5 Critical Agriculture Topics to Incorporate Into Any Climate-Related Event

Written by: Isabelle Dom

Across the world of ESG investing, SDG impact, and climate change mitigation, a consistent omission has been bothering us at Agritecture: few events - if any - cover the full breadth of agriculture-related solutions. 

With the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act and the added $20 billion to make the U.S. more food secure and our farming practices more environmentally friendly, we expect to see both an increase in and a deepening of these conversations. Since climate-smart agriculture can only be achieved through the adoption of multiple solutions, or a hybridization of agriculture as we like to call it, we believe that all climate-related events should include discussions surrounding at least these 5 topics.

1. Regenerative Agriculture and Nature-Based Solutions

Numerous practices under the umbrella of regenerative agriculture, many of which stem from indigenous knowledge, have been shown to increase soil health and biodiversity, while also showing an ability to sequester carbon. Importantly, many farmers also argue that profitability can be significantly increased due to lowered reliance on expensive chemical inputs, thanks to techniques such as crop rotation, holistic grazing, and cover cropping that can add nutrients back to the soil. More than just an explicit set of production practices, this way of farming is known as “agroecology”, and refers to working with, rather than against, nature. This approach is gaining popularity due to increasing fertilizer and pesticide costs, fragile ecosystems that provide essential water and air quality services, and increased attention for local and regional food systems. 

However, the long-term potential and total quantity of carbon storage is still very much up for debate. Furthermore, any change to a farmer’s process costs time, money, and carries a level of risk. Incentives to derisk the transition to more sustainable production practices such as carbon credits, ecosystem service credits, and creative financing solutions may play a crucial role in facilitating the transition. Building markets, and key infrastructure, for cover crops such as oats and peas will also help facilitate their wider adoption. And finally, many farmers want to see a guaranteed market to sell their crops into - ideally one that carries a premium for regeneratively-grown products. This means that major food companies must play a critical role in opening up these opportunities by driving the market, while also ensuring integrity by reporting on their metrics and standards.

2. Alternative Proteins

The conventional meat industry is one of the leading sources of greenhouse gas emissions. And most estimates have shown that land is a limiting factor if all animal-based protein were to be grazed responsibly on pasture, based on current dietary trends. While protein is a necessary component of every person’s diet, there are alternative products that do not come at such a high environmental cost. Some of these solutions include aquaculture to help reduce the amount of wild-captured fish, as well as mushrooms, insects, and algae grown in controlled environments. 

However, most of these options have not expanded beyond the research phase. In order to provide alternative options for protein at scale, we need to see these solutions commercialized, prices lowered from economies of scale, and consumer-facing brands create more acceptance through research and education. We also need to see transparency in sourcing from alternative meat companies like Impossible and Beyond, which have lofty mission statements about revolutionizing the food system, but often use conventionally monocropped soy, pea, and cereal grains in their products.  

3. Controlled Environment Agriculture 

Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) is currently the leading solution for water- and land-scarce regions and can provide opportunities for urban communities to connect with food sources. Including both greenhouses and indoor vertical farms, these types of operations can maximize yield using drastically less water, less land, and no pesticides, all while creating good-paying, year-round farming jobs. 

While CEA farms are lauded for their many benefits, they do have a handful of very real issues, such as energy usage, nutrient sourcing, and affordability (both for consumers and new businesses looking to start an indoor facility). These challenges should be talked about openly in order to encourage more accurate dialogues, and inspire collaborative new solutions that address these issues. 

4. Agrivoltaics

Agrivoltaics involves field farmers adding solar panels on top of their fields. The combined use of solar photovoltaic technology and agriculture allow farmers and energy developers to share the same land. This preserves the agricultural character of the area’s rural communities while also allowing each party to reap certain benefits. These projects are especially promising in areas with excess sunlight, like those closer to the equator, and when livestock grazing is integrated to control vegetation around the panels, improving farm financial resilience by adding another income stream for farmers. 

Yet few commercial agrivoltaic projects exist today. Data sharing, subject matter expertise, and funding all remain extremely sparse. In order to meet future demands for both energy and food production, agrivoltaics needs to become a more mainstream solution with legitimate government funding as well as academic and commercial support.

5. Educating the Next Generation

NPR recently reported that “recent ag census data shows farmers' average age is nearly 60 — and that is concerning lawmakers in Washington who say getting a younger generation involved in agriculture is key to building a sustainable food system.” It’s been widely reported that more sustainable forms of agriculture (including urban farming and regenerative agriculture) are attracting younger generations. However, Agritecture has also witnessed first-hand the challenge many CEA operators have in finding trained indoor growers to lead their operations. In order to grow this sector, we must see an increase in training and education programs geared towards modern and more sustainable forms of agriculture.  

While we believe that these topics are imperative to all climate-related agriculture conversations, there are even more that could also be considered. As the industry continues to grow, the list of important topics will as well. Furthermore, as indicated above, none of these solutions are perfect or applicable in every context. By inviting deeper discussion and investigation into these topics, we will hopefully see the necessary collaboration and innovation to solve big problems. As a leading services provider in the field of climate-smart agriculture, Agritecture has the knowledge and expertise to speak on many of these topics, and we are happy to partner with those looking to deepen the conversation.