corn, soybean, and wheat.
Farmers who secured the rebate demonstrated that they applied nitrogen at levels that minimized risk of loss to the air and water. (EDF and FBN will continue to track NOx emissions over the next three years.)

Financial Markets Roadmap for Transforming the Global Food System (Planet Tracker) — Finds that the carbon footprint of the global food sector could be cut by 60% through reform of food system finance. Drawing on data from 400,000 companies in 160 countries across the global food system, it recommends Four Transformation Themes to guide capital allocation and engagement with food companies: (1) establishing responsible supply chains, (2) increasing food system (true cost) efficiency, (3) developing sustainable product offerings and (4) reducing food system pollution. It also outlines six priority actions the finance sector should take to achieve emissions reductions:

Require fully traceable supply chains
Halve food loss and waste
Stop deforestation
Cut agri-methane emissions by 45%
Make agricultural systems regenerative
Invest in alternative proteins

Planet Tracker says economic benefits could amount to more than $1.5 trillion at an investment cost of $300-350 billion. (April 2023)

Solutions to Meet the Need for Feed (WWF) — Examines how the U.S. animal feed industry and supply chain partners can implement changes that will decrease the environmental impacts of feed production and help lead to a more sustainable and climate-resilient global food system. Four critical components of a sustainable feed strategy are explored: responsible sourcing, which can halt land conversion in supply chains; regenerative agriculture, which can provide water, soil, climate, and biodiversity benefits; circular ingredients, which can reduce pressure both on landfills and crop production; and feeding innovations, which can reduce the footprint of animal production. The report also includes relevant insights and examples in action from a diverse set of stakeholders. (March 2023)

An Introductory Guide for Net Zero Target Setting for Farm-Based Agricultural Emissions (WBCSD) — Banks will play an important role in the climate transition of the agriculture sector, which accounts for roughly a fifth of anthropogenic GHG emissions, according to this new report by WBCSD’s Banking for Impact on Climate in Agriculture secretariat. This report provides banks with voluntary recommendations and guidance to navigate the target setting process for their agriculture portfolios across four domains: defining the scope of the net zero commitment, selecting scenarios and targets, measuring emissions, and identifying levers banks can use to engage their clients. By focusing interventions on the farm, this can serve as a handle to address both Scope 1 and 2 emissions and upstream Scope 3 emissions. Effective farmer engagement will be essential to progress toward banks’ targets. The report also recommends keeping forestry targets separate from agriculture, as these client types and transition pathways are different. (Dec 2022)

Global Investor Engagement on Meat Sourcing (“the Engagement”)(Ceres, FAIRR) — Provides a means for institutional investors representing over $11 trillion in combined assets to influence how six of the largest quick-service restaurant brands—Chipotle Mexican Grill, Domino’s, McDonald’s, Restaurant Brands International, Wendy’s, and Yum!—“analyze and reduce their vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, water scarcity, and pervasive threats to water quality driven by animal protein production.”

Highlights of the latest progress report include (June 2022):

All six companies have now set, or committed to set, global greenhouse gas reduction targets approved by the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
Investors expressed concern about the lack of transparency related to suppliers and failure to address supplier issues. Only RBI and Yum! disclosed total emissions derived from animal agriculture, despite that, for all six companies, more than 90% of emissions come from scope 3 emissions including from suppliers of meat and dairy products.
None of the restaurant brands have set targets to reduce water pollution or consumption across their supply chain and all are failing to mitigate risks posed by water stress.

The Investor Guide to Climate Transition Plans in the U.S. Food Sector (Ceres) — Provides comprehensive guidance for investors on how to help food companies that have already disclosed their Scopes 1–3 GHG emissions and have set 1.5C-aligned reduction targets that cover Scope 3 emissions implement climate transition plans. The report claims few companies in the US food sector disclose their climate transition strategies nor concrete actions to achieve them, despite increasing pressure from investors and growing threats of climate change. Key elements of the report include (May 2022):

In-depth analyses of key food sector sub-industries such as packaged foods and meats, food distribution, food retail, and hypermarkets/supercenters and restaurants.
A framework to help investors assess corporate climate transition plans in this sector, including guidance on evaluating corporate emissions disclosure, emissions reduction targets, and climate transition strategies and actions.

