With space again generously provided by BDO, the CASH Coalition convened a New York Climate Week panel of member organizations – Acceso, Digital Green, One Acre Fund, Proximity Designs, and Root Capital – to explore how smallholder farmers are driving the transition to regenerative agriculture. The event showcased both the breadth of activities and the growing momentum behind smallholder-led climate solutions across the Coalition and the Global South.

Moderated by Willy Foote of Root Capital, member leaders shared practical insights from their work implementing regenerative interventions that leverage bio-inputs, agroforestry, soil amendments, and digital advisory tools in smallholder contexts.

Panelists reflected on both the promise and complexity of scaling regenerative agriculture, highlighting challenges such as land tenure, upfront costs, farmer incentives, and the critical role of trust and peer learning in adoption. The discussion emphasized that sustainable change relies on co-designing solutions with farmers and developing innovative financing mechanisms that bridge the gap between short-term costs and long-term returns.

A rich Q&A session deepened the dialogue, with audience questions on gender equity, farmer engagement, and climate finance. Speakers emphasized that women farmers, flexible blended finance, and collective learning across organizations are all essential to achieving equitable and lasting climate action.

The session demonstrated the value of the CASH Coalition as a collaborative field catalyst, enabling members to learn faster, advocate with a unified voice, and build the evidence base needed to make regenerative agriculture profitable and resilient for smallholders.

Recorded September 24, 2025 | BDO Lobby, MetLife Building, New York City