The nonprofit American Farmland Trust has launched a new U.S. Farmed certification and packaging seal for products that derive at least 95 percent of their agricultural ingredients from farms in the United States. Anheuser-Busch, the nation’s largest brewer, will be the first adopter of this new initiative, using the seal on several of its beer brands.
The goal is that this certification will help empower consumers to directly benefit U.S. farmers and invest in the future of domestic ingredient sourcing, helping to ensure a vibrant and thriving agricultural sector in America. The seal will first appear on Anheuser-Busch’s Busch Light beer this May, while Budweiser, Bud Light, and Michelob ULTRA beers have also obtained the U.S. Farmed certification.
“American farmers are the backbone of this country, and Anheuser-Busch has been deeply connected to the U.S. agricultural community and committed to sourcing high-quality ingredients from U.S. farmers for more than 165 years — that’s who we are,” Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth said in a news release. “We source nearly all the ingredients in our iconic American beers from hard-working U.S. farmers — many of whom we have worked with for generations. The U.S. Farmed certification takes our commitment to the next level, and we are proud to lead the industry in rallying behind American farmers to ensure the future of U.S. agriculture, which is crucial to our country’s economy. We look forward to other companies joining us in seeking U.S. Farmed certification for their products so that together we can make an even greater impact and show our support for American farmers.”
Becoming U.S. Farmed costs an annual $5,000 certificate fee as well as requiring a licensing royalty/contribution, which is done on a sliding scale based on the company’s estimated sales.
Anheuser-Busch is coupling this certification with a new campaign called Choose Beer Grown Here. Anheuser-Busch is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, and is owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev, which generated global revenue of over $59 billion in 2023, a 2.76 percent increase from the previous year.
American Farmland Trust is encouraging companies across the consumer-packaged goods industry to obtain U.S. Farmed certification for their domestically sourced products. AFT plans to use the money raised to expand programs and provide U.S. farmers across all 50 states with free resources and expert advisory services to help them access, protect, and maintain American farmland.
According to AFT, within the next 15 years, ownership of over 30 percent of American agricultural land could be transitioned as the current generation of farmers prepares to retire. At the same time, farmland loss threatens the very foundation of our agricultural capacity, and new and beginning farmers are often challenged to secure the capital needed to enter agriculture. The U.S. Farmed certification is intended to address this challenge by providing growers with access to the direct support needed to pursue their options for maintaining and protecting their farmland, as well as innovative strategies for transitioning their land to the next generation of farmers.
“Knowing that consumers can choose to support not just me, but all farmers across our country, means a lot to my family and to the people on my farm whose jobs rely on their purchases,” said Luke Adams, a third-generation barley farmer and owner of Timm Adams Farms in Idaho.
Beth Sauerhaft, AFT’s acting President and CEO, said, “Each U.S. Farmed certification has the potential to open new opportunities for farmers to receive assistance with succession planning, farmland protection tools for their operations, and other useful tactics to safeguard their land — our nation’s food systems. We appreciate Anheuser-Busch’s leadership in bringing the U.S. Farmed certification to some of the country’s most iconic brands while also making a tangible impact for American farmers.”