Soil Investment Guidance Report (WBCSD and Croatan Institute) — Demonstrates the private and public benefits of investing in soil health practices, delivers classifications of soil as a value-chain asset, and provides a portfolio of 13 soil investment mechanisms to prioritize to scale healthy soil solutions. The report builds on the 2018 WBCSD report, The Business Case for Investing in Soil Health. (Dec 2021)

Private Capital Solutions for a Sustainable Food System in the U.S. (Fiduciary Trust International, Gratitude Railroad) — Examines the role of private capital in creating a sustainable land-based food system in the United States. The report provides an impact-assessment framework and an overview of sustainable agriculture investment opportunities. (Nov 2021)
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Foodtech and agtech startups raised nearly $20 billion in funding from venture capitalists in 2019, down 4.8% year-over-year compared to a record-breaking 2018. However, startups operating upstream in the supply chain — including alternative protein and vertical farming startups — raised a record-breaking $7.6 billion in funding. (April 2020)

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Farming for the Future: The State of Regenerative Agriculture Program Adoption (ADM) — Explores the potential of regenerative agriculture practices to meet growing consumer demand for sustainably sourced products and increase business resilience. The report finds that revenue from regenerative agriculture is expected to grow from $8.7 billion in 2022 to $32.3 billion by 2032. Using survey data, the report also finds that (Nov 2023):

More than 70% of consumers would like the majority of their food to be sustainably sourced and expect companies to sustainably source their ingredients.
64% said they’d be more likely to buy from companies in a regenerative agriculture partnership.
87% of Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) and retail executives said a regenerative agriculture program would have a positive effect on product sales and long-term growth.
73% of CPG executives and 47% of retail executives said they already have some form of regenerative agriculture program in place.
And of those who don’t, 65% said their company plans to adopt a program in the next 5 years or sooner.

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2023 Nature Benchmark (World Benchmarking Alliance) — Just 6% of food and agriculture companies assessed have a time-bound commitment to eliminate deforestation, and 15% have a commitment to zero ecosystem conversion, according to this analysis of 350 companies making up more than half of the world’s food and agriculture revenue. Almost 50% of companies now have some form of climate commitments, up from 27% in 2021, and 4% now report progress against science-based targets for Scope 3 emissions, up from 2% in 2021. Only 12% of companies are reporting the level of pollutants they are putting into water sources, and just 2% have set committed targets to reduce water pollution. 27% of companies support farmers’ income stability through procurement and pricing practices, but only 4% identify living income benchmarks or calculate living income gaps. And just 5 companies (1.4%) demonstrate that they seek free, prior and informed consent from communities on whether or how to conduct projects in Indigenous territories. (Oct 2023)

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The Four Labours of Regenerative Agriculture (The FAIRR Initiative) — Assesses the growing number of regenerative agriculture commitments across publicly listed agri-food companies to understand whether these are meaningful enough to deliver climate, nature, and social goals. This first-of-its-kind analysis of commitments on regenerative agriculture looks at 79 global food and retail giants, worth over $3 trillion and representing almost a third of the sector. Key findings include:

50 of these 79 companies mention regenerative agriculture initiatives in their disclosures.
Regenerative outcomes sought by companies are scattered with a preference for soil health and carbon.
Only 18 of the 50 (36%) have quantified company-wide targets for regenerative agriculture.
Just 8 of the 50 (16%) discuss metrics and data, with only four companies having established baselines to measure progress.
Only 4 of the 50 (8%) have targets to financially support farmers to deploy regenerative practices.

