Giving Compass' Take:

• Harvest Public Media examines the proliferation of private companies partnering environmental organizations — and whether they can really make an impact.

• One major concern discussed in this article is accountability: How can we make sure that business leaders are in it for the long-haul, not just good press coverage?

• Here's more on turning Corporate Social Responsibility ambitions into reality.

As harvest wrapped up this year and the leaves turned brilliant shades of red and yellow, two of the world’s biggest agribusinesses, Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) and Smithfield Foods, announced they were pairing up on projects with environmental nonprofits.

It didn’t create the furor like in past years when oil companies joined forces with nonprofits and were met by accusations of “greenwashing” — that is, just trying to shine up their reputations.

But that doesn’t mean these latest partnerships have it figured out. Success begins with finding common ground with the farmers and landowners the efforts affect the most. And there’s also the challenge of holding each other accountable.

“I think it's more effective to have a change when you to come in and talk with people and come to an agreement about an overarching goal and then figuring out how to get there as opposed to fighting about it,” said Stewart Leeth, the chief sustainability officer for hog processor Smithfield.

These voluntary, piecemeal partnerships among non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and corporations may even turn out to be the first line of defense against climate change — particularly as the federal government shrinks its regulatory duties at the direction of President Donald Trump.

Read the full article about corporate environmental partnerships by Erica Hunzinger at Harvest Public Media.