Reports

Minnesota agriculture emissions: The CAFO challenge

The latest biennial greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions data from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) shows major emission reductions since the last report, finding a 23% reduction in overall emissions from 2005-2020. However, it will be difficult to reduce agriculture emissions significantly without addressing the state’s continued reliance on and expansion of CAFOs.

Minnesota Department of Agriculture Farm to School Grant Evaluation

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) Farm to School Grants allocated nearly $300,000 to Minnesota schools for local food purchases in 2021-22, awarding 27 total Farm to School grants. This evaluation report covers economic impact, grant administration, grantee successes and challenges.

Planting the Seeds: A Farm to in-home Early Care Pilot Case Study

Building on a long-standing partnership and a bedrock vision of a truly community-based food system, in 2020 the Hmong American Farmers Association (HAFA) and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) launched a new Farm to in-home Early Care initiative on the East side of St. Paul.

Emissions Impossible: Methane Edition

This report for the first time estimates the methane emissions of five of the largest meat corporations and ten of the largest dairy corporations. Their combined methane emissions are roughly 12.8 million tonnes, which equates to over 80% of the European Union’s entire methane footprint.

The Fertilizer Trap

The global food system is addicted to chemical fertilisers. For the past 50 years, these fertilisers have been heavily promoted by global institutions, governments and agribusiness as the means for increasing crop yields, while other options for increasing soil fertility and food production have been ignored or undervalued. The era of cheap fertilisers is over, and the costs have become too much to bear — both in terms of the financial burden for farmers and public budgets, the severe environmental and health impacts, and the long-term risks to food security.