Issues - American Farm Bureau Federation

Trade

USMCA

With the implementation of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, U.S. farmers and ranchers are eager to realize the more than $2 billion in additional farm exports and $65 billion in gross domestic product the pact is expected to provide. read more

Trade Agreements

The U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement will lower tariffs and put U.S. farmers and ranchers on a level playing field to compete in Japan with countries that participate in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. read more

Regulatory Reform

Agriculture and Regulatory Reform

All Americans have an interest in a regulatory process that is transparent and fact-based, respects the will of Congress, and observes the separation of powers in the Constitution. read more

The New Clean Water Rule

Farmers and ranchers welcome the clarity and commonsense the new Clean Water Rule provides. read more

The Endangered Species Act

Farmers, ranchers and environmentalists agree that we must conserve and recover wildlife facing preventable extinction. But with a recovery rate of less than two percent, the Endangered Species Act is a failing to accomplish its mission. read more

Conservation Compliance

Sustainability

Climate Change

Farmers and ranchers are reducing their environmental footprint through modern agricultural techniques that produce food more efficiently. With some scientists predicting greater occurrences of extreme weather, Farm Bureau believes that there are tools and solutions that will make obstacles and variability in weather less challenging without hindering our productivity or harming the U.S. economy. read more

Innovation

Biotechnology

Biotechnology is an important tool for better sustainability and food security. It helps farmers grow more food while improving the environment. For example, biotechnology reduces the use of costly inputs and improves weed management, allowing farmers to reduce tillage for better soil, water and air quality. read more

Gene Editing

Farmers play an integral role in addressing some of society’s greatest challenges from preventing hunger to improving health and sustainability, and new technology and innovation helps us fulfill that mission. Gene editing is an important tool that can unlock tremendous benefits for consumers and the environment, and help farmers grow healthier, more sustainable food, fiber and fuel. read more

Farm Policy

2018 Farm Bill

The 2018 Farm Bill is a complete package, and one that will serve all Americans. Learn how the Farm Bill matters. read more

Federal Milk Marketing Order Reform

In January 2019, voting delegates to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 100th annual meeting recommended to the AFBF board of directors that the organization convene a Farm Bureau- and producer-led coalition to review methods to restructure and modernize the current Federal Milk Marketing Order system. read more

Immigration Reform

Agriculture Labor Reform

Securing a reliable and competent workforce for our nation’s farms and ranches is essential to agriculture and the U.S. economy. Yet every year, U.S. agriculture faces a critical shortage of workers, making our farms and ranches less competitive with foreign farmers and less reliable for the American consumer. read more

E-Verify

Requiring agricultural employers to use E-Verify without assuring that a workable guest worker program is in place could threaten the livelihoods of many farmers and ranchers in labor-intensive agriculture. read more

Infrastructure

Rural Infrastructure

American farmers’ and ranchers’ ability to meet domestic demands and compete globally depends on a robust and reliable infrastructure. read more

Rural Broadband

America’s farmers and ranchers need viable rural communities to supply the services needed to support their families and agricultural operations. read more

Tax Reform

Agriculture and Tax Reform

Farm Bureau supports replacing the current federal income tax with a fair and equitable tax system that encourages success, savings, investment and entrepreneurship. We believe that the new code should be simple, transparent, revenue-neutral and fair to farmers and ranchers. read more

Estate Tax Repeal

America values these family-owned farms and ranches because of the food, fiber, and fuel they produce, the contribution that agriculture makes to job creation and the economy, and the open space that farming and ranching protects. Yet, our nation's estate tax policy can be in direct conflict with the desire to preserve and protect our nation's family-owned farms and ranches. read more

Capital Gains Taxes

Long-term capital gains are taxed at a lower rate to encourage investment in farms and businesses that grow our economy, create jobs and in recognition that these investments involve risk. read more

Tax Incentives for Renewable Fuel and Energy

Energy

Comprehensive US Energy Policy

In the recent past, tight oil and natural gas supplies drove U.S. farm inputs and energy prices to all-time highs, substantially increasing farm production costs. In the near term, stopping exploration for and use of fossil fuels cannot be done without severely disrupting our economy and threatening Americans’ standard of living. read more

Tax Incentives for Renewable Fuel and Energy

Farm Bureau supports policies that will create a diverse, domestic energy supply to fuel America’s economic growth and prosperity while strengthening our energy security and bolstering rural economies. Further development and use of renewable fuel and energy sources such as ethanol, biodiesel, biomass and wind are critical to our nation’s energy future and will strengthen the overall national security of the United States. read more

Other

Antibiotics

Farmers and ranchers need tools to keep animals healthy— including antibiotics or antimicrobials that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Eliminating access to these important tools will jeopardize animal health and compromise their ability to raise and produce a healthy and safe product. read more

Food Safety

American consumers deserve to have confidence that their food is safe and that the best science is used to ensure that they have access to the most wholesome products. read more

National Monuments & The Antiquities Act

For more than a century, the President of the United States has had the power to unilaterally designate federal lands as a National Monument without the consent of Congress, local governments or affected citizens. National Monument designations, under the Antiquities Act of 1906, are meant to ensure the proper care and management of historic landmarks and other objects of historic or scientific interest. The Act also states that the monuments shall be confined to the smallest area compatible with proper care and management of the objects. read more

Wild Horse and Burro Management

Wild horses and burros are to be managed according to the Wild and Free-Roaming Horse & Burro Act of 1971, which not only specifies where wild horses and burros can occupy public lands but that they shall be managed in a manner that produces a thriving natural ecological balance. read more

GIPSA

The Packers and Stockyards Act was enacted in 1921 and prohibits unfair, deceptive, and unjust discriminatory practices by market agencies, dealers, stockyards, packers, swine contractors, and live poultry dealers in the livestock and poultry industries. read more

Neonicotinoids & Honey Bees

Insect pollination is critical to agriculture, and honey bees alone contribute more than an estimated $15 billion to the agricultural economy. Beekeepers, federal and state regulators, farmers and ranchers, and academic researchers are all engaged in the effort to identify the causes of honey bee decline and to find a solution. read more

Rural Opioid Epidemic

The opioid epidemic is taking its toll on rural America, and it's hitting farm and ranch families especially hard. read more