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The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) conducted a training workshop from April 26th to 28th, 2024, in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, to implement laser-controlled land leveling in two pilot districts: Phimai and Sung Noen. This precision agriculture technology uses a laser transmitter and receiver to create a flat or uniformly inclined field surface, which optimizes irrigation, reduces water runoff, and improves crop germination. While the technology enhances water efficiency and crop yields, the report notes that high initial equipment costs and the need for technical expertise may limit adoption for smaller farms without subsidies.

The report details a regional meeting held in Thailand in October 2023, bringing together stakeholders from China, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. It showcases various climate-smart agriculture (CSA) technologies—such as Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) and the System of Rice Intensification (SRI)—aimed at reducing water footprints and methane emissions in rice farming. The document outlines national policy approaches, identifies barriers like limited finance and technology access, and recommends a shift toward community-centric climate finance and enhanced interagency collaboration to build regional climate resilience.

The report argues that climate adaptation is now a business imperative due to increasing physical risks and economic losses. It identifies three 'entry points' for private finance: 'Protect' (safeguarding existing assets and supply chains), 'Grow' (investing in early-stage and mature companies developing resilience technologies), and 'Participate' (co-investing in public sector infrastructure projects). The analysis highlights that adaptation investments can yield high benefit-to-cost ratios, particularly in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs), and that valuation multiples for resilience solution providers are promising, with a median of 9 times revenue.

The document examines 'cyber-biosecurity' risks, where advances in automation, synthetic biology, and the proliferation of high-containment labs create vulnerabilities that malicious actors can exploit. It highlights threats such as the manipulation of genomic data, cyber attacks on medical devices, and the targeting of agricultural infrastructure. To mitigate these risks, the author recommends designating the bioeconomy as critical infrastructure, passing comprehensive health privacy laws, strengthening oversight of gain-of-function research, and implementing stringent screening protocols for gene synthesis providers.

The policy brief examines how BRICS partnerships can accelerate the digitisation of African agriculture to drive economic growth. It identifies key barriers in Africa, such as weak coordination and low FDI, and highlights successful digital agricultural models in China, Brazil, India, Russia, and South Africa. The author recommends using the New Development Bank (NDB) and the AfCFTA to improve infrastructure and trade, while urging African nations to adopt policies that foster digital literacy and agri-tech entrepreneurship.

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers and nonindustrial forest managers to address natural resource concerns. It supports practices that improve water and air quality, increase soil health, and mitigate climate change. Funding is provided through the 2018 Farm Bill and the Inflation Reduction Act, with specific allocations for livestock production and wildlife habitat. The program includes sub-initiatives like Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) and the EQIP Cover Crop Initiative to foster innovative conservation approaches and carbon sequestration.

The Community Connect Grant Program provides financial assistance to eligible organizations to deploy broadband internet in rural, economically challenged communities. The program is linked to climate goals by enabling the use of precision agriculture and smart home energy devices. For fiscal year 2023, Congress appropriated $35 million for the program, which requires grant recipients to provide a cash match of at least 15%.

The 2023 Sustainable Agriculture Market Intelligence Report by GreenCape examines the transition to sustainable farming in South Africa, particularly in the Western Cape. It identifies key investment opportunities in renewable energy, regenerative agriculture, smart farming, and circular agriculture to mitigate climate risks such as water scarcity and rising temperatures. The report provides market sizing for specific technologies, discusses the impact of national policies like the Carbon Tax Act and the Agriculture and Agro-Processing Master Plan, and highlights the Western Cape's role as a greentech hub.

The document argues that current agri-food transition finance is often unambitious and lacks alignment with science-based pathways, particularly regarding scope 3 emissions. It introduces five Transition Principles and five Hallmarks to ensure that corporate transition plans are rooted in action rather than pledges, exclude offsets, and align with a 1.5°C trajectory. The paper also reviews various existing frameworks, such as SBTi FLAG and the EU Platform on Sustainable Finance, to identify how they address broader goals like biodiversity, water use, and just transition.

The report argues that 'net zero' targets are a 'smokescreen' allowing corporations to maintain fossil-fuel-based business models through carbon offsetting and 'nature-based solutions'. It contends that these mechanisms lead to land grabbing, the dispossession of Indigenous and peasant communities, and the co-option of agroecology. The document specifically highlights the risks of soil carbon farming as a means for agribusiness and IT companies to harvest farm data and exert control over land use. It concludes that real climate justice requires a transition to food sovereignty and a rapid phase-out of fossil fuels rather than reliance on unverifiable carbon credits.

