Lawrence O'Connor’s Post

Interested in the US Farm Bill ? Learn more on this update.

Have you noticed how regenerative agriculture entities never promote maligned wildlife? As always, lots of talk in this presentation about "holistic", "Whole system", "biodiversity" yet not a single mention of large predators with whom most livestock agriculture shares the land. Lots of talk about supporting ranchers which is great, yet that community notoriously holds strong prejudice against wolves, cougars and other large predators, enough so to cull them and rally against any conservation legislation in support. That obviously has to change if we want well-functioning ecosystems, lifesupport and climate crisis mitigation. Thats exactly why the predator-livestock conflict management subject is crucial and necessary. Go to the posts page of an organization like Soil & Climate Alliance and Regenerative Organic Alliance, do a Ctrl+F to search every pertinent keyword you can think of: "wolf", "wolves", "cougar", "predator", "carnivore", "conflict", etc. Zero results, every time. So prominently and narrowly focusing on soil health at this point appears a red flag, acts as distraction. If regenerative agriculture is to actually be the solution they hype it to be, time to stop shying away from predator-livestock conflict management. Doing so is cowardly. True regenerative can never entail or leave room for proving degenerative toward Nature's ecosystem champions, even the large carnivorous ones. If to be taken seriously as an eco leader, regenerative entities can not be silent or neutral on the issue of biodiversity decline. Desmond Tutu's popular quote rings true here: "If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor." We need to see them be more courageous and comprehensive.

Since starting the Global Great Green Wall Initiative. Our social-economic initiative by way of Agriculture to lift the people and create a carbon offset market to help environment, Participants in 17 countries have pledged over 627,412 hectares for Agriculture Development, and 3,323,192 hectares of Forest and Nature Reserves, as we continue to expand

National Caucus of Environmental Legislators Briefing: How States Can Support Young Farmers and Sustainable Agriculture and Leverage Federal Resources During this webinar, legislators learned how states can support sustainable agriculture and young farmers through state policy and leveraging federal resources. Our moderator, IL Rep. Sonya Harper, and speakers, David Howard from the National Young Farmers Coalition and Jennifer Byrne from the White River Conservation District, highlighted the challenges facing young and BIPOC farmers. They emphasized the importance of state policy action and of leaning on local conservation districts to promote sustainability and support the next generation of farmers. As we move forward, it’s clear that collaborative action and state policy initiatives are needed. By understanding the challenges, legislators can leverage resources effectively and prioritize sustainability and support for underrepresented groups. View the recording to learn more and hear about state policy examples. https://lnkd.in/dg6HGPur

Thriving farm businesses. Sustainable food production. Enhancing our natural environment. 🌾 How do we achieve all three? Collaboration is key. Only by working together can we benefit from each other's areas of expertise to support farming and nature to thrive together and deliver on the government’s Environmental Improvement Plan commitments. In our latest blog, Natural England’s Head of Agriculture, Geoff Sansome, shares how we’ll focus our efforts on making local and trusted relationships: https://lnkd.in/eBtK22bk #SustainableFarming #EnvironmentalImprovementPlan

Improve resource utilization, avoid unnecessary waste, energy saving and emission reduction

Discover how climate-induced challenges are reshaping farming and why regenerative agriculture is key. Explore 5 recent resources by USN4C members on how the food industry can expedite regenerative agriculture practices to drive impactful change on a significant scale: 👉 https://lnkd.in/dTM28TD6 Featuring USN4C members: Ceres, Inc., Environmental Defense Fund, and The Nature Conservancy. #RegenerativeAgriculture #ClimateSmartAgriculture #NaturalClimateSolutions

Hot off the press “Are we losing the ground under our feet?” is a must-read from Raus journal, where Nina Mannheimer explores the transformative power of #RegenerativeAgriculture and our collective love for nature. Learn about: 🌱 The principles of Regenerative Agriculture and how they build soil health, enhance water retention, and sequester carbon from the atmosphere. 🧑🌾 Implementation strategies, such as using cover crops and intercropping, to protect soil and promote biodiversity. 🤎 The pivotal role of Klim in helping farmers transition to regenerative practices and assisting companies in supporting these endeavours. But we won't give it all away here—read the full article in English or German. 🇬🇧 https://lnkd.in/dYACHPAB 🇩🇪 https://lnkd.in/d5f2mVvD

Take Action—Tell Congress To Support a Farm Bill that Promotes a Sustainable Future The House Agriculture Committee voted on May 23 to move the Farm, Food, and National Security Act out of committee after a contentious markup and onslaught of amendments that undermine water health, soil health, biodiversity, and local democratic authority to protect people and the environment from toxic pesticide exposure. The enthusiastic applause from industrial agriculture reveals its support for a system that relies on petrochemical-based pesticides—leading to economic instability, ecosystem collapse, and the degradation of democratic institutions. >> Tell Your U.S. Representative and Senators to support a Farm Bill that promotes a sustainable future. https://ow.ly/phO750S4Fuy

🚨❗️ A C T I O N: Our friends at Regenerate America are only a few signatures short of reaching their goal of 25,000 to tell Congress to support regenerative agriculture! SIGN THE PETITION: https://lnkd.in/g8pDJnh7 Healthy soil is the foundation of a strong nation. It provides us with food, fiber, fuel and ensures resilience and longevity. However, decades of industrial agriculture practices have destroyed our soils, accelerating climate change and decimating the health of our communities, local economies, and family farms. Americans are feeling the impact: increased food costs, water scarcity, declining health, and costly damages due to droughts, floods, and more. It's time to hold Congress accountable for solutions. Regenerative agriculture is a key solution for addressing climate, health, and water crises – and the Farm Bill is the opportunity we have to implement it. Farmers and ranchers can regenerate our lands, but they need YOUR help to do it. Sign the petition at regenerateamerica.com to tell congress to support #regenerativeagriculture.