Founders Live’s Post

Each year with Earth Day, we get the opportunity to reflect on the improvements our dairy farmer member-owners make on their farms that benefit all of us. Our commitment is evident in the substantial improvements in metrics across the our cooperative. Last year, the FARM environmental sustainability tool found that Maryland & Virginia farms emitted 16.8% less than the national average between January 2023 and January 2024. We’re proud of our members for being leaders in the field. That they are leading the efforts to be more sustainable is proof that farmers are some of the most forward-thinking and progressive groups out there when it comes to being caretakers of our planet. https://loom.ly/0rAF7WE

💚 Eco Strides: Pioneering the Path to Sustainability! 🌍 👌 This week in our sustainability news, we're excited to share three groundbreaking initiatives leading us towards a greener, more equitable future. 👇 Check out the amazing work being done by our featured weekly changemakers: 💚 Morrisons partners with Harper Adams University, launching a network to support farmers on their net-zero journey. 💚 innocent drinks commits £1m to regenerative farming, strengthening the bond between consumers and farmers. 💚 Bristol City Council announces a £750m clean energy plan, aiming for a carbon-neutral Bristol by 2030. 😲 Want to know more about these incredible acts of sustainable change? Use the link in the comments to read more! Join us as we delve into these inspiring stories, showcasing commitment, innovation, and collaboration towards sustainability. 🌱💚 Don’t forget to like, share and comment…let’s get this amazing news out there! #EcoStrides #Sustainability #GreenFuture #PlayItGreen #SustainabilityNews #SustainableChange #SustainableBusiness #NetZero

The invitation to co-found www.fieldrise.com to help three University of Wisconsin-Madison professors deploy a farm sustainability measurement platform was life-changing for me because FieldRise brought new math and science to tough social challenges. FieldRise was founded by farmer groups seeking an easier way to document sustainability practices for food companies. The FieldRise sustainability survey is easy to fill out online. It takes a slow cup of coffee to complete. It uses advanced statistics and a confidential report to help farmers measure their practices objectively, and improve their profitability. FieldRise sustainability survey enables massive row crop scale for practice measurement and outcome improvements. What’s best of all is farmers support FieldRise. If your team is having challenges getting farmers interested in sustainability measurement let’s talk! FieldRise can help. #sustainability #science #food #familyfarming

"A resilient built environment, at all scales (from an individual building, a community, to a city or a regional infrastructure scale), offers a new path forward to reverse the perception of the built environment as a net resource consumer to a resource provider." On 10 December, the COP28 theme is Food, Agriculture, and Water ... and Prem Sundharam of DLR Group, one of our delegates to #COP28UAE, offers this insight about connections between those realms and the #builtenvironment. #Arch2030atCOP28 #BuildingOurFuture  #BuildingOurFutureUS  #GreeningOurFutureUS https://lnkd.in/ggj8BijT

"A resilient built environment, at all scales (from an individual building, a community, to a city or a regional infrastructure scale), offers a new path forward to reverse the perception of the built environment as a net resource consumer to a resource provider." "The built environment, at all scales, is deeply connected to food, agriculture, and water. A comprehensive and collaborative approach between different sectors and stakeholders can bring a positive change to not only curbing carbon emissions but also toward building a more sustainable, resilient, and just world." Well stated, but for this to rapidly become more consistent (the norm), scalable, and equitable, there likely needs to be a shift in the values that underlie our economic systems and governing structures: https://lnkd.in/gx2JK2VP (see the comments as well). #architecture2030 #Arch2030atCOP28 #cop28 #cop28uae #BuildingOurFuture #BuildingOurFutureUS #GreeningOurFutureUS #regenerativedesign #regenerativeagriculture #prosocial #publicgood #collectiveaction #managingthecommons #sustainabledevelopment #decisionmaking #governing #netzerocarbon #sustainabledevelopmentgoals #unsdgs #esg