The Status of Women in Agrifood Systems (UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)) — Tackling gender inequalities in agriculture and agrifood systems and empowering women reduces hunger, boosts the economy, and reinforces resilience to shocks like climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, according to this new report. Women currently earn only 82 cents per dollar men earn. They also have less secure land tenure, and less access to training and credit. Combined with discrimination, these inequalities create a 24% gender gap in productivity. Addressing these inequalities would increase global GDP by nearly $1 trillion and reduce the number of food-insecure people by 45 million. Focusing interventions on empowering women would significantly raise incomes of 58 million people and increase the resilience of an additional 235 million. The report recommends closing gaps related to assets, technology, and resources; providing access to childcare; and improving data gathering to help monitor and accelerate gender equality. (April 2023)

Trends Shaping the Future of Food in 2023 (S2G Ventures) — Explores ten trends driving the evolution to a climate-smart, healthy food system, including (March 2023):

Robotics will increasingly be deployed on farms at a commercial scale;
Digital technologies will enable profitable, climate-smart farming on land and at sea;
Supply chain optimization technologies will reduce costs, emissions, and risk;
Novel ingredients (such as fermented mushroom mycelium) will enable the next generation of plant-based foods;
Innovative packaging and closed-loop recycling will begin to address our plastics problem.

The Cocoa Barometer 2022 (VOICE Network) — Found that cocoa farmers remain in poverty, which is exacerbating both environmental problems like deforestation and human rights problems like child labor. This report shows that favored approaches to raise farmer income levels have not succeeded, including certification schemes, raising yields, and increasing market prices (as farm gate prices do not necessarily rise with market prices). Systemic changes, including supply chain legislation in cocoa consuming countries, will be necessary to address poverty. (Dec 2022)

2022 ESG: State of the Industry Report (Ratio Institute) — Draws from publicly available information to evaluate the transparency of reporting by 107 of the largest North American food retailers (the Progressive Grocer 100). The companies were evaluated against 127 criteria in 11 reporting categories. Some key findings (Oct 2022):

Nine of the 10 companies with the strongest reporting were public;
No category scored higher than 50 (out of 100). Community engagement scored highest at 50; food safety governance lowest at 11;
Only 40 of the companies included published formal reports addressing ESG topics, 39 provided sustainability information on a web page, and 28 provided no publicly available information.

Climate Action in Agriculture (Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture) — Showcases climate commitments of 117 of Field to Market’s 161 members, up from 100 in the previous year’s report. The report demonstrates that organizations across the agriculture value chain are focusing greater attention on the climate crisis and acknowledges the role the sector can play in driving lasting change. The report also includes reported progress towards climate goals. (Sept 2022)

The State of Sustainable Ag (Farm Journal’s Trust in Food, Field to Market) — Highlights 500 US row-crop producers’ pathways and barriers to adopting conservation practices. It recommends creating “blended solutions” that equally consider financial incentives, technical assistance, and tailored cultural support to fulfill farmers’ diverse needs and motivations.

Ceres published Feeding Ourselves Thirsty, a benchmarking report evaluating how 38 food companies in 4 industries—agricultural products, beverages, meat, and packaged foods—are responding to water risks. The average overall score was 45 points (out of 100), with the highest scores occurring in the Packaged Food (54-point average) and Beverage sectors (53-point avg.), followed by the Agricultural Products (43-point avg) and Meat sectors (18-point avg). CEF members Unilever and PepsiCo ranked as top 10 performers. (Nov 2021)
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67% of 100 US crop farmers in 9 states have a higher crop yield as a result of implementing long-term soil-health practices (e.g., cover cropping, reduced tillage), according to a new Soil Health Institute study. The practices increased net income for 85% of farmers growing corn and 88% of farmers growing soybean. (Oct 2021)
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Radically Better Food: 4 Imperatives for Regenerative Brands (BBMG, GlobeScan) — Breaks down trends in consumer preferences around sustainable food brands based on their survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers, focus group of 100 food-focused consumers, and interviews with industry experts and brand leaders. Offers 4 imperatives for brands to build a regenerative brand and examples of food brands taking on regenerative systems. (July 2021)

