The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), also known as the American Farm Bureau Association or the Farm Bureau, advocates for agricultural producers at the local, state, and national level.

History

Founded in 1919, American Farm Bureau Federation began with leaders from 34 states convening in Chicago, Illinois, to form a representative association for farming and ranching families. ¹ In the early days of AFBF, the organization worked alongside the “Farm Bloc,” a bipartisan group of members of Congress in the early 1920s who were responsible for enacting long-sought legislation that benefited farmers. Later, when the Great Depression hit, AFBF drafted the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933, the first piece of New Deal legislation meant to stabilize the agricultural industry. ²

In recent years, AFBF successfully launched the “Don’t Cap our Future” campaign when Congress signaled it was considering legislation that would require agricultural operations to offset emissions, particularly with regard to livestock farms. AFBF also backed a genetically modified organism (GMO) labeling law signed by President Barack Obama. ³

In 2014, AFBF launched a “Ditch the Rule” campaign and joined dozens of states and industry groups in suing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over changing the definition of waters under the Clean Waters Act in a land grab attempt by the EPA. ⁴

Programs

American Farm Bureau Federation advocates for agricultural producers as it relates to trade agreements, environmental regulation measures, biotechnology, and labor, among other issues. ⁵ In addition, AFBF supports educational and outreach programs including the Young Farmers and Ranchers and Women’s Leadership programs. ⁶

AFBF also created the Partners in Advocacy Leadership (PAL) program to accelerate personal and professional development for AFBF members and create agricultural advocates by providing opportunities for PAL members to represent agricultural interests in the media. ⁷

Finance

The organization’s tax returns for 2017 reported over $33 million in total revenue and over $30 million in total expenses. The previous year’s report displays similar figures as the organization had more than $34 million in total revenue and just under $33 million in total expenses in 2016. ⁸

AFBF distributed a handful of grants in 2017, including $165,000 to the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture, $10,000 to the National FFA Foundation, and $7,500 to the Minor Crop Farm Alliance, all for general support. ⁹

Leadership

American Farm Bureau Federation is led by Vincent “Zippy” Duvall. Duvall, a third-generation farmer from Georgia, has worked as president of the organization since 2016. Previously, he was president of the Georgia Farm Bureau and, along with his late wife, was awarded the Young Farmer and Rancher Award in 1982. ¹⁰

Scott VanderWal serves as AFBF’s vice president, a role he has held since 2016. He also represents AFBF on the board of U.S. Farmers and Ranchers in Action and is also the president of the South Dakota Farm Bureau. ¹¹

1. “About.” American Farm Bureau Federation. Accessed December 28, 2020. https://www.fb.org/about/overview.
2. “Celebrating 100 Years of History.” American Farm Bureau Federation. Accessed December 28, 2020. https://www.fb.org/about/history.
3. “Celebrating 100 Years of History.” American Farm Bureau Federation. Accessed December 28, 2020. https://www.fb.org/about/history.
4. Gonzalez, Sarah. “Farm Bureau Asks Members to Reject EPA ‘Waters of the US’ Proposal.” AgriPulse, April 22, 2014. https://www.agri-pulse.com/articles/3945-farm-bureau-asks-members-to-reject-epa-waters-of-the-us-proposal.
5. “Issues.” American Farm Bureau Federation. Accessed December 28, 2020. https://www.fb.org/issues.
6. “Programs.” American Farm Bureau Federation. Accessed December 28, 2020. https://www.fb.org/programs.
7. “Programs.” American Farm Bureau Federation. Accessed December 28, 2020. https://www.fb.org/programs.
8.   American Farm Bureau Federation, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2017
9. American Farm Bureau Federation, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2017
10. “Meet Our Leadership – American Farm Bureau Federation.” American Farm Bureau Federation. Accessed December 28, 2020. https://www.fb.org/about/meet-our-leadership.
11. “Meet Our Leadership – American Farm Bureau Federation.” American Farm Bureau Federation. Accessed December 28, 2020. https://www.fb.org/about/meet-our-leadership.