SAFSF On the Road Recap: Minnesota

Last month, as part of our SAFSF On The Road series, we gathered over 80 climate, energy, and agriculture funders, and community leaders in Minneapolis for “Building an Intersectional Philanthropic Approach: Climate Change, Agriculture, and Healthy Rural Communities.” This event underscored the urgent need for investing in rural communities and agriculture as essential strategies for climate mitigation and resilience. It highlighted the importance of implementing comprehensive, systemic interventions to address the challenges effectively. These investments are crucial for promoting sustainable agriculture and enhancing the resilience of rural areas to climate impacts.

Over the two days, we:

Explored the science behind agriculture’s impact on climate,
Learned about the effects of climate change on various communities,
Uplifted community-led solutions for diverse rural communities,
Discussed the need for market development and policy changes to support climate-resilient agriculture.

The event was hosted on the unceded territory of the Dakota people, which was also settled by Anishinaabe and Ho-Chunk relatives, near Ȟaȟa Wakpá, the mighty Mississippi River. Remarkably, we gathered in the Mill City Museum in the historic mill district where a century ago industrial-scale food production dominated the Midwestern landscape. These historical echoes remind of the enduring presence and resilience of the Dakota people and their ongoing contributions to this land, as well as the legacy of our work today for future generations. As we reflect on history, we recognize the generational obligation at this moment. Now is the time for a major shift toward climate-wise agriculture based on ecological principles, Indigenous land stewardship, and equitable outcomes for rural communities.

Experience key moments from this through our online photo gallery. If you have additional photos from this event please email them to [email protected].

Here are five key takeaways that funders working in climate and agriculture need to know:

👩🏿‍🌾 Rural land stewards and BIPOC communities bear the brunt of industrial agriculture impacts and climate change effects; and should be at the forefront of solutions. Funders must prioritize cultivating relationships, earning trust, and comprehensively understanding community needs both before and throughout the investment process.

🌱 The principles of “climate-smart” and “regenerative agriculture,” are rooted in Indigenous ecological knowledge. It is crucial to elevate and empower Indigenous land stewards as leaders in guiding the agricultural transition to climate resilience. This includes investment in science and research to validate and amplify the long-standing practices and wisdom of Indigenous communities. Failing to engage Tribal Nations, especially in projects affecting the water, land, and environment of Tribal ancestral homelands undermines Tribal sovereignty.

🌎 The impact of agriculture on greenhouse gas emissions is often underestimated. For example, the Environmental Protection Agency does not factor in emissions for the manufacturing, energy use, and transportation associated with petrochemicals and synthetic fertilizers used in industrial agriculture when estimating emissions for the agriculture sector. Achieving decarbonization and detoxification of agriculture requires a shift away from fossil fuels towards regenerative systems.

🌽 The Midwest region’s land presents a significant ecological advantage for carbon capture and storage, yet there is a pressing need to diversify its agricultural output. Over decades, agricultural policies and economic incentives have fostered markets and technologies that predominantly support the production of millions of tons of just two crops: corn and soybeans. To address this, diversifying crops and incorporating perennials into cropland can reduce the reliance on carbon-intensive agrochemical inputs, improve soil health, and rebuild resilient rural communities.

🛠️ Harnessing the immense potential of agriculture as a tool for climate mitigation requires a comprehensive and interconnected approach at the intersection of various systems. Funders must prioritize investments in solutions that collectively reduce the financial risk of adopting on-farm conservation practices, support markets for sustainably grown crops, enhance agricultural workforce development, reform policy incentives including those related to crop insurance and price supports, rebuilding local processing infrastructure, and expanding access to land, especially for BIPOC and emerging farmers. The integrated efforts are critical for driving systemic change and maximizing the impact of agricultural practices on climate resiliency and equity.

Voices on Climate, Agriculture, and Healthy Rural Communities

To see our full agenda and speaker bios, click here.

A farmer’s perspective on what to invest in.

What makes the Midwest a unique place for carbon capture?

How do we transition to more diversified climate-resilient farming?

How do we sustain a climate transition in agriculture?

Why is it important to work with Tribal Nations?

Audio Recordings & Presentation Materials

SAFSF members will have unlimited access to these materials through the Member Portal. Please respect the work of these experts and do not share without attribution, credit, or context. Additional learning materials can be found below. Event attendees received access to these materials via email.

Acknowledgments & Gratitude

Land acknowledgments are only as good as their direction toward action and reparations. In this spirit, SAFSF donated 5% of registration costs to the Dakota-led non-profit Owámniyomni Okhódayapi: The Falls Initiative to support their inspiring work transforming 5-acres of land adjacent to Owámniyomni also known as “St. Anthony Falls” into a place of healing, restoration, education, and connection. The Falls Initiative uplifts Dakota voices and tells the stories that have been silenced for generations. We encourage participants (and everyone reading this) to consider complimenting our donation as a part of your participation and presence in our gathering.

This event was produced in partnership with Funders for Regenerative Agriculture, Health and Environmental Funders Network, and Climate and Energy Funders Group. We are deeply appreciative to the Regenerative Agriculture Foundation and McKnight Foundation for their sponsorship and thought partnership, to NATIFS and the Indigenous Food Lab for sharing resources and gifts with attendees, and to Mill City Museum and D’Amico Catering for a seamless event experience.

Connecting Further: Membership & Events

Want to keep the conversation going? Join HEFN and SAFSF in Durham, North Carolina on October 27 for a day of site visits and speakers examining the connections between agriculture and environmental justice, with a focus on CAFOs’ impact on communities and climate. This is an all-day program with limited attendance and a pre-event for HEFN’s Annual Meeting taking place October 28-30, Beyond November: Philanthropy’s Role in a Thriving Health and Environmental Justice Movement. If you are interested in participating, please fill out this form.

Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders (SAFSF) is a national membership organization for philanthropy and impact investors committed to creating an equitable and sustainable food and agriculture system. Through dynamic in person and virtual programming, SAFSF offers funders cutting-edge insights and transformational learning on food and agriculture systems, leading to more strategic investments and powerful collaborations. With over 100 members, we are welcoming new funders to join, with application deadlines on July 30 and October 15. Join today! Contact Holly Enowski at [email protected] for an application or to schedule an informational call.

Funders for Regenerative Agriculture (FORA) launched in early 2020 and is an affinity group of funders who are learning, acting, and investing together to accelerate the transition of our agricultural systems to a more regenerative, just, and nutritious system for all people and our ecosystems. We believe that regeneration must be about restoring, honoring, and nurturing the cultural, social and ecological context unique to each piece of land and each community. With dynamic programming in the field, working groups, and opportunities for collective action, we welcome new members to join. Contact FORA staff at [email protected] for membership information, to schedule an informational call, or to learn about upcoming events.

The Health and Environmental Funders Network (HEFN) is a philanthropy-supporting organization that brings funders together to connect, collaborate, and learn about environmental health and justice issues and how they can take collective action to make a greater impact in their giving. It’s the only funders network focused exclusively on environmental health and justice and their intersection with other critical issues facing frontline communities today. HEFN welcomes membership applications from foundations, donors, consultants, advisers, and wealth managers interested in environmental health and justice philanthropy. Members share a commitment to the network’s mission and values. Interested in joining or want to learn more? Please visit hefn.org/membership

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