Our Values

We believe in farming and ranching that is sustainable.  To us this means helping people everywhere thrive, improving the health of the planet and growing strong businesses.  America’s farmers and ranchers are continually working to improve how we:

People

• Raise food that provides access to healthy choices for people at all income levels and geographies

• Maintain a safe food supply for the more than one billion meals eaten in America each day

• Strive to provide fair wages and conditions for people who work on our farms

• Support the social and economic vitality of our local communities

Planet

• Keep our animals healthy by setting, improving and policing high standards for their well-being

• Support punishing to the fullest extent of the law anyone who abuses animals

• Reduce our impact on the environment by responsibly managing the use of inputs and resources from water to fertilizer to pesticides

• Employ cutting-edge solutions for clean water, air and soil

• Base decisions on peer reviewed science, verification and respect for consumer values

Business

• Work more closely with food production, processing and distribution systems and partners to better answer Americans questions about how our food is produced

• Develop critical and responsible new technologies and practices to improve our ability to safely feed more people 

• Maintain industry leadership in the world and keep Agriculture a strong business in America

What We Stand For

• Who we are:  We are America’s farmers and ranchers, committed to continuously improving how we raise food that provides healthy choices for people everywhere.
  
  
  • U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) is a coalition of more than 50 national, regional and state agricultural groups and their partners, marking the first time such a wide range of groups are collaborating to lead a dialogue about how food is raised. 


• Commitment to listening: Farmers and ranchers of all shapes and sizes and in many different industries are joining together to listen and answer Americans’ questions about how their food is raised.
  
  
  • Farmers and ranchers haven’t always done the best job answering Americans’ questions about how our food is grown and raised.  Consumers rightfully want to know that we are treating animals well, maintaining food quality and safety and doing our jobs in ways that don’t harm the environment.


• Continuous Improvement: We are committed to continuous improvement.
  
  
  •  American farming and ranching is a dynamic, ever changing industry that has always looked at how to do things better.  While we have made numerous improvements over recent years in the areas of protecting the environment, keeping our animals healthy and providing healthy choices for people at all income levels, we are committed to doing even more going forward to meet these important challenges


• Addressing Concerns about Long-Term Health: Many Americans are worried about the long-term impact of the food they are eating – on their own health and on the health of the planet.
  
  
  •  As in every business, farmers and ranchers are ultimately accountable to what consumers decide they want to eat.  We need to continue to take concrete steps to make sure we are operating in ways that consumers support.


• Leading a Dialogue: We are creating a “big table,” inviting everyone who cares about the future of food and how we provide healthy choices for people everywhere.
  
  
  • We are inviting people who don’t always agree with us in addition to all types of farmers including organic and small farmers as well as our agribusiness partners to be part of the discussion.
  
  
  • For members of the agriculture community, join our movement to bring more information about our food supply to Americans and to discuss our most pressing challenges.  We believe we can find common areas to agree upon and improve.
  
  
  • As Americans, join us to ask questions and get ongoing information on where your food comes from.  There are no secrets.  We want to give consumers more information so they can make the right choices for their families.


• Seeking Common Ground: Feeding growing populations in America and around the world in ways that are healthy and good for the planet is a major challenge.  There are no black and white answers.  We hope to provide the opportunity for better dialogue between people from different backgrounds and different viewpoints – all in the spirit of seeking greater areas of common ground.  

Mission & Objectives 

We Will

• Enhance consumer trust in the U.S. food production system. We want consumers to know that America's farmers and ranchers share their values. We are committed to answering Americans' questions about how we raise our food while being stewards of the environment, responsibly caring for our animals and maintaining strong businesses and communities.

• Maintain and enhance the freedom of U.S. farmers and ranchers to operate in a responsible manner.  In particular, we will emphasize farmers and ranchers dedication to continuous improvement of how food is raised or grown to meet the global demands.

• Strengthen collaboration within the food production, processing and distribution systems to lead the discussion and to share information about our food supply and industry

Strategic Objectives

• Increase the number of policymakers and government officials (at all levels) who value modern agriculture production.

• Engage key customer decision makers in the dialogue about the value of modern food production.

• Work with leading national influencer organizations (medical, cultural, dietary, environmental, etc.) to create partnerships in support of today's agriculture.

• Increase the role of farmers and ranchers as the voice of animal and crop agriculture on local, state and national food issues.

When Did Agriculture Become A Dirty Word?

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