American Farmland Trust was founded in 1980 to save America’s farms and ranches.
American Farmland Trust leads the conservation agriculture movement with a mission to save America’s farms and ranches by protecting agricultural land, promoting sound farming practices, and helping farm families stay on the land. AFT takes a holistic approach, recognizing the vital connection between the land itself, the practices employed on that land, and the farmers and ranchers who steward that land. Through on-the-ground projects, objective research, and effective advocacy, AFT addresses major challenges facing farmers and ranchers, positioning farming to serve both economic and environmental goals. The widely recognized No Farms No Food® message AFT crafted highlights the importance of farmland, connecting the food we eat to the farms that grow it.
AFT's efforts have saved millions of acres of farmland from development and supported tens of thousands of farmers in adopting sustainable practices. Despite these successes, the challenges are urgent: every day, 2,000 acres of farmland are lost to non-agricultural uses, many farms continue to lose topsoil at alarming rates; and one-third of America’s farmland may change hands in the next 15 years as aging landowners sell their properties. These trends jeopardize the future of agriculture and our environment. Farmland is essential for food production—the demand for which is expected to increase by 60% by 2050. But farmland is also essential for a wide array of ecosystem services on which our future depends.
Our Mission
American Farmland Trust’s mission is to save the land that sustains us by:
Protecting farmland
Promoting sound farming practices
Keeping farmers on the land
Our Core Values
At American Farmland Trust, our motto is “Saving the Land that Sustains Us.” In the same way that the land sustains our environment, economy, and culture, AFT’s core values sustain our organization. They are the soil from which every project, every policy proposal, every research question, communications piece, and strategic partnership sprouts. We hold these values with respect and reverence, embracing them daily to further our mission.
At American Farmland Trust, we value:
• Stewardship: We are dedicated to the land and the people who tend it, and we care for our colleagues and partners.
• Curiosity: We move forward in the spirit of openness and inquiry.
• Common Ground: We cultivate opportunities to work across differences.
• Adaptive Tenacity: We work with intention and grit, and we are committed to long-term progress.