Agricultural Outlook 2021-2030 (OECD, FAO) — Highlights economic and social trends driving the global agri-food sector. Asserts food commodities will likely become cheaper in the next decade but global targets for reducing hunger and emissions will unlikely be met under current policies. (July 2021)

The Collective Effort To End Deforestation (CDP) — Reviews deforestation reduction measures taken by 553 companies across seven commodities responsible for the majority of agriculture-related deforestation, broken down into 15 KPIs and 6 categories to facilitate benchmarking against peers. Key findings (March 2021):

Companies reported $53.1 billion in risks from deforestation
The cost of responding to all risks is estimated at $6.6 billion
In 2020, 93% of companies had taken at least one industry-accepted measure to protect forests, but only 4 companies had taken nearly all relevant actions: Essity, L’Oréal, Mars, and Tetra Pak
81 companies achieved more than 8 KPIs, demonstrating high levels of traceability, certification, engagement, restoration, and compliance with no-deforestation commitments
Companies disclosing forests impacts grew 27% in 2020
10 million hectares of forests have been lost every year since 2015

Shining A Spotlight: A Critical Assessment of Food and Beverage Companies’ Delivery of Sustainability Commitments (Oxfam) (March 2021)

Finds individual corporate actions have not yet driven sufficient supply chain or country-level action
Reviews corporate performance against commitments made during Oxfam’s Behind the Brands campaign to strengthen sourcing policies impacting climate change, land rights and women’s empowerment

“Dig In: A landscape of business actions to cultivate a sustainable and resilient food system” (Quantis, Oct 2019) covers the top sustainability priorities for the food and beverage sector to help companies develop tailored strategies and solutions that will have the most meaningful impact across their supply chains. The report includes case studies, interviews and insights from General Mills, MARS, Del Monte, Unilever, Danone, Tillamook, Nespresso, and more.

Sustainable Food & Ag Tools/Guidance

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Scaling Regenerative Farming: An Action Plan (Sustainable Markets Initiative, Agribusiness Task Force) —Provides a blended finance framework to make regenerative farming viable and scalable (potentially unlocking trillions of dollars of funding). The framework has four parts: new funding and sourcing models; introduction of common metrics; changes to government policy; and new revenue streams for farmers. (Dec 2023)

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Cultivating Innovation: Practical Solutions for Companies to Reduce Agricultural Emissions (Ceres) — Outlines emerging agricultural technologies and approaches to reduce the main sources of agricultural emissions. The report then provides a summary of strategies food companies can use to invest in these innovations at various stages of development, including (Nov 2023):

Incentivize ready-to-deploy solutions in their supply chains, such as conducting pilot tests, providing financial and technical assistance, and refining procurement standards and supplier expectations.
Advance emerging solutions, both by 1) advocacy for more public research funding, public-private partnerships, and sector-wide collaboration; and 2) direct company action, such as increasing R&D and venture capital investments.

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Regenerating Together (SAI Platform) — This framework offers a “globally aligned definition of regenerative agriculture,” and practical ways for farmers to implement measurable regenerative practices. Over 20 leading Fast-Moving Consumer Goods companies and farmer cooperatives have developed and tested this framework across their global supply chain. And over 170 SAI Platform member companies have committed to the framework, including CEF members Archer Daniels Midland, PepsiCo, and Unilever.

Regenerative Agriculture Outcome Framework (Textile Exchange) — Provides 16 indicators to help the fashion, textile, and apparel industry assess the benefits of regenerative agriculture to ecological health, social and economic equity, and animal welfare. The framework is open-source, drawing on both scientific research and local farm community knowledge, and is applicable across different scales, geographies, and agriculture systems (i.e. cropping, grazing, and agroforestry). Indicators have been organized to share the burden of monitoring, with both farm-level and brand-level categories, and also includes 11 brand-level expectations that should be in place before projects or programs are considered or claimed to be regenerative. This “Version One” of the framework will now be piloted and refined through working groups starting summer 2023, with companies, project developers, and farm groups also invited to help test it. (July 2023)

