Conference Day Two

Thursday, November 14

7:30 am Coffee & Networking

8:45 am Keynote Opening Presentation

  • Robert Bonnie Under Secretary for Farm Production & Conservation, USDA

Increasing Farmer Engagement & Education to Maximize Adoption at Scale

9:00 am Driving Farmer Behavior Change to Adopt Practices that Support Carbon Reduction & Removal at Scale

  • Greg Goodwin Director, PCM, Illinois Corn Growers Association

Synopsis

  • Understanding how ‘financial sustainability’ fits into sustainability to enable farms to flourish and allow broad scale adoption
  • Recognizing and aligning with farmers’ priorities to support with the transition to regenerative practices, acknowledging variations in regional geography
  • Review process of signing up for conservation programs and address technical challenges to ensure implementation

9:30 am Case Study: Strategies for Approaching & Engaging Farmers in Carbon Insetting Programs

  • Ryan Sirolli Global Environmental Markets - Insets Lead, Cargill

Synopsis

  • Building trust and credibility through transparent communications to maximize engagement
  • Designing flexible contracts to reduce farmer risk and incentivize participation
  • Understanding farmer motivation from partaking in a program to better adapt communication strategies

10:00 am Being in Collaboration & Not Competition with Mother Nature: Farmer Perspectives and Motivators for Adopting Regenerative Practices

  • Kelly Garrett 6th Generation Farmer, Co-Founder, Garrett Land & Cattle, XtremeAg
  • Temple Rhodes 7th Generation Farmer, Partner, Chestnut Manor Farm, XtremeAg

Synopsis

  • Converging sustainable farming practices with yield optimization: Improving soil health to improve yield and ROI
  • Identifying steps to maximize the emission-reducing potential of corn and soybeans and fostering collaboration within the supply chain for enhanced progress
  • Validating the efficacy of reduced nitrogen application in improving farm soil health

11:00 am Morning Refreshments & Networking

Evaluating Paths to Scale Innovative Financing to Decarbonize Agricultural Supply Chains

12:00 pm How Does the Finance Community Evaluate Risk & Regulatory Risk to Enable Long-Term Investment in Regenerative Agriculture Projects?

  • Owen Wagner Vice President, Senior Analyst - Grains and Oilseeds, Rabobank

Synopsis

  • Understand the sources and regulatory frameworks for financing regenerative agriculture in the United States
  • Explore how agribusinesses can communicate the economic, social, and environmental benefits of transitioning to regenerative agriculture to lenders
  • Examine financiers’ motivations for investing in the agricultural sector and identify existing opportunities, while drawing insights from past programs and producers to accelerate progress

12:30 pm Panel Discussion: Unlocking Finance Across the Agricultural Sector to Drive Scaled Change and Transformation

Synopsis

  • Establishing a carbon market framework to entice companies and financial institutions to invest in agriculture to foster scalable adoption
  • Addressing challenges in ensuring carbon reductions and removals are backed scientifically to mitigate risks for investors and to fund new technologies
  • Reviewing the need for more partnerships to facilitate the transition to sustainable practices, scale up initiatives over the long-term and mitigate financial risk for farmers
  • Ensuring that farmers are financially incentivized to continue adopting climate-smart practices for the long-term 

1:30 pm Lunch & Networking

2:30 pm Case Study: Co-Financing with Downstream Partners to Share the Value of Emissions Reduction & Achieve Success in Sustainable Agriculture

  • Ryan Smith Senior Manager, Regenerative Agriculture Impact & Partnerships, Danone

Synopsis

  • Collaborating on co-financing opportunities and adhering to FLAG guidance
  • Balancing financing among partners and accounting for reductions
  • Successes and lessons learned from co-financing partnerships

Leveraging Insights to Increase Transparency & Traceability in Agricultural Supply Chains

3:00 pm Talk Details to be Released Soon

3:30 pm Farmer Lens: Improving the Transparency of Data in Agriculture & Food System Sustainability

Synopsis

  • Examining implications of data collection and sharing in carbon insetting
  • Discussing concerns about data privacy and ownership to mitigate farmer risk
  • Explore methods for anonymized data sharing to benefit the agricultural community and supply chain

4:00 pm From the Farm Up: Navigating the Wild West & the Intensity of the Carbon Markets

Synopsis

  • Understanding the value of data and the benefits to farmers, CPGs and the supply chain
  • Delving into the evolving landscape of biofuels, including potential multi-billion-dollar tax credit opportunities, and navigating the changing regulatory environment
  • Sharing insights on navigating the complexities of carbon intensity and leveraging it to drive innovation and sustainability

4:30 pm Chair’s Closing Remarks

4:45 pm Close of Summit