The document examines how healthy soils in agriculture and natural ecosystems (forests, wetlands, and grasslands) can act as carbon sinks. It highlights regenerative agriculture practices, the importance of protecting peatlands and native prairies, and the role of Indigenous knowledge. However, it warns that soil sequestration cannot replace the need for greenhouse gas emission cuts and faces challenges such as measurement standardization and the risk of displacing food production.

The document examines the GHG footprints of soy production, emphasizing that land-use change (LUC) is the primary driver of emissions. It details emissions from farm-gate activities, processing, and transport, while comparing production systems and regional impacts, particularly in South America. Mitigation priorities focus on preventing deforestation and improving tillage and fertilizer practices.

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 finds that while Estonia's total greenhouse gas emissions fell from 18,687.4 kt CO2e in 2018 to 11,555.8 kt CO2e in 2020, significant gaps remain across all sectors to reach 2050 neutrality. The energy sector shows a positive trend in renewables, but wind capacity investment is lagging. The buildings sector lacks incentives for non-residential renovations, which are identified as highly cost-efficient. The LULUCF sector transitioned from a carbon sink to an emitting sector in 2020. Transport emissions are decreasing, but a modal shift toward public transport and cycling has not been achieved. Agriculture emissions continue to rise slowly, and the sector faces limited reduction potential without impacting food production. The report highlights the contradiction of government support for a new shale oil refinery, which is viewed as a step away from climate neutrality.

The document argues that Kenya's coffee sector, which employs 30% of the agricultural workforce, faces existential risks from climate change and declining production. It proposes 17 specific Sustainable Consumption and Production Practices (SCPs) across the value chain—from farm-level organic fertilizers and shade trees to factory-level eco-pulping and the use of renewable energy in milling—to increase yields and reduce environmental impacts. The brief recommends that the Kenyan government incorporate SCPs into national coffee reforms, provide subsidies for sustainable technology, and enhance capacity-building through extension officers.

The document examines the role of bio-inputs and biological control agents in Colombia's transition toward a sustainable bioeconomy. It highlights Colombia's early leadership in regulatory frameworks, the growth of a science-intensive industry comprising 238 registered companies, and the preference for these tools among exporters of high-value crops. However, it identifies significant barriers, including lengthy and costly registration processes (up to 5 years and $15,000), a lack of farmer education regarding the preventive nature of bio-inputs, the risks of unregulated artisanal production, and a reliance on imported cosmopolitan microorganisms over native biodiversity.

The 2022 Sustainable Agriculture Market Intelligence Report by GreenCape outlines key investment opportunities in South Africa's agricultural sector, focusing on energy efficiency, renewable energy, regenerative agriculture, controlled environment agriculture (CEA), smart farming, and electric equipment. It highlights the dual nature of the South African agricultural economy and the specific role of the Western Cape as a greentech hub. The report details the drivers for sustainable transition, such as rising input costs and resource scarcity, and examines the impact of national policies like the Carbon Tax Act and international strategies such as the EU's Farm to Fork strategy.

The report examines the intersection of climate change and agriculture in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. It highlights that while the Prairies are warming faster than most of Canada, leading to increased risks of drought, flooding, and pests, the agricultural sector also contributes significantly to national emissions, particularly through nitrogen fertilizer and livestock. The authors argue that current federal and provincial policies lack concrete sectoral targets and comprehensive strategies, recommending a shift toward agroecology, reinstated public extension services, and targeted financial incentives for beneficial management practices to ensure long-term viability.

The document analyzes the 'digital divide' in the U.S., where millions of people—particularly in rural and tribal areas—lack high-speed internet. It details various broadband technologies, the economic and social impacts of this gap, and the critical link between broadband and smart energy technologies. The brief also reviews federal funding mechanisms, the role of municipal and electric cooperative networks, and recent legislative efforts to expand access.

The document examines the 'digital divide' in the U.S., where rural and tribal areas lack high-speed internet access due to high deployment costs, limited competition, and affordability issues. It highlights how broadband is a prerequisite for smart home devices, precision agriculture, and smart grids, which can reduce energy use by 12–22%. The brief details various deployment initiatives by municipalities, tribal governments, and electric cooperatives, while reviewing federal funding programs and recent legislation aimed at achieving universal broadband access.