It goes without saying that 2025 will be another challenging year for the U.S. agriculture sector. For many producers, net returns are projected to be at or below the cost of production, creating additional challenges on top of those caused by policy and market uncertainties, labor shortages, extreme weather and natural disasters and other factors outside the control of individual producers. Despite the enormity of these challenges, there is an upside- the opportunity to experiment with new systems and practices that can improve efficiency, reduce costs and enhance sustainability. That’s where SfL will be focusing much of our effort in 2025.
Our vision of a 21st century agricultural renaissance where farmers, ranchers and foresters are recognized, valued and compensated not just for the commodities they produce, but also the quality-of-life ecosystem services that they concurrently deliver, remains our “north star”. Over the next twelve months SfL will be working at the state, national and global level to build support for the policies, programs, partnerships and finance mechanisms that can help realize this vision and in turn, help producers improve their bottom line and the resilience of their operations.
We invite farm, ranch and forest leaders, along with their value chain, academic and public sector partners, to collaborate with Solutions from the Land in 2025 and beyond.
2025 Priorities
SfL MISSION FOR THE FUTURE OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND CONSERVATION: Inspire, educate, equip, and mobilize agricultural thought leaders to advocate at the local, state and global level, for integrated policies, programs, practices and projects that will enable farmers, ranchers and foresters, who manage local and landscape scale resources, to produce the food, fiber and energy needed to support growing populations and economies while simultaneously enhancing biodiversity, protecting and improving the environment and delivering other high value ecosystem services.
1. Advance and Secure the SfL Vision:
An Agricultural Renaissance led by innovative and entrepreneurial farmers, ranchers, and foresters constructing sustainable, profitable, and resilient systems that lay the foundation for a world of abundance on many scales; capable of producing nutritious food, feed, fiber, clean energy, healthy ecosystems, quality livelihoods and strong rural economies.
This vision requires participation and leadership from farmers, ranchers, foresters, and their partners in the agriculture value chain to establish the social and environmental foundation for the successful achievement of the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) . For without successful agriculture humankind cannot thrive. Renaissance Report – Solutions from the Land . In 2025 we will proactively engage the Trump Administration and Congressional leaders advocating for enabling policies, programs, partnerships and finance mechanisms needed to fulfill to this vision. We will also, through SfL’s self-directed state work groups, continue to demonstrate and affirm, to the nation and world, the role of agriculture in creating jobs, growing the economy while concurrently delivering ecosystem services and solutions to global challenges .
2. Scale Circular Agricultural Bioeconomy Solutions for SDG Attainment
Only 15 per cent of the world’s Sustainable Development Goal targets are on track and many are going in reverse. This alarming trend was the focus of the September 18, 2023 United Nations (UN) High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development Goals where UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for an SDG Rescue Plan and innovative pathways to accelerate efforts to meet the global challenges of hunger, poverty, health and well-being, clean water, responsible consumption and production, life on land and below water, climate action and other SDG targets. SfL is inviting collaborating partners and donors to join with us in developing an agriculture engagement, information, education, and advocacy program that scales circular bioeconomy systems in support of concurrent Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) attainment SfL Concept Note- Land Based Solutions to Global Challenges.
3. Anchor UN System Decisions in SfL’s Guiding Principles
All agriculture is local, with landscape scale and global impacts. Through our global plan of work, SfL will work to secure widespread adoption and incorporation of SfL’s Guiding Principles to Enable Food Systems to Support Sustainable Development Goal Attainment by 2030, including innovation and technology exchange and farmer policy co-creation in UN agency documents and subsequent member states policies. UN system priorities for 2025 and SfL areas of focus include:
- United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) priority goals – good health & well-being (SDG3); clean water (SDG6); life on land (SDG15). SfL areas of focus- invasive species, plastic pollution, life science tools, water quality and quantity and biodiversity.
- United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) priority goals- climate action (SDG13); decent work and economic growth (SDG8); responsible consumption & production (SDG12); affordable & clean energy (SDG7); clean water (SDG6). SfL areas of focus- climate smart agriculture, rural livelihoods, circular bioeconomy, renewable fuels, water management, market mechanisms to scale agricultural solutions to changing climates.
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) priority goals- no poverty (SDG1); zero hunger (SDG2); climate action (SDG13). SfL areas of focus: rural livelihoods, food and nutrition insecurity, circular bioeconomy, invasive species, biodiversity loss, managing for local and global changing climates.
4. Retain Smart Agriculture Funding and Programs
Agricultural producers need access to tools, both financial and technical, to make smart agriculture decisions and to better manage for changing climate and market conditions. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) directed $40 billion toward existing U.S. Department of Agriculture programs to help producers implement conservation, clean energy and climate-smart agriculture systems and practices. Nearly $20 billion of the total investment in agriculture will support existing conservation programs that directly assist producers. Last year attempts were made to integrate these funds into the Farm Bill baseline budget. This year SfL will be working to maintain these investments to help farmers, ranchers and foresters improve the sustainability and financial integrity of their operations, while concurrently delivering ecosystem services that benefit the public.
5. Achieve the 25x’25 Goal.
2025 is the target year that the 25x’25 Alliance set in 2004 for America’s farms, ranches and forests to provide 25 percent of the total energy consumed in the United States 25x’25 Action Plan. This is a commitment that U.S. agriculture would continue to produce safe, abundant and affordable food, feed and fiber, and renewable energy.
According to DOE’s Energy Information Administration, today renewable energy generates over 20% of all U.S. electricity, and that percentage continues to grow. EIA’s reference case projection for renewable energy consumption shows the nation realizing the 25% goal in the early 2030’s. However, if the full potential of renewable liquid transportation fuels were unlocked, the U.S. would achieve the 25x’25 goal even sooner.
In 2025 SfL will continue focusing on improving transportation fuel quality to achieve national security, environmental, climate, public health and economic goals. To achieve this goal, we will work with partners to:
- Secure adoption of mid-level blend ethanol fuels (E20-30) as an efficiency improvement and emissions reduction enabler;
- Remove market barriers to renewable fuels, including waste to energy systems; and
- Update test methods and environmental assessments to reflect modern day facts.
We look forward to partnering with those who share our 21st Century Agriculture Renaissance vision. Let’s get to work!
