Financial Solutions for Agricultural Resilience
How farmers and their financial partners can realize the full value of conservation investments
Learn how three farmers realized positive financial returns and created value for their business partners by adopting cover crops, no-till and precision agriculture practices.
EDF works with farmers, companies and policymakers to build agricultural resilience by identifying and promoting financial incentives for conservation practice adoption.
Our farm finance analyses show how farmers — from corn and soy farmers in the Midwest to dairy farmers in the Northeast — realize returns on their investments in conservation.
We’ve found that the value of reduced costs and risk, increased yield resilience and diversified income streams extends far beyond the farm field — benefitting farmers and their financial partners, including agricultural lenders, insurers and landowners.
Our goal is to build private and public financial solutions to help farmers adopt resilient farming practices across the agricultural landscape, strengthening rural economies and communities.
The resources below include EDF reports and blogs on the financial value of agricultural conservation.
Resources
For finance and insurance professionals
Webinar
New agricultural loan rewards farmers for environmental stewardship
Blog
Breakthrough agricultural loan rewards farmers for environmental stewardship
Report
Banking on Soil Health: Farmer Interest in Transition Loan Products
Report
Financial Innovations to Accelerate Sustainable Agriculture: Blueprints for the Value Chain
Blog
Farm Credit CEOs discuss emerging opportunities to finance resilient agriculture
Report
How agricultural lenders can boost climate resilience
Blog
Banks take major step to turn climate commitments into action for global agriculture sector
Podcast
Listen to GARP’s Climate Risk Podcast on agriculture, forestry and land use
Blog
What agricultural lenders need to know about emerging carbon market opportunities
Blog
Study shows healthy soils protect corn yields and lower crop insurance payouts
Report
How catalytic capital can support sustainable agriculture
For farmers and advisors
Report
Conservation’s impact on the farm bottom line
Blog
New program sheds light on cover crop financials with big data
Report
Practitioner’s guide to conducting farm budget analyses for conservation
Blog
Cargill and Soil Health Institute find farmer experience with soil health pays off. Here’s how.
Report
How conservation makes dairy farms more resilient
Report
How on-farm conservation can generate financial value
For policymakers
Blog
3 takeaways from my testimony to Congress on climate-related financial risks to U.S. agriculture
Blog
What does the executive order on climate-related risk mean for agricultural finance?
Report
Innovative State-Led Efforts to Finance Agricultural Conservation
USDA Resource
USDA Looks to Conservation Finance to Deliver More Working Lands Conservation
Blog
How USDA can leverage a carbon bank for farmers, foresters and the climate
Our Experts

Maggie Monast
Senior Director of Climate-Smart
Agriculture, Finance & Markets
Office: (919) 881-2919
Email

Holly Pearen
Lead Counsel,
People and Nature
Office: (303) 447-7227
Email

Vincent Gauthier
Senior Analyst,
Climate-Smart Agriculture
Office: (919) 881-2932
Email

Hilary Kirwan
Communications Manager,
People and Nature
Office: (202) 572-3277
Email