The RegenCircle Newscast 6.15-7.1

Canada shows up the U.S with a new Senate Bill on Soil Protection, UNFI Cyber Attacks & the Rockefeller Foundation and PepsiCo team up on a new finance model for Regen Ag

July 02, 2025

News in your ears 🎙️

This week on the podcast we will give you the need-to-know news on roughly 30 of the top stories coming from the Regenerative Agriculture movement from the last two weeks. From investments to human interest pieces, politics to job listings you won’t want to miss it.

This Week’s Top Story

Halter CEO and founder Craig Piggott.
Image credit: Halter

Livestock management company to beef up US expansion following $100m raise

Halter, Known for its virtual fencing with smart collars, secured $100 million in Series D funding, totalling a $1B valuation, led by BOND which will support US expansion plans and address labor shortages.

This Week’s Investment News

Rockefeller Foundation, PepsiCo, join TransCap initiative to design next generation financial model

Sofia Vergara What GIF

Photo By Google

Global organizations such as the Walton foundation are collaborating with the TransCap Initiative (TCI) to develop a new financial infrastructure for regenerative agriculture in the Midwest.

Political + Policy News

Secretary Brooke L. Rollins

Will roads in our national forests quell fire devastation or pave the way for more development?

U.S. Secretary of Africulture Brooke L. Rollins announced the recission of the 2001 Roadless Rule, which is criticized for hindering effective forest management, but its repeal could have unintended consequences.

Canadian Parliament

Amidst Washington’s chaos, Canada passes Senate Bill with expeditious action to protect soil health

Senate Bill S230 unites Federal departments and indigenous governments, emphasizes soil’s critical role in food security, identifying it as a strategic national asset and cautioning against urban development on productive farmland.

REPORTS WORTH READING

Cyberattack on UNFI reveals our supply chain to be as shaky as our power grid

A cyberattack on United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI) exposed vulnerabilities in the U.S. grocery supply chain. The incident resulted in empty shelves at numerous stores, emphasizing the need for robust cybersecurity measures to protect food distribution networks.

HUMAN INTEREST STORY

In Kirk, Colorado, farmer JJ Ficken, facing financial strain and labor shortages, seeks a better future through regenerative practices, despite political obstacles. A fourth-generation farmer, JJ committed to hire Otto Vargas from Guatemala via a government grant program intended to stabilize farm labor. However, the grant was frozen after Trump suspended funding. JJ, aligning with Otto’s dreams, invested in equipment and labor, emphasizing integrity and legal compliance. Despite the uncertainty and financial risks, JJ remains hopeful that the changes will benefit both his farm and the wider community.

TECH

The Quiet Trends Reshapping Ag; A guide for builders, backers and business leaders

AgFunder’s Mark Brooks outlines eight under-the-radar, system‑level shifts quietly reshaping ag innovation—far beyond flashy tech—where capital, power, diets, and cross‑sector dynamics are converging into new fault lines. From GLP‑1‑driven changes in metabolic health (think more fiber, less corn syrup) to the emergence of private‑equity‑owned farmland and distributors as gatekeepers, each trigger—from embedded fintech to circular nutrient systems—is rewiring farm‑gate economics. The crux: winning in ag's next decade won’t be about yield but about building systemic orchestration—integrating finance, supply chains, efficacy stacks, market power, and adjacent sectors before the mainstream even catches on.

CONSUMER PRODUCTS

Nestlé’s coffee brand surpasses sustainable sourcing goal for 2025

Nescafé, a leading coffee brand under Nestlé, has already surpassed its 2025 goal by sourcing 32% of its coffee from farmers practicing regenerative agriculture as of last year. This achievement is particularly significant as climate change poses a serious threat to coffee cultivation, with projections indicating that suitable growing land could shrink by as much as 97% by 2050.

World News

REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli

Brazil and Nigeria team up in $1B deal to scale food production

Nigeria and Brazil inked a $1 billion “Green Imperative” pact on June 24, 2025, aimed at transforming Nigeria’s predominantly subsistence farming sector by deploying mechanised equipment, extension centres, and training programs to scale up domestic food production. Yet, lingering structural hurdles—such as land tenure complexity, insecurity, and implementation transparency—pose significant risks to turning mechanisation ambitions into field realities.

[Shane LaGesse [Tuomas A. Lehtinen, Manuel Augusto Moreno, amenic181, Sarayut Thaneerat, SENEZ]

Europe struggles with a turf war between organic and regenerative definitions

A newly formed lobby, the European Alliance for Regenerative Agriculture (EARA), is aggressively entering Brussels policy circles to champion regenerative farming—but it’s stirring tension with the existing organic sector over standards and definitions. While regenerative practices are gaining momentum as a more inclusive and soil-health-focused approach, critics warn that the term’s loose use risks enabling greenwashing without clear public standards.

UPCOMING EVENTS

This is a community-run platform. If you have an organization supporting the regenerative agriculture movement and would like to see your news shared on our platform, send an email to [email protected].

Inquisitive Media. Inspiring Emergence.