The Future of Agriculture in a Time of Crisis
Part 1: On Shaky Ground: Why the Farm Crisis Matters and How to Stop It
Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Time: 2:00–3:15 p.m. Eastern (11:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m. Pacific) Format: Online webinar | 75 minutes Organizer: Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders (SAFSF) Participation: Open to all funders; registration required.
Focus: Understanding America’s agricultural financial crisis and identifying investments and policy interventions that can protect family farms and strengthen food-system resilience.
What You’ll Learn
Why American agriculture faces growing financial instability, how farm bankruptcy trends and changing economic conditions affect family farms, and where existing agricultural safety nets are falling short. Explore historical lessons, current agricultural economics and opportunities for funders to help prevent future crises.
Why This Matters
When family farms fail, the consequences extend beyond agriculture. Rural economies, food security, employment, land stewardship and environmental resilience are affected. Understanding the structural causes of farm financial distress can help redirect investment toward prevention, sustainable production and long-term community stability.
Action Level
Primary purpose: Gain evidence-based insights into agricultural financial instability, understand systemic risks and identify potential funding interventions.
What You’ll Leave With
A clearer understanding of farm financial pressures, bankruptcy trends and gaps in agricultural safety nets. Participants can identify priority areas for philanthropic investment, strengthen funding decisions and explore opportunities to support a more equitable and resilient agricultural economy.
Best For
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Agricultural philanthropists and grantmakers
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Impact investors and community development finance organizations
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Family farm advocates and agricultural cooperatives
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Sustainable agriculture and regenerative farming organizations
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Rural economic development professionals
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Food security and environmental nonprofits
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Agricultural researchers and policymakers
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Foundations supporting climate resilience and food-system transformation
Systems It Connects To
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Food Production and Distribution — Primary sector; agricultural resilience, farm survival and food security
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Finance and Economic Systems — Farm debt, agricultural finance, investment and economic safety nets
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Public and Planetary Health — Sustainable agriculture, environmental protection and community well-being
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Human and Civil Rights — Farmer livelihoods, rural equity and access to economic opportunity
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Circular Production and Resource Management — Resource-efficient farming, soil conservation and regenerative practices
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Personal and Digital Democracy — Agricultural policy, community participation and farmer representation
Languages
English (expected; not explicitly confirmed by organizer).
Accessibility and Participation Support
Online webinar with registration available to all funders. Participants registering for Part 1 are automatically registered for the full three-part series. Captioning, sign-language interpretation, transcripts and disability accommodations have not been specified in the event announcement.
Recording / Replay Available?
The organizer has not confirmed whether the webinar will be recorded or made available for on-demand viewing.
Practical Next Step
Register for the webinar and identify one financial or structural challenge facing family farms in your region. Examine how agricultural financing, safety nets and investment priorities could better support farm viability. Use the session to identify potential partners and funding approaches that address the underlying causes of agricultural instability.
Mobilized action pathway: Understand the farm crisis → identify economic and policy failures → connect farmers, funders and community organizations → prioritize preventive investments → support resilient farming models → measure and share results.
Additional learning opportunities
This is the first of a three-part series.
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Part 2 — November 18, 2026: Abundant Soil: Farm Finance as a Catalyst for Equity, Resilience, and Regeneration.
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Part 3 — December 2, 2026: Back from the Edge: Rethinking American Agriculture from the Ground Up.
Registering for one session automatically registers participants for all three.