Guides
Practical sustainability guides for agricultural businesses and SMEs. Problem-focused content that helps you implement, not just understand.
Every guide connects back to the Five Stacks Framework—because sustainability that doesn't improve operations isn't sustainable.
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CSRD & ESG Compliance
Navigating sustainability reporting requirements for agricultural suppliers
First ESG Questionnaire? →
Where agricultural suppliers start
CSRD & VSME for Agriculture →
What the EU regulations mean for farms
Scope 1, 2, 3 for Agriculture →
Emissions explained for farm operations
Buyer Scope 3 Request →
What to do when the carbon data request arrives
ESG Reporting for Small Farms →
The 80/20 getting started guide
Will You Lose Buyers? →
The real risk of ignoring ESG requests
Missing ESG Data →
How to respond honestly with gaps
Building Your Response System →
Stop scrambling, start systematizing
ESG as Competitive Advantage →
Turn compliance into differentiation
Sustainability Checklist →
Complete assessment prep for farms
Building Your Operational Baseline →
From gut feel to audit-defensible data in 90 days
Surviving Buyer ESG Scrutiny →
Why buyers need your data and when to be ready
What Gets Measured in Ag Sustainability →
The core metrics on every buyer questionnaire
Understanding Agribusiness
How the agricultural system works and where you fit in it
What Is Agribusiness? →
Understanding the system you operate in
Origins and History of Agribusiness →
How the system was built—and why it matters
Advantages and Disadvantages →
What the system gives you vs. what it costs
Agriculture vs. Agribusiness →
Where can you actually compete?
Small vs. Large Agribusiness →
Finding your competitive position
Sustainability in Agribusiness →
How sustainability creates advantage
Technology Trends in Agribusiness →
What’s delivering ROI and what’s hype
The Agribusiness Supply Chain →
From farm gate to consumer plate
Small Farm Strategy
Building competitive advantage at smaller scale
What Are Small Farms? →
The business case for staying small
Small Farm Competitive Strategy →
Differentiation, specialization, diversification
Direct Marketing for Small Farms →
7 keys to building customer relationships
5 Market Channels Beyond the Farmgate →
CSA, food hubs, restaurants, and more
Why Consumers Want Local Food →
What’s driving demand and how to position your farm
What Small Farms Are Up Against →
The industrial food system and where it’s vulnerable
Value-Added Products →
From raw commodities to revenue
Cooperative Models →
Strength in numbers for market access
Financial Planning for Small Farms →
Cash flow, seasonality, and investment
Food Deserts as Market Opportunity →
Underserved markets your farm can reach
Ecolabels & Certification
Understanding certification as competitive strategy
What Are Ecolabels? →
Third-party verification that opens doors
Types of Ecolabels →
Single-attribute vs. lifecycle approaches
Most Trustworthy Ecolabels →
Which certifications actually matter
Ecolabel Advantages & Disadvantages →
The business case for certification
Disadvantages of Ecolabels →
When certification doesn’t pay
Challenges to Ecolabels →
Why ecolabel systems struggle
Drivers of Ecolabel Adoption →
What factors lead to uptake
How to Spot Fake Ecolabels →
Protecting yourself from greenwashing
ESG Labels in 2025 →
Current trends and opportunities
Biofuels & Energy
Understanding biofuel economics and applications
Biofuels Explained →
What they are and how they work
What Are Advanced Biofuels? →
Next-generation fuel technology
Cellulosic Biofuels →
Turning agricultural waste into energy
Cellulosic vs. Traditional Biofuels →
Comparing economics and sustainability
Pros and Cons of Advanced Biofuels →
Economic and environmental trade-offs
Ranking Biofuel Sustainability →
Which feedstocks perform best
Ranking the Sustainability of Biofuels →
Comparing the 4 generations
Biofuel Trends 2025 →
Where the industry is heading
Biofuels in Aviation →
Sustainable aviation fuel opportunities
Circular Economy & Efficiency
Turning waste into value and fixing operational leaks
The Circular Economy Explained →
Systems thinking for resource efficiency
Value Chains and Efficiency →
Where value gets captured and lost
Life Cycle Assessment Explained →
Measuring full environmental impact
Farm Waste to Value →
