#87 - THE HILL, APPLEGREATS, CHINA
New Bipartisan ‘CROP for Farming Act’ Aims to Boost Regenerative Practices, Applegate Exceeds Regenerative Goal, Advances Soil Health and Transparency in Meat Industry
This Week in Regenerative Agriculture
Wednesday, July 16th
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1. On The Hill: New Bipartisan ‘CROP for Farming Act’ Aims to Boost Regenerative Practices and Cut Ag Emissions
Congress members Lawler, Riley, and McDonald Rivet have introduced the bipartisan CROP for Farming Act, which updates the Food Security Act of 1985 to formally support regenerative practices like no-till, cover cropping, and improved grazing through USDA’s EQIP program. The bill explicitly recognizes carbon sequestration and reductions in nitrous oxide and methane as conservation priorities, aligning federal incentives with climate-smart practices already in use by many farmers.
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2. The AppleGREATS: Applegate Exceeds Regenerative Goal, Advances Soil Health and Transparency in Meat Industry
Applegate’s 2024 Mission Report reveals the company met its regenerative agriculture goal nine months early, transitioning 100% of its beef hot dog supply to certified regenerative farms—doubling the projected farmland impact in half the time. The report details major environmental wins, including preventing 245,000 pounds of synthetic pesticides and 79,000 tons of soil erosion, while reinforcing animal welfare with guidance from Dr. Temple Grandin.
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3. CHINA - Poised to Lead in Regenerative Cotton Farming—But Collaboration Is Key
As the world’s largest textile exporter and a top cotton producer, China holds the power—and responsibility—to drive a global shift toward regenerative agriculture, but challenges like climate diversity, limited farmer training, and smallholder fragmentation remain. A CottonConnect initiative training over 250,000 farmers globally shows promising results, including an 87% adoption of natural inputs and a 41% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in Gujarat, India. “The future of China’s apparel industry relies on its land remaining productive,” writes Wenxiang Liu, calling for public-private partnerships, financial incentives, and farmer education to ensure China becomes a global pacesetter in sustainable cotton.
Link
4. London Climate Action Week: Financing Regeneration: Brazil’s Cerrado Emerges as a Blueprint for Sustainable Agriculture at LCW
At London Climate Action Week 2025, leaders from the Soft Commodities Forum, WWF, IDH, and others spotlighted Brazil’s Cerrado as a global testbed for landscape-scale regenerative agriculture and deforestation-free supply chains. Through the Sustainable Landscapes Partnership, nearly $10 million has been mobilized to improve livelihoods on 700+ farms and enhance climate outcomes across 800,000 hectares, with calls for doubling that investment to scale impact. With Brazil’s “Caminho Verde” loan program and new blended finance models taking center stage, the event emphasized value-chain alignment and collective action as vital next steps in securing resilient, low-carbon agricultural systems.
Link
5. MSU Launches $12M Regenerative Agriculture Program to Combat Lake Erie’s Algal Bloom
Michigan State University has received $12 million from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to spearhead a seven-year, performance-based conservation initiative aimed at reducing phosphorus runoff into the Western Lake Erie Basin. Led by the Institute of Water Research and the Center for Regenerative Agriculture, the program will combine cutting-edge digital modeling tools, yield stability mapping, and supply chain incentives to promote regenerative practices with measurable environmental outcomes.
Link
EXTRAS
Agoro Carbon announces ‘flagship 12-year agreement’ to sell 2.6M carbon credits to Microsoft [Link]
Science and farming denounce the misuse of the concept of regenerative agriculture by private companies [Link] & Food companies are making regenerative agriculture claims, but do not have the data to back them up [Link]
Food giants graded a “D” on sustainable farming practices [Link]
Venture of the Week
Groundbreaking Organizations.
Zachs Mighty
Zack’s Mighty makes tortilla chips using organically grown, regenerative corn varieties sourced from U.S. farms practicing soil-building methods like cover cropping and crop rotation. By partnering directly with farmers, they’re helping rebuild soil health and biodiversity while creating a transparent, traceable snack supply chain. Their model shows how consumer packaged goods can scale regenerative impact through ingredient sourcing.
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This Week In Regenerative Agriculture is published by Why Regenerative. It is compiled by Jackson Baris with ChatGPT. Sign up for our newsletter here.