Dear Colleagues,
My name is Sophia, the newest addition to the Littlefoot crew! As a relationship builder and climate strategist with a specific interest in supporting the regenerative agriculture transition, I’m excited to enhance Littlefoot’s impact as strategic partnerships lead. If you are a food business, foundation, or organization focused on climate mitigation strategies, consider me your partner to help foster connections in the food systems and climate tech space, and collaborate across the supply chain to drive meaningful food systems transformation.
Given the upcoming political transition in the U.S., efforts to curb emissions now rely more than ever on business leadership, pre-competitive collaboration, grassroots movements and multistakeholder partnership collaboration, and I’m grateful to be part of a supportive team committed to driving real, impactful change.
Before joining Littlefoot, I worked as a Food Systems Specialist under Dr. Jessica Fanzo at Columbia University’s Climate School. Most recently, I presented Dr. Fanzo’s research at the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization on enhancing stakeholder engagement with tools like the Food Systems Countdown Initiative & the Food Systems Dashboard.
Sophia Vanderheym
Partnerships & Client Engagement Lead, Littlefoot Ventures
The Pulse @ Littlefoot Ventures
Highlights From The Littlefoot World
Connie Bowen, founding General Partner to Farmhand Ventures published this article to help us all make sense of what the Trump Administration’s policies will mean for the ag sector.
Littlefoot also sponsored Lineage’s Food Chain Innovation Challenge in San Francisco this week, where we connected with food waste innovators and shared Littlefoot insights on crafting effective messaging to scale innovation and attract investment. Congratulations to Ryp Labs, the food protection company behind innovative biomimicry solutions like Shelf-Defense and StixFresh, for winning the challenge. These food-safe labels and stickers double the shelf life of fresh produce simply by peeling and applying them to loose produce or its packaging, tackling global food waste sustainably and safely.
Honoring the Life of Lisa Dreier, Global Food Systems Leader
Lastly, Littlefoot is saddened by the passing of legendary food systems leader & Eva’s longtime mentor, Lisa Dreier. She had something that transcends commitment and passion for our food work. She had the persistence and endurance required for systems change but that’s near impossible for most of us to obtain.
The World Economic Forum, international organizations, global businesses, countries and entire regions of the world are indebted to her for curating the partnerships and coalitions that sustain our global food system today.
Insights for Impact: Our Top Reads
Check out some of the articles that our team has been reading and loving lately.
Repurpose With A Purpose
Menus of Change University Research Collaborative in collaboration with ReFED
The “Repurpose with a Purpose” project showcases the powerful impact of creative food repurposing and sustainability initiatives in reducing campus food waste. By transforming surplus ingredients into new, appealing menu items, participating institutions have achieved significant environmental and financial benefits—saving nearly $20,000 in food costs, reducing water usage and carbon emissions, and boosting staff morale. The project offers a scalable model for other institutions and foodservice operations to follow in the pursuit of a zero-waste future and a more sustainable food system.
Greenwashing and denial won’t solve beef’s enormous climate problems
Project Drawdown
Quick fixes to beef’s enormous climate impact like regenerative grazing and feed additives fall short in addressing beef’s massive climate impact. Regenerative grazing increases methane emissions, land use, and offers limited soil carbon benefits, while feed additives like seaweed supplements reduce methane by just 10–30% and face logistical challenges. Neither tackles emissions from land use, manure, or feed production. Instead, reducing beef waste—currently at 38% in the U.S.—and moderating consumption, particularly in affluent regions, offer impactful and achievable solutions to cutting emissions.
🌏 Trump 2.0 for climate tech #222
CTVC by Sightline Climate
A second Trump presidency will likely result in a significant setback for climate tech, with a focus on boosting fossil fuel industries and rolling back renewable energy and clean fuel incentives. Policy shifts could suppress demand for clean energy, cut key subsidies, and reduce regulations, potentially stalling progress in decarbonizing industries and advancing carbon capture technologies. These changes, coupled with a likely rollback of the Inflation Reduction Act, could harm emerging sustainability sectors, including food waste management and waste-to-energy solutions, while leaving climate resilience efforts underfunded and vulnerable communities more exposed to climate risks.
Exploring Consumer Appetite for Regenerative Agriculture: Insights from Regenified’s 2024 Consumer Report
Regenified
The Regenified 2024 survey of 850 U.S. consumers highlights growing awareness and interest in regenerative agriculture, particularly among the Emerging Regenerative Market, a key segment deeply engaged with regenerative values. This presents an opportunity for brands and retailers to lead by expanding access, improving transparency, and building trust, ensuring they meet the rising demand in this rapidly evolving market.
