Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP)

Rooted in Family Farms
In the mid-1980s, family farmers across America were in the fight of their lives. Prices had dropped below the cost of production. Family farmers were told they were inefficient and they had to either get big or get out. Deeply flawed national and international policies were the root cause of the crisis. A galvanizing effort to save the family farm helped spawn the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP). In 1986, IATP began documenting the underlying causes of America’s rural crisis and proposing policies that would benefit farmers, consumers, rural communities and the environment.

Facing Globalization
IATP works with organizations around the world to analyze how global trade agreements impact domestic farm and food policies. Alongside a global coalition, IATP advocates for fair trade policies that promote strong health standards, labor and human rights, the environment and, most fundamentally, democratic institutions.

Building Sustainability
We are developing alternative economic models that include clean sources of energy such as wind power and biofuel that would spur rural development. We’re working with landowners to form cooperatives that promote sustainable forest management. We’re advocating for green businesses and farms that reduce toxic runoff into the Great Lakes and Mississippi River.

Safe Food, Healthy Ecosystems
We are working to stop the overuse of antibiotics in agriculture and aquaculture, while limiting the release of mercury and other toxic pollutants that fall onto farmland and enter the food supply. IATP is also monitoring the impact of genetically engineered crops on the environment, human health and farmer income.