Last year, Nuveen’s #privateequity #impact team invested in Ecozen, a manufacturer of solar water pumps and cold storage units for smallholder farmers. Ecozen's products helped increase farm yields and farmer incomes and decreased spoilage while helping their customers avoid over 500,000 tons of CO2E in 2022 alone. The investment in Ecozen’s products demonstrates Nuveen’s unwavering effort in driving a more #inclusive transition to a low carbon economy. Learn more about Ecozen and Nuveen's #climate inclusion strategy: https://bit.ly/3Q8xRWG

Take, make, throw away — the repetition of a linear economy is no longer viable. We are using the equivalent of 1.6 earths to maintain our current way of life, outpacing the planet’s ability to keep up with human enterprise. We know where the straight line of business-as-usual leads: environmental harm, unmitigated waste, and one-way thinking that does not consider the people and communities that sustain the system. But another way is possible, and at Silk Grass Farms we are developing circular agricultural and economic practices that regenerate the soil, heal the land, and reverse climate change. Learn how we are building a thriving agribusiness at the intersection of industry and conservation: https://buff.ly/3wViMSi

2023 marked continued progress on topics such as watershed management, regenerative agriculture, decarbonization efforts, and climate action. As BIER continued in its 17th year, aiming to reduce resource consumption, mitigate impacts, and ensure sustainable continuity and the future of the global beverage industry, the notable highlights of the coalition’s efforts are attributed to the members’ collaboration and commitment to advance the sector’s environmental sustainability by serving as a technical resource and knowledge base and building for transparency throughout the value chain. In acknowledgment of BIER’s members and contributions, read our recent post: BIER’s 2023 Reflections Inspiring Environmental Sustainability in the Beverage Industry in 2024 https://bit.ly/3U3Rwuk #environmentalsustainability #energy #water #watershed #decarbonization #deforestation #climateaction #regenerativeagriculture #ESG #SDG

Sparking Transformation: Uniting #GlobalNexus and PIP Approach for a Sustainable Agriculture The #GlobalNexus concept and the PIP (Plan Intégré du Paysan) approach shine as guiding compasses, united by their shared values and practical applications. These two transformative frameworks provide a holistic foundation for addressing global challenges and nurturing positive change on a worldwide scale. Both the #GlobalNexus and the PIP approach prioritize inclusivity as a driving force behind innovation. The #GlobalNexus calls for equal and reciprocal partnerships and diverse voices, recognizing that it is through collaboration that we find holistic solutions. Similarly, the PIP approach equips communities and individual households to become proactive stewards of their environments, sparking collaborative efforts among farmers and fostering interdisciplinary knowledge exchange. The value of contextualized local wisdom and global impact, rooted in bidirectional knowledge exchange and diverse voices, further enriches the strength of these approaches. Sustainability forms the common thread that binds these approaches together. The #Global Nexus envisions a regenerative agriculture future firmly rooted in diversity and inclusion, while the PIP approach lays the groundwork for sustainable change at various levels. Both emphasize the necessity of long-term planning and forward-thinking for a brighter tomorrow. Empowerment is the shared objective. The #GlobalNexus encourages individuals and communities to shoulder responsibility for their environments, while the PIP approach motivates households to invest in the resilience of their landscapes. Knowledge sharing amplifies their impact, raising awareness and spurring action. In practical terms, these approaches enable communities to combat land degradation, build resilience, and tackle pressing global challenges head-on. They foster a culture of stewardship, responsibility, and resilience, promoting a sustainable, interconnected global community. This synthesis offers a comprehensive compass for positive change. Through collaborations and shared visions like these, we can work together towards a more sustainable, equitable, and interconnected global community, leaving a lasting impact for generations to come. Together, we bridge gaps, foster collaboration, inclusivity, and holistic innovation, driving enduring change and kindling a brighter future for all. #SparkingTransformation #GlobalNexusForChange #PIPUnifiedImpact Wageningen University & Research Wageningen Centre for Development Innovation