Regenerative Agriculture: to Invest or not to Invest?
InclusEO
Regenerative agriculture is proving vital for stabilizing food systems and tackling climate change, cutting emissions, and restoring soils. Companies like McCain are leading the way, showing that farmers adopting regenerative practices can maintain or improve yields and boost resilience against extreme weather, all while cutting input costs. The challenge lies in scaling adoption, requiring upfront investment and bold leadership. With supply chains becoming increasingly vulnerable due to climate change, extreme weather events, and rising energy costs, the choice is clear: invest in regenerative practices now to secure both the planet and the bottom line.
Supporting Food Systems Transformation Towards Sustainability and Resilience
United Nations Development Programme
Our global food systems are at a breaking point, with 281.6 million people facing acute food insecurity in 2023 alone, amplifying risks of instability and conflict. This UNDP white paper explores how food systems can drive progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals and secure a healthier, more sustainable future for all by breaking down silos and fostering collaboration across global, national, and local stakeholders.
Europe missing out on the potential of food waste, with almost 75% ending up in landfills or incinerated
Zero Waste Europe
The latest report from the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) and Zero Waste Europe reveals a startling fact: only 26% of food waste in the EU is being captured, leaving millions of tons uncollected and exacerbating climate and biodiversity challenges. With bio-waste making up 37% of municipal waste and being a major contributor to methane emissions, the report underscores the critical role of composting and anaerobic digestion in achieving the EU’s 65% recycling target by 2035. Highlighting innovative solutions and calling for legally binding bio-waste targets, this article sheds light on the urgent action needed to transform Europe’s waste management systems and create a more sustainable future.
Washington Insider Weighs In on What the Election Means for Agriculture
AgWeb
A Trump presidency and a Republican-controlled Senate might result in fewer regulations and lower taxes, as well as at least partial support for biofuels policy. The U.S. could also be headed for a possible trade war with China and other countries, which could disrupt agricultural exports.
SARE Awards $8M to Food Loss and Waste Projects
SARE
The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, in partnership with the USDA, has awarded $8 million in grants to 14 organizations across the U.S. to tackle food loss and waste. These projects align with the National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste, focusing on strategies like preventing food from becoming waste, upcycling, donating edible food, and feeding animals. The initiative aims to strengthen community food security, promote sustainable agricultural practices, and create long-term solutions for reducing food waste, while improving food access and quality of life for producers and consumers.
Financial impacts of cover crops in Minnesota and Wisconsin
Environmental Defense Fund
The 2023 report on cover crops, a collaborative effort by the Environmental Defense Fund, University of Minnesota, and other partners, aims to provide farmers with valuable financial insights to help guide cover crop decisions. Key findings include that cover crops planted for feed purposes were financially beneficial, with direct costs averaging $60 per acre, and cost-share payments covering about 10% of total expenses. While cover crops did not show higher net returns for commodity crops compared to non-cover crop fields, they resulted in lower fertilizer costs.
Financing the regenerative agriculture transition in the Midwest
TransCap Initiative
While regenerative agriculture is increasingly recognized for its role in climate change mitigation and resilience, capital deployment remains underutilized as a tool for systemic change. Although funding from government programs, foundations, and venture capitalists is growing, investments often target isolated initiatives, such as individual start-ups or conservation projects, rather than fostering broad transformation. To drive meaningful change in the Midwest, a systemic, integrated investment approach is needed—one that aligns diverse capital sources and investors around a shared mission to scale regenerative agriculture.
Events
- November 11 – 22 | Baku, Azerbaijan | COP29
- November 14 | London | Lineage Food Chain Innovation Challenge 2024
- November 19 | San Francisco & Amsterdam | Lineage Food Chain Innovation Challenge 2024
- November 20 – 21 | Minneapolis, MN | Sustainable Agriculture Summit
- December 10 | Virtual | Regenerative Food Systems Investment Canada
- January 20 – 24 | Davos, Switzerland | World Economic Forum Annual Meeting
- January 22 – 23 | San Francisco | Sustainable Foods Summit North America
- March 7 – 15 | Austin, TX | SXSW
- May 5 – 8 | Las Vegas | 10th Annual Food Recovery Forum and Organics Recycling Conference
- June 23 – 25 | Seattle, WA | ReFED Food Waste Solutions Summit