UT Extension to host financial management workshop for crop producers – WBBJ TV

Report on Agricultural Financial Resilience Initiative in West Tennessee

Executive Summary

This report details an educational initiative by the University of Tennessee (UT) Extension and UT Martin designed to enhance the financial stability of row crop producers in West Tennessee. Facing significant economic pressures from high input costs, low commodity prices, and drought, the “Financing Your Operation in 2026” workshop directly supports several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by promoting economic resilience, sustainable agricultural practices, and food security.

Initiative Overview

The “Financing Your Operation in 2026: West Tennessee Row Crop Workshop” is a collaborative effort to address the economic challenges confronting the agricultural sector.

• Organizers: University of Tennessee Extension and UT Martin
• Objective: To equip farmers with financial management knowledge necessary to navigate economic and environmental challenges, thereby securing the credit required for future planting seasons.
• Date: December 1, 2025
• Locations: Sessions will be held at UT Martin and the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center in Jackson.
• Accessibility: The program is offered free of charge to the public to ensure equitable access to vital information.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The workshop’s framework is intrinsically linked to the global agenda for sustainable development by addressing key challenges at the local level.

SDG 1: No Poverty & SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

By providing farmers with tools for sound financial management, the initiative aims to prevent substantial monetary losses and stabilize farm incomes, which is a direct measure against rural poverty. It supports the viability of farms as local enterprises, fostering sustained economic growth and decent work within the agricultural community.

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

The economic sustainability of crop producers is fundamental to ensuring a stable and secure food supply. This workshop empowers farmers to maintain productivity despite economic and climate-related shocks, thereby contributing to the goal of ending hunger and achieving food security through sustainable agriculture.

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

Effective financial planning enables farmers to make strategic decisions regarding resource allocation. Managing costs related to seeds, fertilizers, and chemicals encourages more efficient and sustainable production patterns, reducing waste and environmental impact.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The partnership between UT Extension and UT Martin exemplifies a multi-stakeholder collaboration between academic and public outreach institutions. This model is crucial for mobilizing knowledge and resources to achieve sustainable development objectives within the community.

Program Curriculum and Strategic Objectives

The workshop curriculum is designed to provide actionable strategies for achieving financial resilience and operational sustainability. Key topics include:

1. Strategic Debt Management: Addressing debt carryover and loan consolidation to improve long-term financial health.
2. Input Cost Optimization: Analyzing prices for seed, fertilizer, and chemicals to promote efficient resource use in line with SDG 12.
3. Asset and Capital Management: Evaluating machinery costs, values, and vendor financing options.
4. Risk Mitigation: Guidance on selecting appropriate crop insurance to safeguard against climate and market volatility, supporting SDG 2.
5. Contractual Agreements: Understanding share and cash rental agreements to ensure equitable and sustainable land use.

Conclusion

The “Financing Your Operation in 2026” workshop is a critical intervention that addresses the immediate financial needs of Tennessee’s farmers while contributing to the broader, long-term objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals. By building financial literacy and resilience, the initiative supports a more sustainable, productive, and equitable agricultural sector for the future.

Analysis of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 1: No Poverty – The article addresses the economic vulnerability of farmers who have faced “substantial monetary losses.” The workshop’s goal to improve financial management directly aims to secure farmers’ livelihoods and prevent them from falling into poverty.
• SDG 2: Zero Hunger – The focus is on “row crop production” (corn, cotton, soybean, and wheat), which is fundamental to food security. The financial stability of farmers, which the workshop aims to bolster, is essential for sustained food production and creating resilient agricultural systems, especially in the face of challenges like “drought.”
• SDG 4: Quality Education – The article’s central theme is an “educational program” and “workshop” offered by a university. This initiative provides adult farmers with relevant vocational and financial skills, promoting lifelong learning opportunities to help them manage their operations effectively.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – Farming is a key economic activity. The article discusses improving the “overall profitability” of farm operations. By equipping farmers with financial management skills, the workshop supports the viability of their businesses, contributing to local economic growth and ensuring decent work for those in the agricultural sector.
• SDG 13: Climate Action – The article explicitly mentions “drought” as a challenge impacting farmers’ profitability. By helping farmers build financial resilience through tools like crop insurance and better debt management, the workshop enhances their adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and their economic consequences.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 1: No Poverty
   • Target 1.4: By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technology and financial services, including microfinance. The workshop directly addresses access to and understanding of financial services (vendor financing, loans, insurance) to give farmers better control over their economic resources.
2. SDG 2: Zero Hunger
   • Target 2.3: By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers… The workshop aims to improve the financial standing of farmers by helping them navigate “high input costs” and “low commodity prices,” which is a direct effort to increase their incomes and profitability.
   • Target 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices… The article mentions drought as a key challenge. The workshop’s focus on financial tools like “selecting crop insurance” helps build resilience in farming operations against such shocks.
3. SDG 4: Quality Education
   • Target 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship. The workshop is designed to “equip farmers with the knowledge necessary to navigate financial challenges,” providing them with specific vocational skills for entrepreneurship in the agricultural sector.
4. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • Target 8.10: Strengthen the capacity of domestic financial institutions to encourage and expand access to banking, insurance and financial services for all. The workshop’s curriculum, which includes “vendor financing,” “consolidating loans,” and “selecting crop insurance,” directly works to improve farmers’ ability to access and effectively use financial services.
5. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. The article identifies “drought” as a significant challenge. The financial workshop helps farmers build economic resilience, which is a key component of adapting to the impacts of climate-related events.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Farm Profitability and Financial Stability: The article explicitly mentions “overall profitability” and “substantial monetary losses” as key issues. A reduction in losses and an increase in profitability for participating farmers would be a direct indicator of progress.
• Access to Credit: A stated goal is to put farmers “in a position to obtain the credit required to plant crops in 2026.” Therefore, the rate of successful credit applications by attendees post-workshop is a measurable indicator.
• Management of Input Costs: The article lists “high input costs” and specific prices for “seed, fertilizer and chemical” as challenges. An indicator would be the ability of farmers to better manage these costs through the strategies learned.
• Uptake of Financial and Risk Management Tools: The workshop covers topics like “consolidating loans” and “selecting crop insurance.” An increase in the adoption of these tools by farmers can be tracked as an indicator of improved financial resilience.
• Participation in Educational Programs: The article requires registration for the workshop. The number of farmers who register and attend serves as a basic indicator of the reach and engagement of the educational initiative (related to SDG 4).

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Table

Source: wbbjtv.com