Published paper on circular agriculture and farmer decision-making

Did you know that also with clean, healthy agriculture 🚜 we can feed the world and make money? In-depth research from EARA | European Alliance for Regenerative Agriculture shows that regenerative farmers across Europe generate very promising results. Without yield loss they farm in a eco-friendly way: ⬇️ very few chemicals, 💩 only natural fertilizer (and then only a bit and locally sourced) 🚜 Almost no tilling ("ploegen" in NL), leaving the soil intact, reducing soil erosion and increasing biodiversity. ✅ As a results less tractoring the fields: lower compaction, lower fuel consumption (and less work) 🔹 🔹 And therefore higher gross margin per hectare! 🔹 🔹   Nice words, but show me the numbers (based on 78 farmers farming 2144 ha)   🔻2% yield reduction compared to neighbouring farmers, while:   🔻 61% less synthetic fertilizers 🔻75% less pesticides   And still achieving: 🔺 33% higher RFP (a overall factor for regeneration) 🔺 25% more photosynthesis 🔺 16% higher plant diversity   🔹 🔷 AND 20% HIGHER GROSS MARGIN PER HECTARE 🔷 🔹   Thanks Simon Kraemer for you wise words at the Regenerative Agriculture Series - Summit 2025. And nice meeting you 🤩 ; Anne van Leeuwen and Felix Riecken!   Refer to complete study in the comments

Introducing CottonWISE - Using Earth Observation to connect crop water use and sustainability standards in cotton farming. eLEAF is proud to kick off CottonWISE, an ESA-funded feasibility study that brings Earth Observation technology to the world of sustainable cotton production. Today, around 25% of global cotton is grown under sustainability standards. Yet, despite increasing concerns about global water scarcity, agricultural water use is still underrepresented in certification schemes and regulatory frameworks. CottonWISE (Water Intelligence and Sustainability Evaluation) not only explores how satellite-based monitoring can provide insights into water use at both field and basin scale, but also aims to include water use as a quantifiable criterion for sustainability certification. CottonWISE is designed as a modular EO-based monitoring system built around three services: ▪️ CottonWISE Decision Support – guiding on-farm water management and sustainability improvements. ▪️ CottonWISE Benchmarking –comparing water productivity across regions and cotton production systems. ▪️ CottonWISE Verification – verifying sustainability claims for certification and regulatory frameworks. During our one-year study, we will listen to and learn from the perspectives, goals, and challenges faced by different stakeholder groups in the cotton value chain. We will meet with certification bodies, industry organisations, producers, farmer cooperatives, and brands. Interested? ➡️ Contact us to get involved! A special thanks to European Space Agency - ESA and NSO - Netherlands Space Office for their support in making this study possible and to our WaterSENSE partners for providing the stepping stones. Stay tuned for updates!

🚜🌍 Agreena launches AgreenaGro – a powerful new platform helping UK farmers make the shift to regenerative agriculture 🌱 📉 With rising input costs, extreme weather, and policy shifts, farmers face mounting pressure. AgreenaGro offers tools to: ✅ Cut emissions ✅ Improve soil health ✅ Earn 💰 from verified carbon outcomes ✅ Connect with supply chain partners ✅ Track progress with clear sustainability scores 👩🌾 Designed for farms of all sizes, it combines financial incentives with real-time insights, peer support, and smart farm integration. 💡 Coming soon: an AI-powered assistant for tailored agronomic advice! 🔗 Full story: https://lnkd.in/dkJBbG57