Turning waste streams into revenue
Closed-Loop Nutrient Cycling →
Keeping N, P, and K on the farm
Biomass Energy on the Farm →
Boilers, biogas, and small-scale options
Water Recycling & Efficiency →
Irrigation efficiency and water reuse systems
Circular Supply Chains in Food →
By-product markets and circular partnerships
Intercropping & Multi-Crop Systems
Diversity as risk management and operational strategy
Introduction to Intercropping →
Principles and getting started
Intercropping Practices →
Implementation approaches that work
Intercropping Pros and Cons →
When diversity pays—and when it doesn’t
Measuring Effectiveness →
LER, IER, and other metrics
Intercropping in Organic Systems →
Biological synergies without synthetics
Intercropping vs. Polyculture →
Multi-crop systems that reduce risk
Companion Planting Introduction →
Strategic plant combinations
Cereal-Legume Intercropping →
The most practical system for temperate farms
Intercropping for Pest Management →
Reducing chemical inputs through diversity
Intercropping for Climate Resilience →
Yield stability under weather extremes
Regenerative Agriculture Economics
The business case for soil health and sustainable practices
Economics of Regenerative Ag →
Financial framework for transitions
Soil Health: The Business Case →
How healthy soil reduces costs
Cover Crops: Investment & Returns →
Cost-benefit analysis
7 Practices Delivering ROI in 2025 →
What’s working and why
Carbon Markets for Agriculture →
Credits, verification, and what’s actually worth it
Regenerative Transition Costs →
The J-curve economics of changing practices
Biochar as Soil Amendment →
Economics of carbon-rich soil improvement
Agroforestry Economics →
The long-term investment case for trees on farms
Composting & Nutrient Cycling ROI →
On-farm composting that pays for itself
Soil & Land Management
Data-driven soil health and strategic land use
Complete Guide to Soil Testing →
What to test, when, and how to interpret results
Building Soil Organic Matter →
Practices, timelines, and economic returns
Nutrient Management Planning →
Optimizing inputs and reducing waste
Erosion Control Strategies →
Protecting your most valuable asset
Strategic Land Use Planning →
Matching land capability to enterprise
Soil Compaction Management →
Detection, prevention, and remediation economics
Cover Crop Selection Guide →
Matching species to purpose
Tillage Systems Compared →
Conventional, minimum, and no-till economics
Water & Infrastructure
Managing water and drainage for productivity
Agricultural Irrigation →
Systems and efficiency approaches
Planning an Irrigation System →
What to consider before investing
Agricultural Drainage →
Managing water for soil health
Precision Irrigation Technology →
Sensors, VRI, and the ROI of smart water
Rainwater Harvesting for Farms →
Collection, storage, and cost-benefit analysis
Drought Resilience Planning →
Water budgeting and adaptive management
Water Quality Management →
Runoff, nutrients, and regulatory compliance
Subsurface Drainage Design →
Tile drainage costs, yield gains, and payback
Resilience & Risk Management
Building adaptive capacity against climate, market, and supply chain risks
Climate Risk Assessment for Farms →
Identify, quantify, and prepare for climate risks
Crop Diversification as Risk Management →
Portfolio theory meets the field
Farm Insurance & Climate Adaptation →
The insurance-adaptation feedback loop
Supply Chain Resilience →
Reducing dependency and building redundancy
Financial Resilience for Farms →
Cash reserves, stress testing, and staying solvent
Pest & Disease Under Climate Change →
What’s shifting and how to prepare
Farm Succession Planning →
Business continuity across generations
Managing Market Volatility →
Smoothing revenue and protecting margins
Biodiversity & Habitat
Measuring, creating, and monetizing biodiversity on farm
Biodiversity Assessment for Farms →
Survey methods, metrics, and CSRD reporting
Hedgerow Management & Economics →
Carbon, shelter effects, and wildlife corridors
Pollinator Habitat on the Farm →
Creating habitat that pays through better yields
Biodiversity Net Gain →
The new market for habitat on agricultural land
Looking for structure?
These guides provide depth on specific topics. The Five Stacks Framework shows how they connect into a systematic approach to sustainability that builds competitive advantage.
Explore the Framework →