
ESG - Sustainable Agriculture
In agriculture, sustainability is not a preference–it is a sign of vitality. Food manufacturers, farmers, and land investors across the globe who understand that have already begun to reap the benefits.
As in other industries that have prioritized environmental social governance, companies that ethically source the resources to develop and produce crops and livestock see substantial financial benefits and boost their long-term productivity and longevity. For reasons that differ across continents, consumers and regulators alike have placed enormous value on sustainable farming and land maintenance, and companies and investors that fail to meet the standards they set are being excluded in the market.
Responsible farming involves a litany of issues, all of which come with legal and financial hurdles that differ country to country and region to region. Our team of lawyers assists clients in navigating regulations around pesticide usage, sourcing clean water, ethical labor practices, environmental protection, and effects on wildlife, among countless others.
Standards also differ among private clients and trade groups. We serve as counsel in discussions and disputes across the supply chain, from farmers themselves to distributors, to the companies that deliver the product to the consumer. With lawyers around the globe who are intimately familiar with the standards of their region, our team is uniquely positioned to help guide clients looking to create policies and audit procedures across a variety of sustainability metrics.
More than any other time, businesses, investors, and consumers alike have the responsibility to promote, sponsor, and consume ethically sourced and sustainable agriculture. Our team has spent years helping clients meet that responsibility and build value while doing so. We can help to ensure that you will, too.
Thought Leadership
In the first part of 2025, New York joined other states, such as Colorado, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Texas, seeking to regulate artificial intelligence at the state level.
On 2 April 2025, President Trump announced a series of “reciprocal” tariffs on US imports from all countries. The tariffs apply at different rates by country, starting at a baseline of 10% and reaching as high as 50%.
Starting on 30 June 2024, with the application of the first of two introduction phases of the Regulation on Markets in Crypto-assets across all member states of the European Union, the EU has introduced for the first time a harmonized regulatory framework as well as accompanying passporting rights for service providers of the crypto-asset market, affecting both traditional institutions of the financial sector and new players emerging in the crypto-ecosystem.
The Hon. Jim Chalmers MP, Federal Treasurer and the Hon. Clare O'Neil MP, Minister for Housing, Minister for Homelessness issued a joint media release on 16 February 2025 titled "Albanese Government clamping down on foreign purchase of established homes and land banking".