Is conventional agriculture really more efficient and cheaper than regenerative? Most people assume yes. The logic seems simple: higher yields per hectare, lower costs per ton of food. But in our latest episode, agroecologist Rafael Bueno explains brilliantly why this is completely wrong: 👉 Those numbers leave out the real costs. Every year, conventional farming erodes millions of tons of soil, contaminates rivers with pesticides, drives desertification, and contributes massively to climate change. None of that shows up in the farm’s balance sheet… but we all pay for it through higher water treatment costs, declining health, degraded land, and subsidies propping up failing systems. Now flip the coin: regenerative agriculture. Its benefits are also invisible in the usual calculations. Biodiversity protecting crops from pests, soils storing carbon and water, landscapes preventing floods, cleaner food, cleaner air. These are priceless services delivered for free by healthy ecosystems, yet they rarely make it into economic equations. Conclusion: regenerative is by far the smarter economic choice! As Rafael put it: “There is no doubt in science: regenerative systems are more valuable economically, ecologically, and socially than conventional farming.” This is one of the most important mindset shifts we need in food and farming. Because until we count what really counts, we’ll keep financing desertification instead of regeneration. ⎯ 🎧 this is episode 3 of the Valdibella cooperativa agricola mini-series -> link in the comments below ❤️

🌱 Carbon Farming Trends: Challenges & Opportunities for Agritech 🌍 As the world moves closer to its net-zero targets, agriculture is finding itself at the center of the climate conversation. Covering nearly 12% of global land and contributing almost 30% of GHG emissions, farming is both a challenge and a solution. This is where carbon farming steps in — a growing practice where farmers and foresters adopt eco-friendly techniques such as conservation tillage, biochar application, regenerative farming, and agroforestry to sequester carbon, improve soil health, and reduce emissions. 🚀 Opportunities for Agritech Carbon Removal Credits (CRC): With growing demand from F&B, ESG investors, and financial institutions, carbon credits are creating new income streams for farmers. Tech Integration: Advancements in satellite-based MRV (Monitoring, Reporting, Verification) are making soil carbon tracking more affordable and scalable. Policy Support: The EU’s Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming Certification Regulation (CRCF) is boosting transparency and investor confidence, setting a benchmark for global frameworks. Market Potential: By 2050, sustainable practices could help capture over 5 billion tons of CO₂ annually, creating massive opportunities for innovation and financing. ⚠️ Challenges to Address High upfront investment needs (estimated $260B annually by 2030 for global agri-food systems). Lack of standardized measurement protocols across geographies. Farmer adoption barriers due to cost, awareness, and uncertain returns. For the Agritech industry, this intersection of policy, market demand, and technology is shaping an era of innovation. Startups and established players alike can build solutions that empower farmers, ensure transparency, and scale climate-positive practices. 💡 The takeaway: Carbon farming is no longer a side initiative—it’s becoming a core driver of sustainable agriculture and climate resilience. 👉 What do you think? Can carbon farming be the bridge between climate goals and food security? #carbonfarming #sustainableagriculture #agritech #climateaction #carboncredits #netzero

Introducing CottonWISE - Using Earth Observation to connect crop water use and sustainability standards in cotton farming. eLEAF is proud to kick off CottonWISE, an ESA-funded feasibility study that brings Earth Observation technology to the world of sustainable cotton production. Today, around 25% of global cotton is grown under sustainability standards. Yet, despite increasing concerns about global water scarcity, agricultural water use is still underrepresented in certification schemes and regulatory frameworks. CottonWISE (Water Intelligence and Sustainability Evaluation) not only explores how satellite-based monitoring can provide insights into water use at both field and basin scale, but also aims to include water use as a quantifiable criterion for sustainability certification. CottonWISE is designed as a modular EO-based monitoring system built around three services: ▪️ CottonWISE Decision Support – guiding on-farm water management and sustainability improvements. ▪️ CottonWISE Benchmarking –comparing water productivity across regions and cotton production systems. ▪️ CottonWISE Verification – verifying sustainability claims for certification and regulatory frameworks. During our one-year study, we will listen to and learn from the perspectives, goals, and challenges faced by different stakeholder groups in the cotton value chain. We will meet with certification bodies, industry organisations, producers, farmer cooperatives, and brands. Interested? ➡️ Contact us to get involved! A special thanks to European Space Agency - ESA and NSO - Netherlands Space Office (Netherlands Space Office) for their support in making this study possible and to our WaterSENSE partners for providing the stepping stones. Stay tuned for updates!

