From Soil to Supply Chains: SAN's Global Network in Action

Between July 20 and 27, 2026, SAN's Global Impact Network showed what agricultural transformation looks like on the ground: a diagnosis tool that fits in a farmer's pocket, a coffee farm in Nicaragua setting a new bar for regenerative certification, nearly 26,000 hectares protected in southern Mexico, and regional coalitions in West and Central Africa turning shared priorities into shared action. Here's what our members accomplished this week.

Digital Innovation Puts Diagnosis and Prevention in Farmers' Hands

CABI was the busiest voice in the network this week, rolling out new features inside its PlantwisePlus Factsheets app. A Photo Diagnosis Tool now lets farmers and advisers upload a photo of an affected plant and receive guidance on possible causes and treatment options, while a new Crop Sprayer Calculator helps users work out the right quantities before treating a field. Together, the tools push crop-health advice out of the classroom and into farmers' pockets.

CABI also invested in the people who deliver that advice. On 19–20 June, 27 participants from Pakistan's Extension Department took part in a Training of Trainers workshop on Gender-Responsive Digital Skills in Rawalpindi, working through digital literacy, online safety, and hands-on demonstrations led by Dr Muhammad Naeem Aslam — part of a broader push to close the digital gap facing women in agricultural extension.

Regenerative Agriculture Moves From Standard to Reality

Rainforest Alliance marked a milestone for the movement: La Cumplida, a 2,200-hectare coffee farm in Nicaragua's northern highlands, became the first farm certified under its new Regenerative Agriculture Standard. Already certified under the Sustainable Agriculture Standard for more than 20 years, the farm has seen healthier soils, stronger crops, and the return of bees, spiders, and birds that now help keep pests in check naturally.

Wild Asia showed what regenerative agriculture looks like at supply-chain scale. Its SPIRAL alliance, now five years old, connects smallholders with buyers, mills, refiners, technology providers, and research institutions across the palm-oil sector in ASEAN. In Thailand, the organization also kicked off a new WAGS BIO partnership with the Absolute Products palm-oil mill in Sakon Nakhon, positioning the mill as a hub for regenerative farming and stronger ties with surrounding farming communities.

Circular Bioeconomy Alliance announced a new regenerative cotton knowledge-sharing initiative funded by LVMH. The work builds on the Living Lab in Chad, which ran from 2022 to 2024 and included a 20-hectare regenerative agroforestry cotton pilot, farmer training, and a new community tree nursery.

Protecting Biodiversity in Farmed and Wild Landscapes

Fundación Global Nature drew attention to the disappearance of Spain's traditional steppe landscapes, farming systems that have sheltered species like the Eurasian bustard and the little bustard for centuries — a reminder that these landscapes exist because of, not despite, generations of traditional agriculture.

Pro Natura Sur celebrated a milestone for community-led conservation in Mexico. In a ceremony in Santa María Zoquitlán, Oaxaca, CONANP's National Commissioner presented the certificate for the "La Natividad" Voluntary Conservation Area, a 25,980.02-hectare reserve and the largest community reserve within the Tierra de Agaves project, with zones set aside for preservation, restoration, and sustainable use.

RAAA Perú pressed on two fronts. The organization called for urgent political action to protect pollinator species already under threat from indiscriminate agrochemical use, and shared a practical method for producing liquid fertilizer from fish waste: 100 kilos of waste combined with 10 kilos of molasses and 10 liters of beneficial microorganisms, stirred daily for 20 days.

Strengthening Traceability for a Deforestation-Free Future

Preferred by Nature kept a close eye on the EU Deforestation Regulation. Following almost 4,800 stakeholder submissions, the European Commission adopted changes to the list of covered and excluded products on 13 July 2026, bringing certain coffee extracts and oil-palm derivatives into scope while excluding items like samples, reusable packaging, and promotional materials. The organization also unpacked the compliance challenges facing companies in Czechia and Slovakia as they work to prove the origin of coffee, cocoa, and timber entering the EU market.

Partnerships and Field-Level Action Drive Systemic Change

CORAF put regional coordination on full display. In Abuja, the ninth Africa Agriculture Science Week brought together researchers, innovators, farmers, and policymakers around resilient food systems for the continent. In Lomé, the organization also convened private-sector operators and national agricultural research institutes from five countries under TARSPro II to align on shared tools and implementation approaches.

The solar-powered water supply systems by Chipembere support livelihoods and irrigated agriculture for Nchiramwela and Pwemphwe communities in Malawi.

Chipembere reported the installation of solar-powered water-supply systems in the Nchiramwela and Pwemphwe communities. The systems have brought clean water closer to home, improved hygiene and sanitation, reduced the burden of long-distance water collection, and supported irrigated agriculture and new livelihood opportunities for women and families.

CottonConnect reflected on conversations at Bharat Tex 2026, where brands, manufacturers, and supply-chain partners agreed that a more competitive cotton sector will take greater collaboration, stronger traceability, continued investment in farmer resilience, and responsible sourcing.

REEDS Pakistan brought that resilience down to field level with a Farmer Field Day in Tehsil Burewala, District Vehari, held under the Better Cotton Programme. Male and female Better Cotton farmers and community members exchanged experiences during an interactive session, reaffirming the organization's commitment to sustainable cotton production.

Fundatia Adept offered a close look at what a well-organized organic farm looks like in practice, walking through crop rotation, traditional crop varieties, greenhouse and storage organization, and the day-to-day realities of maintaining an organic production model.

Moroccan Biodiversity and Livelihood Association hosted two milestone gatherings in Marrakech. The Al Haouz Green Entrepreneurs Ecological Meetings brought together entrepreneurs and institutional partners two years after the region's earthquake, focused on economic recovery and biodiversity. Days later, a regional conference marking the close of the Biodiv'Incubator project gathered partners to share lessons and set priorities for the High Atlas region.

CABI rounded out the week's partnership news in Nairobi, where representatives met with officials from Tanzania and Ethiopia to discuss strengthening research partnerships and demonstrating impact for farmers and rural communities in both Member Countries.

Local Action, Global Purpose

From a diagnosis tool in a farmer's pocket to a newly certified reserve in Oaxaca, this week's stories share a common thread: real transformation happens when local expertise meets shared purpose. That's the promise of SAN's Global Impact Network — a coalition of members across the globe proving, week after week, that tackling agriculture's most pressing challenges takes radical collaboration for people and planet, not isolated effort.