Solving the Great Food Puzzle (WWF) — This new study and framework assesses the suitability of different food system innovations to different contexts to help ensure the most impact is delivered in the shortest time possible. The framework is designed to help decision-makers consider the scale of change that needs to be applied in a specific food system and the innovation that will deliver it most quickly. The framework also helps in choosing innovations that will best amplify the impact of 20 levers to: transform food systems, address problems’ root causes, and understand the social and ecological context in which the innovation is to be implemented and thus anticipate unintended consequences. (July 2023)

Forest, Land, and Agriculture (FLAG) Science-Based-Target-Setting Guidance (The Science Based Targets initiative) — SBTi has updated its timelines for requiring FLAG science-based target setting and recalculation to align with the publication of the GHG Protocol Land Sector and Removals Guidance, expected to be released in mid-2024. Timeline updates include (July 2023):

Companies with validated science-based targets that are required to submit a FLAG target (page 15 of the SBTi FLAG Guidance for guidance), must do so within six months of the release of the final GHG Protocol Land Sector and Removals Guidance.
Companies setting science-based targets for the first time, or updating their existing target, must set a FLAG target upon (re)submission - using the draft GHG Protocol Land Sector and Removals Guidance. Note that this also includes companies submitting net-zero targets. Companies who have completed the target submission form and booked their validation slot prior to April 30, 2023 are not affected.

The Global Sustainable Aquaculture Roadmap: Pathways for Systemic Change (World Economic Forum’s Blue Food Partnership) — Shares specific guidelines on how the aquaculture sector can produce healthy, nutritious and accessible “blue foods” (food from the ocean, rivers, and lakes) that benefit people and the planet. Blue foods are highly traded, can have lower carbon footprints than terrestrial foods, and demand for these foods is expected to double by 2050, much of which will come from aquaculture. Utilizing a systems approach, the roadmap provides four pathways — responsible production, better livelihoods, healthy consumption, and an enabling environment — to accelerate action towards the greater social, economic and environmental benefits that the sustainable growth of aquaculture can offer. (March 2023)

Aligning Regenerative Agricultural Practices with Outcomes to Deliver for People, Nature, and Climate (The Food and Land Use Coalition) — Seeks to define and provide a consistent understanding of “regenerative agriculture” practices. It highlights the need to create an outcome-based framework for measuring, assessing, and scaling regenerative agricultural practices. The report includes a review of evidence on how specific practices link to three important farm-level outcomes: biodiversity, climate change mitigation, and yield. It also provides recommendations for stakeholders, including eliminating measures that encourage unstainable agricultural practices and expansion; setting outcome-based targets; and addressing gaps in research. (Jan 2023)

SCS Standards announced the publication of Version 3.0 of its Certification Standard for Sustainably Grown Agricultural Crops. This latest version of the standard, used to certify a wide range of crops, has been updated in several ways, including the ability to make complementary claims, including: farmworker protection, water conservation, soil conservation, biodiversity protection, pollinator friendly, and climate neutral. The standard also adds recognition of “trailblazers” in key performance categories including: living wage, regenerative agriculture, farmworker empowerment, community development, and biodiversity champion. (Jan 2023)
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Environmental and Health Impacts of Pesticides and Fertilizers and Ways of Minimizing Them (UNEP) — Provides new insights on actions stakeholders could take to minimize the adverse impacts of pesticides and fertilizers to human and environment health. It highlights six priority actions including: consumer choice; crop management; circularity; using economic instruments to support greener products; life cycle approaches for pesticide and fertilizer management; and strengthening sustainable supply chain standards and policies. (Dec 2022)

TCFD Climate Scenario Tool for Food, Agriculture and Forest Products (WBCSD) — This new tool provides a method for companies to assess potential risks and opportunities, specific to food, agriculture, and forest products sectors, from society’s response to climate change. The tool offers outputs covering business, land use, and environmental factors across 23 crop, animal product, and forest product commodities and 18 regions. This complements WBCSD’s existing Energy Climate Scenario Tool. (Dec 2022)