South African Farmers to earn from First Verified Carbon Credits through UPL Corp’s CarbonSmart programme   · UPL’s CarbonSmart programme to issue its first 26,102 verified carbon credits to farmers. · Initiative empowers South African farmers to adopt regenerative agriculture and benefit from carbon markets. · Partnership with Orizon Agriculture and Verra certification marks a breakthrough in sustainable farming. Durban, South Africa, September 16, 2025 – UPL Corporation Ltd. (UPL Corp), a global provider of holistic and sustainable agricultural solutions, has reached a major milestone with its CarbonSmart programme. The first batch of 26,102 verified carbon credits will soon be issued to the programme, following the successful registration of the initiative with Verra, the global standard for carbon credit certification. CarbonSmart helps farmers adopt regenerative practices that improve soil health, cut emissions, and capture carbon in the soil. These efforts not only make farms more climate-positive but also provide farmers with a new income stream through carbon credits. FULL PRESS RELEASE HERE: https://lnkd.in/d6xp8_v3

A win for farmers, the environment, and the future of agriculture! We’re thrilled to announce a major milestone for UPL Corp’s CarbonSmart programme: 26,102 verified carbon credits are set to be issued to South African farmers. This achievement is proof that sustainable farming can deliver real financial and environmental benefits. Through regenerative practices like reduced tillage, cover cropping, and our NPP biosolutions, these farmers have improved soil health, captured carbon, and unlocked a new income stream. And the best part? The majority of revenue from these credits will go directly to the farmers. This is just the beginning. With our partners at Orizon Agriculture, we’re scaling CarbonSmart to include more crops, regions, and farmers – all while advancing sustainability and farmer profitability. Congratulations to our pilot farmers and the UPL Corp South Africa team for leading the way in climate-positive farming. Together, we’re proving that agriculture can be a force for good. #SustainableAg #CarbonSmart #FarmersFirst #RegenerativeFarming

🌱 𝑾𝒉𝒚 𝑹𝒆𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝑨𝒈𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 – 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝑯𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑰𝒕 𝑩𝒂𝒄𝒌 Agriculture today faces a paradox: while it must feed growing populations, intensive practices have degraded soils, ecosystems, and farmer livelihoods. Regenerative agriculture offers a holistic path forward by restoring soil health, improving farm productivity, and strengthening farmer well-being. 🔎 So why is progress slow? Resistance to sustainability policies (e.g., EU Green Deal, SDG 2030) shows that change must be ambitious yet broadly accepted. 𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭-𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬—𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞-𝐬𝐢𝐳𝐞-𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬-𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. Evidence gaps on trade-offs (e.g., biodiversity vs. yield) make adoption uncertain. 💡 Where should we focus? 1. 𝑺𝒐𝒊𝒍 & 𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒔𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒎 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 – building long-term resilience over short-term gains. 2. 𝑬𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒄 𝒗𝒊𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 – ensuring farmers benefit financially through markets, incentives, and fair value chains. 3. 𝑺𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍-𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 – recognizing farmers’ quality of life, motivations, and community ties. 4. 𝑲𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒍𝒆𝒅𝒈𝒆 & 𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 – Knowledge & evidence – bridging science and practice through living labs and farmer-led innovation. If we can address these areas, regenerative agriculture can become more than a buzzword—it can be a cornerstone of future-proof food systems that nourish both people and the planet. 🌍🌾

I love to see that even big corporations such as Nestle are acknowledging the importance on joining and supporting initiatives for Regenerative Agriculture practices. Additionally, I found this article to be very interesting because it brings into the picture also how there is also a crisis of interest in becoming a farmer, or continuing that legacy from farmer families, and how tech and AI could be an incentive to appeal to the new generation of farmers, making a case of an entrepreneurship opportunity. Tech and AI can also be an ally for Regenerative Agriculture as some conventional farms dread the transition into these new practices. This is what is all about: ancient practices meeting new technologies for the benefit of all and a bright beautiful future. What do you think? #regenerativeagriculture #farming #ai #foodtech #nestle #foodindustry