| | | | | | | Reflections on the Fourth Annual Trust In Food Symposium | | | The pathway to a more regenerative system is within reach. That was my biggest takeaway from the fourth annual Trust In Food Symposium, held virtually this year. Over the course of three days, more than two dozen speakers including farmers and ranchers, scientists, food companies, food retailers and policymakers shared what a “regenerative reset” meant to each of them. We had more than 800 registrants participate from across the country and around the world. There was a lot to agree on. We heard broad consensus that consumer food values are shifting rapidly. I shared that at Trust In Food, we observe that food choices have become integral to personal identity. Consumers want food with a story. There’s also a lot yet to figure out. We heard that today, farmers bear most of the risk, and little of the reward, of change. Expectations are riding high on carbon markets to help bridge this gap, but the devil is in the details. Producers are rightly watching to see how the rules shake out. Overall, I left these three days buoyed by the optimism of our Symposium participants that we are evolving a food system that works better for everyone, from farmer to consumer and every step in between. That’s our vision, and I’m thrilled to be in such good company.
Yours In Regenerative Ag,
Amy Skoczlas Cole
Executive Vice President
Trust In Food, a Farm Journal initiative | | | | | | |
|
|
| | | | | | | How Public-Private Partnership Drives Smarter Conservation Ag Delivery | | | | Shared by Nate Birt, Vice President, Trust In Food: "How can you transition your public-private partnership from “nice people working together to help farmers and shared ecosystems” to “nice people helping farmers and ecosystems while learning together and driving measurable impact that improves the world?” Here are five insights I’ve had on the path to generating a learning engine that better serves farmers with conservation." | | | | | | |
|
|
| | | | | | | America's Conservation Ag Movement Launches New Interactive Soil Guide | | | | A new farmer-centered soil health resource debuted by America’s Conservation Ag Movement provides 40 pages of practical and actionable soil health insights, derived from more than a half-dozen interviews with farmers and ranchers about their real-life experiences. Developed with support from USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service, this guide is part of ACAM’s commitment to putting farmers at the center of the journey to more sustainable agricultural practices. | | | | | | |
|
|
| | Shared by Nate Birt, Vice President, Trust In Food: "The U.S. dairy industry has taken a leadership role in committing to proactive environmental progress. What's more, this recent interview illustrates that dairy is doing so by emphasizing how environmental gains can also benefit farmers' economic well-being -- and by celebrating advances already underway. The three-legged stool of people, planet and profit really is a viable path forward." | | |
| | | | | | |
|
|
| | Shared by Drew Slattery, Human Dimensions of Change Lead, Trust In Food: "This article explores how one farmer is helping his community overcome a mental block to changing everything about the way they, their fathers and grandfathers worked the land for decades. It provides a change-making farmer’s perspective about shifting cultural norms among other farmers - invaluable insight for anyone looking to influence farmers." | | |
| | | | | | |
|
|
| | Shared by Rebecca Bartels, Director of Business Development, Trust In Food: "With biostimulants quickly helping bridge the sustainability gap between the cost of energy and the yield output in vertical operations, controlled environment agritech is making leaps and bounds. AppHarvest is the first CEA company to go public, and has done so with a massive valuation and the support of wide-reaching food retailers. This article envisions a future for agriculture that quite literally looks different and provides up-to-date insights on a kind of ag once considered “cool” but impractical." | | |
| | | | | | |
|
|