SMI (Sustainable Markets Initiative) Agribusiness Task Force — Released its action plan focused on how to scale regenerative farming, the growth of which must triple to limit climate change to 1.5°C. The plan highlights the need for consistent metrics, better government policy incentives, and a “transformation” of food sourcing to better spread the cost of transition to more sustainable practices. (Nov 2022)

The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) launched the world’s first standard method for companies to set science-based targets that include land-based emission reductions and removals. This Forest, Land and Agriculture (FLAG) Science Based Target Setting Guidance fills a 22% gap of global emissions that have not been addressed before. The framework has a whole-sector approach covering everything from deforestation to diet shift and 11 mitigation pathways for major commodities with high carbon footprints, including beef, palm oil, dairy, poultry, timber and wood fiber. As 80% of the mitigation potential from land use change is from stopping deforestation, companies that set FLAG targets are required to publicly commit to zero deforestation no later than 2025. (Oct 2022)
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The Good Food Institute (GFI) and the FAIRR Initiative investor network (FAIRR) launched two new reporting frameworks for alternative meat, seafood, eggs, and dairy companies to reveal their climate, biodiversity, nutrition, and other ESG impacts—the first framework for specialized companies, the second for diversified companies. These first-of-their-kind frameworks will provide comprehensive standards to assess and disclose ESG data of these companies, including enabling better assessment of alternative meat’s environmental impacts relative to meat. 38 companies and investors and 14 NGOs and ESG standard-setters provided input in the frameworks’ development. (Sept 2022)

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“Deforestation Monitoring and Response Framework” (Consumer Goods Forum Forest Positive Coalition of Action) — A new framework developed with support from Proforest to help companies monitor and address non-compliance with “No Deforestation” or “No Peat” commitments that is linked to palm oil supply chains. (March 2022)

“Trustparent Marketplace” (DIBIZ) — A new, first-of-its-kind online marketplace for trading certified sustainable palm oil. It allows smallholders to trade globally and has traceability measures to support "No Deforestation, No Peat and No Exploitation" (NDPE) commitments. (March 2022)

Project Carbonview (Bayer, Bushel, Amazon Web Services) — A first-of-its-kind solution to help US farmers report on, analyze, and mitigate the environmental impact of their end-to-end supply chain carbon footprint. The solution will be piloted with ethanol producers (corn farmers) during the 2022 season, with plans to expand to other crops and other regions. (Dec 2021)

The Big Food Redesign : Regenerating Nature With Circular Economy (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, in collaboration with Material Economics and Alpha Food Labs) — Identifies opportunities for FMCGs and food retailers to catalyze the transition to a nature-positive food system using a circular design-led approach. Offers actions they can take in 5 key areas.(Sept 2021)

regenagri 2.0 (Regenagri, Cool Farm Alliance) — Global regenerative agriculture initiative regenagri launched a new version of its digital hub, regenagri 2.0, which now allows users to manage large groups of farms, access verifications of GHG and carbon emissions, and generate carbon credits. The new version integrates the Cool Farm Tool, an environmental calculator for farmers from Cool Farm Alliance (CAF). (July 2021)
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Blue Recovery Bond Dashboard (Planet Tracker) — The financial think tank launched an interactive dashboard where investors can input their own modeling assumptions and identify opportunities to finance recovery of fish stocks and generate higher returns for fishing companies and themselves. (July 2021)
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ENCORE Biodiversity Module (Natural Capital Finance Alliance) — A UN-backed tool to give financial institutions insight into how their mining and agriculture investments may indirectly drive species extinction and harm ecosystems. It includes guidance for engagement with companies to help increase nature-positive impacts. Over 30 financial institutions participated in the development and testing of the module, including Barclays, Citi, and UBS. (May 2021)
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The Sustainability Consortium released a Resource Guide on Sustainable Animal Feed, a free digital resource that offers insight into the environmental impacts of animal protein products and feed. The resource guide was developed in partnership with over 20 organizations — including BASF, The Nature Conservancy, and the American Feed Industry Association. (January 2021)

