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Three lessons from Rabobank’s review of agricultural GHG emissions it finances. The post How banks can move toward net zero agriculture portfolios first appeared on Growing Returns.

EDF Guide: How to Use Nitrogen Balance to Estimate Nitrous Oxide and Nitrate Losses

12 finance solutions and value-added incentives to support farmers in adopting new conservation practices The post Fostering innovative finance in the agriculture value chain first appeared on Growing Returns.

Why this new program is so critical to San Joaquin Valley's water. The post Gov. Newsom proposed nearly doubling funds for a new farmland repurposing program. Here are 4 ways it can help people and wildlife. first appeared on Growing Returns.

Farmers who meet climate and water quality benchmarks will have lower interest rates, enabling broader adoption of sustainable agriculture

Learn about one of the first U.S. farm loans to reward farmers that meet soil health and nitrogen efficiency standards with lower-interest rates.

EDF review of the scientific consensus about cropland soil carbon sequestration.

Takeaways from COP26 for food companies: Foster collaboration, focus on short and long-lived climate pollutants, protect tropical forests.

Farmers’ interest in cover crops is growing rapidly, but they still want to know how the practice will impact their finances. The post New program sheds light on cover crop financials with big data first appeared on Growing Returns.

Highlight: EDF’s Maggie Monast testified at a hearing of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, “Creating a Climate Resilient America: Strengthening the U.S. Financial System and Expanding Economic Opportunity.” Watch here. It’s becoming impossible to ignore the risks that climate change poses to financial markets, including those that support U.S. agriculture. Increased temperatures and more …

Today at COP26, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development announced the Banking for Impact on Climate in Agriculture (B4ICA) initiative in partnership with EDF, the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative and the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials. Banks representing over 40% of global banking assets have already committed to aligning their portfolios with net zero …

With major COP26 commitments to cut methane emissions from multiple sectors, global leaders are finally focusing on agriculture. The post Global leaders can’t fulfill their methane promises without agriculture first appeared on Growing Returns.

Many have established Chief Resilience Officers to provide coordinated statewide leadership to reduce risks, protect communities, and the environment.

New study details how conservation benefits farmers, bankers and insurers

Conservation can improve the financial health of dairy farms, according to a new report from EDF and K·Coe Isom AgKnowledge – How conservation makes dairy farms more resilient, especially in a lean agricultural economy. Dairy farmers in Pennsylvania and across the U.S. are in the fourth year of an economic downturn in which many farmers are …

Expanding on-farm conservation practices requires closing the information gap on the financial impact these practices have on farm revenue, operating costs and long-term profitability.

New program launches to gather and benchmark cover crop data within the largest public farm financial database in the U.S.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture requested information it's recently announced Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Partnership Program. This is Environmental Defense Fund's response. 

Real-time data will put farmers and policymakers on the same page when making water management decisions. The post Measuring water use in California’s Delta is a “fool’s errand.” OpenET will change that. first appeared on Growing Returns.

OpenET uses satellites to estimate water consumed by crops, providing critical data for water management in 17 western states for the first time.

This new platform from EDF, NASA, Desert Research Institute, Google and others helps farmers figure out how to get as much as they can out of every drop of water.

EDF and RPCAU partner to research the impacts of climate change on agriculture and promote climate-smart agriculture in Bihar.

EDF partnered with Cooperative Extension at North Carolina A&T State University to study the financial impacts of climate resilience on farms in North Carolina.

Three policy priorities to make voluntary carbon markets work for the climate and agriculture. The post How Congress can ensure voluntary carbon markets work for farmers and the environment first appeared on Growing Returns.

This synthesis from EDF is for federal and state policymakers looking to shape public investments in climate mitigation through agricultural soil carbon credits, protocol developers, project developers and aggregators, buyers of credits and others interested in learning about the landscape of soil carbon.