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The document outlines how to make school catering procurement more sustainable in Estonia, aligning with European Commission guidelines and the 'Farm to Fork' strategy. It provides specific technical descriptions and evaluation criteria across several key areas: organic food, low-climate-impact sourcing (short supply chains and seasonal produce), plant-based diets, waste reduction, eco-friendly cleaning supplies, energy and water efficiency, and food education. For each area, it suggests how to set minimum requirements in technical specifications and how to award additional points during the bid evaluation process to incentivize higher environmental standards.

The document examines the conflict between current global food systems and biodiversity, noting that while food systems depend on natural capital, they are the primary drivers of biodiversity loss. It highlights that USD 700 billion in annual government agricultural support often incentivizes harmful practices like the overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. To address this, the author analyzes three national case studies: the UK's transition to paying for 'environmental public goods', India's support for organic 'clusters' to improve soil health, and Brazil's ABC+ plan for climate adaptation and low-carbon agriculture. The paper concludes that achieving the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework's Target 18 requires better practical guidance for policymakers and greater coherence between international frameworks, including the WTO, the Paris Agreement, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The report examines gender inequalities in Thailand, specifically within rice farming, noting that while women are active in agriculture and often manage household finances, they are frequently categorized as 'unpaid family workers,' making their contributions invisible in policy. It identifies significant barriers including a gender wage gap, heavy burdens of unpaid care work, and under-representation in decision-making. The document argues that women are key drivers for adopting climate-smart technologies due to their attention to detail and cost-sensitivity, but they require targeted support to overcome structural inequalities and be recognized as entrepreneurs.

A group of scientists requests increased public funding for US agricultural research to address the climate crisis, noting that inflation-adjusted investments have fallen by one-third since 2002. They argue that public R&D is essential for developing tools to mitigate climate change and improve food security, as private sector research often ignores non-commercial environmental benefits. The letter specifically calls for more resources for USDA agencies and programs such as the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), and research into sustainable nutrition and farmworker health.

The report examines how voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) can be integrated into trade policies to foster sustainable South-South trade. It identifies key barriers, such as high compliance costs and lack of demand, and provides case studies from Africa, Asia, and Latin America to demonstrate successful integration strategies, including mutual recognition agreements and participatory guarantee systems.

The document analyzes the South African food system as a site of deep social inequality and climate vulnerability. It highlights a dualistic production structure where a small number of large-scale commercial farms dominate, while millions of smallholder farmers lack resources. The paper details the system's vulnerability to climate change—specifically heatwaves, droughts, and rainfall variability—and its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, primarily through livestock and synthetic fertilizers. It critiques 'market-centred' and 'technofix' approaches to sustainability, advocating instead for a 'deep just transition' based on agroecology, food sovereignty, and the redistribution of power and resources to ensure the right to food and decent work for all.

The document analyzes India's complex textile value chain, highlighting significant environmental pollution from water-intensive cotton production and toxic dyeing processes. It identifies a fragmented supply chain, high competition, and outdated technology as primary barriers to sustainability, while suggesting that increased stakeholder collaboration, government incentives, and a shift toward 'slow fashion' could drive a sustainable transition.

The report analyzes the global banana industry, highlighting the role of VSSs like Fairtrade and Organic in improving producer prices and resilience. It details the sector's high vulnerability to climate-driven pests and diseases, such as Tropical Race 4, and the economic pressures caused by retail price wars and market concentration. The document argues for a shared responsibility model across the value chain to ensure living wages and sustainable production.

The report examines the role of voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) in the South Asian cotton sector, specifically in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. It identifies three primary sustainability challenges: excessive synthetic pesticide use, severe water depletion, and volatile farmer incomes. The analysis finds that VSSs like Better Cotton, Organic, Fairtrade, and the REEL Cotton Code have significant market potential, particularly those allowing genetically modified (GM) cotton, which dominates the region. Spatial analysis indicates that VSSs are largely implemented in high-need areas, though gaps remain in regions like Andhra Pradesh and Haryana. The report concludes that while VSSs provide a framework for sustainable production, there is a lack of integrated regional policy or trade agreement provisions to scale these benefits, recommending stronger alignment between government policies and VSS requirements.

The Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) program provides financial aid to agricultural producers in 16 specific US states to manage financial risk through conservation, marketing, and crop diversification. Administered by the NRCS, AMS, and RMA, the program is permanently authorized at $10 million per fiscal year and covers up to 75 percent of the cost for conservation practices like agroforestry and cover crops to mitigate climate change.

