Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture boosts measures to adopt climate smart agricultural mechanisms


09/15/2022

Efforts towards innovative financing mechanisms to accelerate adoption of climate friendly agriculture gains traction.


The Sustainable Agriculture Alliance™ has received financing from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) under the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Products opportunity with an approximate funding cap of $70 millions of dollars. In the coming weeks, it will work closely with the USDA to determine the overall scope of the grant.

The Field to Market project revolves around the Climate-Smart Agriculture Innovative Financing Initiative, which will use innovative financing mechanisms to accelerate the adoption of climate-smart practices. by farmers and leveraging private sector demand to fuel climate-smart agriculture markets. smart strengthen raw materials.

The initiative builds on the work of Field to Market's Innovative Finance Committee, which released the report Financial Innovations to Accelerate Sustainable Agriculture: Blueprints for the Value Chain earlier this year.

"The transition to low-carbon farming practices is a journey that many farmers cannot undertake alone," said Scott Herndon, president of Field-to-Market. “We are extremely grateful to have been selected as recipients of this funding, as it allows us to increase the availability of innovative strategies that reduce financial and agronomic risks for farmers when adopting climate-smart practices.”

With its funding proposal, Field to Market received 72 letters of support from organizations across the agriculture value chain and across Field to Market member sectors, with project partners pledging up to $137 million. US dollars in related funds. These partnerships will provide additional technical support and financial incentives to participating producers, link climate-smart practices to commodity purchases, and create a scalable model for private sector investment.

“Field to Market continues to be the leading organization uniting the entire agricultural value chain around sustainability. This grant will enhance our ability to support farmers and encourage the adoption of climate-smart farming practices on millions of acres,” said Herndon.

“The many partners in this initiative are committed to deploying innovative financing solutions by bringing the agricultural value chain and the financial sector together, creating lasting benefits for the climate and farmers’ livelihoods,” said Maggie Monast, Co-Chair of the Innovative Finance Committee and Senior Director of Climate Friendly Agriculture at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). A portion of the allocated funds will specifically support black and indigenous producers, helping historically disadvantaged producers to adopt climate-friendly practices through key partnerships with the Federation of Southern Cooperatives / Land Assistance Fund, the Interribal Agriculture Council and Akiptan.

Other key partners in the project include PepsiCo, Farmers Business Network, EDF, Archer Daniels Midland, Illinois Corn Growers Association, Precision Conservation Management, Nutrien Ag Solutions, Growers Edge, Mondelēz, Michigan State University, Coop Elevator, and the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability.

"By combining innovative financial incentives with comprehensive technical assistance, the Initiative will unify the agricultural value chain and drive a sea change in the production and marketing of climate-smart raw materials," said Brandon Hunnicutt, chairman of the board of directors of Field to Market. "We are grateful that the USDA has selected our initiative for this tremendous opportunity and look forward to working with our partners to accelerate change in our industry."

Field to Market has been named in five additional projects selected for the first round of funding and hopes to further improve climate-smart agriculture through the following partnerships:
Strengthen grassroots leadership and the ability to enhance climate-smart production systems and facilitate access to markets for disadvantaged producers, led by the National Association of Conservation Districts. ADM and partner climate smart solutions, led by Archer-Daniels-Midland Company. Rice Stewardship Partnership for Climate-Smart Commodities, led by the USA Rice Federation. National Sorghum Producers Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Project, led by the National Sorghum Producers Association. The alliance to catalyze incentives to transition through open networks for climate smart agriculture, led by The Wolfe's Neck Farm Foundation, Inc.