Sustainable Food & Ag Collaboration

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First Movers Coalition for Food — This World Economic Forum initiative, founded by more than 20 corporate and research partners (including CEF member PepsiCo), will use its combined procurement power for sustainably produced farming products to speed up adoption of sustainable farming, innovations, and transitional funding. It will initially work to identify demand commitments and pathways to support this and publish initial results in the summer of 2024. (Dec 2023)

Agriculture Sector Roadmap to 1.5°C — Fourteen agriculture commodity companies are developing a roadmap outlining how they will reduce emissions from land-use change in the cattle, palm oil, and soy sectors, while protecting global food systems and producer livelihoods. It commits the companies to implement time-bound plans and report publicly on their progress towards the targets on an annual basis. It also outlines how signatories will engage and collaborate with other stakeholders, namely governments, supply chain actors and financial institutions, for wider support of the roadmap’s commitments. The collaboration is being facilitated by the Tropical Forest Alliance with support from WBCSD and includes CEF member ADM. (Nov 2022)

Good Food Finance Network’s High Ambition Group — A group of 11 global financial institutions, backed by the United Nations, have formed the Good Food Finance Network’s High Ambition Group, unveiling a set of environmental and social impact targets covering over $113 billion of existing assets. Among others, targets include: increasing climate adaptation and resilience portfolios; supporting 15 million smallholder farmers to transition to agroforestry; improving land management practices of over 20 million hectares; and committing to zero deforestation targets. (Oct 2022)

Sustainable Markets Initiative’s new Agribusiness Task Force — UK-based Sustainable Markets Initiative, backed by the Prince of Wales, has formed a new Agribusiness Task Force to promote the global proliferation of regenerative agriculture practices. Regenerative agriculture is a holistic set of farming practices that naturally replenish soils, rather than relying on chemical inputs. Studies have shown that regenerative agriculture can deliver both cost savings and increased crop yields, but a combination of upfront cost concerns, skills shortfalls, and other factors has limited widespread adoption. The Task Force will work to identify ways to overcome those barriers. It plans to have a framework to share with policymakers and business owners by the end of 2022. (June 2022)

REGEN10 initiative — WBCSD and 12 partners (including the World Bank Group and We Mean Business Coalition) unveiled a new initiative to scale regenerative food systems and achieve 50% of global food production that positively impacts people, climate, and nature by 2030. They plan to work with 500 million farmers and deploy roughly $60 billion of financing annually for the transition. (Nov 2021)
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Food Emissions 50, a new effort coordinated by Ceres, was launched to accelerate a net-zero transition in the food and agriculture sector. It brings together global institutional investors to engage 50 of the highest-emitting North American public food companies—including JBS USA, McDonald’s, and Walmart—to improve emissions disclosures, set emission-reductions targets, and implement climate transition plans. (Aug 2021)
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Coalition of Global Investors — Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and a $5 trillion group of global investors called on G20 nations to disclose targets for reducing agricultural emissions within their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) before COP26. (July 2021)
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Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef — The coalition of global beef producers released its new sustainability roadmap with a commitment to reduce the “net global warming impact” of each unit of beef produced by 30% by 2030. Members, which include McDonald's, ADM, JBS, Rabobank, and Cargill, also agreed to improve animal welfare; ensure the value chain is a net-positive contributor to nature; and improve natural carbon stores in land and soil, which could sequester up to 216 million tons of carbon annually by 2030. (July 2021)
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How can we help? Please reach out to us!

Laura Keenan, Chair

laura@corporateecoforum.com | (617) 921-2307

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amy@corporateecoforum.com | ‭(857) 222-8270‬

Mike Rama, Deputy Director

mike@corporateecoforum.com | (607) 287-9236

Margaret Fenwick, Program Lead

margaret@corporateecoforum.com I (917) 678-4161

MR Rangaswami, Founder

mr@corporateecoforum.com | ‭(415) 922-9802

Food & Agriculture

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Notable News

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How can we help? Please reach out to us!

Laura Keenan, Chair

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