Reflections on NYC Climate Week 2024

The movement is far more professionalized. Does it necessarily mean progress?

I had a whirlwind week in New York City in late September for NYC Climate Week (https://www.climateweeknyc.org/). The energy and excitement that I witnessed was invigorating, and the commitment that so many companies and organizations have made to protecting the climate is truly inspiring. The experience had me reflect on the progress that I have witnessed since first getting involved in climate and agriculture issues in the late 1990s. 

25 years ago, the field had somewhat of a wild west feel, including wildly different takes on what climate change meant for U.S. agriculture.  Some farm groups expressed outrage that the U.S. signed the Kyoto Protocol, which was expected to contribute to higher fertilizer and diesel prices. Corn ethanol producers, on the other hand, were excited about the possibility of additional incentives for biofuels. I was working with an organization exploring opportunities for farmers to participate in carbon markets for implementing practices such as minimizing tillage on row crops.

We have made impressive progress over the past 25 years. Midwest row crops are increasingly grown with carbon-sequestering practices such as minimum tillage and the use of cover crops. USDA has poured $3.1 billion into climate-smart agriculture, with more money expected in the next farm bill. Food companies are continually developing new products for climate-conscious consumers, and carbon markets are developing throughout the world.

At NYC Climate Week, I was uplifted by the diversity of participants all pushing in the same direction, whether they represented philanthropy, social movement organizations, corporations in agricultural supply chains, government, or research. The debate about the science of human-influenced climate change seems to be behind us.

So why should I be concerned?

I worry that formal climate conversations like NYC Climate Week no longer have enough participation by workers, farmers, organizers, and others that get their hands dirty – the people with intimate experience with how climate change and climate mitigation impact agriculture,ecosystems, and communities. I worry that the agriculture and climate sector is settling for incremental change that does not disrupt supply chains. And I worry that the bolder solutions, championed by social movements, innovative farmers, and the ecological wisdom found in Indigenous communities, are not fitting into carbon markets and other commonly touted climate infrastructure. 

The Regenerative Agriculture Foundation celebrates all the progress toward a resilient and climate-protecting agriculture. And yet, as in the case of NYC Climate Week, we feel some obligation to remind audiences that it’s the people on the land and in impacted communities that are the true changemakers. The rest of us in philanthropy, government, and the corporate sector are in support roles. The professionalization of this sector certainly provides some benefits, but it also risks taking the focus off of the most important changemakers.

RAF Executive Director, Mark Muller