The report analyzes the disparities between family farmers in Brazil's Caatinga and Cerrado biomes, highlighting that those in the Caatinga face higher levels of poverty, lower productivity, and more restricted access to technical assistance. It argues that a just rural transition requires personalized policies that integrate social dimensions—such as education and gender equity—with technological solutions to move from extractive to sustainable agricultural models.

The report analyzes the disparities between smallholders in the Caatinga and Cerrado biomes, highlighting that those in the Caatinga face higher poverty, lower productivity, and greater climate vulnerability. It argues that a rural just transition in Brazil requires tailored policies that address these regional differences, specifically targeting subsistence farmers with social support and providing commercial-oriented smallholders with low-carbon technological and financial solutions.

The report examines the global cotton market, highlighting the growth of VSS-compliant cotton, which reached 25%–26% of total production by 2019. It details the vulnerabilities of cotton farmers to climate change and market volatility, noting that farmers often receive less than 10% of a garment's retail price. The document argues for better price transparency, long-term contracts, and the internalization of external costs to ensure living incomes for smallholders.

The report analyzes the global cotton industry, highlighting the growth of sustainable cotton produced under voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) and the challenges posed by climate change and market volatility. It examines the disparity in value distribution across the textile supply chain, where smallholder farmers receive a minimal fraction of retail prices. While VSS like Better Cotton and Organic can improve yields and incomes, the report notes that many sustainable products are sold at conventional prices. It recommends improving contract transparency, internalizing external costs, and developing regional value chains, particularly in West Africa, to enhance resilience and farmer income.

The document analyzes the GHG emissions of chicken production, noting that cradle-to-retail meat averages 7–10 kgCO2e/kg edible weight (EW). Feed, particularly land-use change (LUC) from soy and oil palm, is the primary emission driver. The report compares broiler, layer, and backyard systems, highlighting that conventional industrial farming generally has lower emissions than organic systems due to better feed conversion and bird performance. Mitigation focuses on deforestation-free feed, optimized diets, and improved manure management.

The briefing addresses the lack of standardised definitions for sustainable agriculture, which increases the risk of greenwashing. It examines four representative production systems—regenerative, ecological intensification, sustainable intensification, and organic agriculture—and argues that sustainability should be assessed based on specific management practices rather than broad system labels. The author categorises practices into 'Always', 'Usually', and 'Sometimes' sustainable based on environmental impact, while emphasizing that all must meet 'do no significant harm' (DNSH) social standards. It identifies uncontrolled deforestation and the conversion of high-carbon stocks as permanently unsustainable practices.

The report analyzes the alignment between three voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs)—the East African Organic Products Standard (EAOPS), the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) Standard, and GLOBALG.A.P.—and the agricultural policies of the East African Community (EAC). It focuses on staple crops (beans, maize, rice, and wheat) which are critical for food security and regional trade. The findings indicate strong alignment with climate resilience goals and medium alignment with productivity and trade objectives. Key barriers to scaling VSSs include high certification costs for smallholders, low domestic demand for certified products, and a lack of official political recognition from national standards bureaus. The report recommends that VSS bodies use pilot projects to prove their value and that EAC policy-makers provide targeted financial support and official recognition to integrate these standards into regional trade and development frameworks.

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) urges the Edmonton City Council to ban cosmetic pesticides, asserting that such bans are popular, cost-effective, and essential for protecting human and environmental health. CAPE argues that the current risk assessment approach is insufficient and advocates for an 'alternatives assessment' paradigm that prioritizes hazard prevention over acceptable risk. The document links pesticide use to broader planetary health crises, noting that pesticides can negatively impact soil biodiversity and carbon sequestration, thereby exacerbating the climate emergency. CAPE cites various health risks associated with pesticides, including links to cancers, reproductive problems, and Parkinson's disease, and points to successful bans in other jurisdictions as models for Edmonton to follow.

ClientEarth and partners assess the trilogue agreement on SAIO regulation, noting progress in the potential for annual pesticide data collection from 2028 and the inclusion of veterinary products. However, they warn that annual collection is conditional upon future legislation requiring electronic records from professional users, and that data will not be available at a regional level or include biocidal products.

The document argues that the war in Ukraine should not be used as a justification to weaken the EU's Farm to Fork strategy or return to intensive agriculture. Instead, the signatories claim that accelerating the transition to agroecology, organic farming, and plant-based diets is the only way to ensure long-term food security and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. They specifically oppose proposals to increase farmland for biofuels and intensive animal farming, warning that such actions would increase ecosystem collapse and vulnerability.