Reforms Would Require Poultry Companies to Disclose New Information on Earning Potential, Input Quality, and Tournament Groups and Formulas — Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack recently announced the publication of a long-awaited proposed rule regarding “Transparency in Poultry Growing Contracts and Tournaments.” The Rural Advancement Foundation International — USA (RAFI-USA) is pleased with this development and applauds Secretary Vilsack for taking this important step.

Quick Highlights Anyone who has experienced or observed a possible violation of the Packers and Stockyards Act or other federal fair competition laws in the livestock sector may now submit a complaint or tip to farmerfairness.gov. Fully anonymous complaint submissions are allowed, and the confidentiality of those who submit complaints…

RAFI-USA’s approach to policy advocacy has always hinged on the foundational importance of the work we do directly with farmers and rural stakeholders. All of the policy issues we pursue emerge from that work, and the priorities below are a reflection of the needs which have surfaced from it. There…

We all want a chance to earn a fair living in exchange for doing work that we take pride in. For decades, contract farmers have been fighting against unfair corporate practices that treat food producers and rural communities as disposable. The COVID-19 pandemic has repeatedly shown us that now, more…

In this documentary, contract farmers and industry experts reveal how the extractive corporate model pits farmer against farmer.

Humans are story-driven. The stories we tell about ourselves, each other, and the world are more powerful than we can imagine. Stories have the ability to captivate our imaginations, build up our strongest beliefs, and tear down our closest held assumptions. …

RAFI-USA Executive Director Edna Rodriguez has been a key player on RAFI-USA’s team for a decade. Starting as the organization’s grants officer, she quickly progressed to become development director, operations director, and now executive director. Edna’s leadership has been instrumental in moving the organization forward while always staying a few…

When I ask Thomas Bradley how he got started in farming, he simply replies, “It’s just what I’ve always done.” Bradley is farming land that his grandfather and great-grandfather farmed for 100 years before him. Bradley Farms is on an approximately seven acre parcel located in the Big Cove Community…

This is the story of Ryan Pressley and his extraordinary efforts to expand his farming operation. Time after time, he was rejected, discouraged, or misled into missing out on financing and risk management resources, such as the time when a local agricultural lending officer told Ryan his farm ownership loan…