View source for American Farm Bureau Federation

{{short description|Lobbying group in the United States}}
{{about|the lobbying group|the insurance, fund and annuities financial company|FBL Financial Group}}
{{Distinguish|text=the [[National Farmers Union (United States)|National Farmers Union]]}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = American Farm Bureau Federation
| logo = Farm-bureau.png
| type = Agricultural lobbying organization
| established = {{start date and age|1919|11|12}}
| founder = John Barron
| location = [[Washington D.C.]]
| origins = 
| key_people = Vincent "Zippy" Duvall (President)
| area_served = United States
| focus = [[Agriculture]]
| method = Lobbying
| revenue = 
| endowment = 
| num_employees = 
| owner = 
| non-profit_slogan = 
| former name = 
| website = {{URL|https://www.fb.org/}}
}}

[[Image:Farm Bureau Insurance office Pinckney Michigan.JPG|thumb|250px|right|Farm Bureau office in [[Pinckney, Michigan]]]]
[[Image:Extemporaneous Remarks of the President to the American Farm Bureau Federation in Nashville, Tennessee - NARA - 197499.tif|150px|thumb|1935 [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt|FDR]] remarks for the American Farm Bureau Federation on agriculture during the [[Great Depression]]]]

The '''American Farm Bureau Federation''' ('''AFBF'''), more informally called the '''American Farm Bureau''' ('''AFB''') or simply the '''Farm Bureau''', is a [[United States]]–based [[501(c) organization|501(c)(5)]] tax-exempt agricultural organization and [[Lobbying|lobbying group]].<ref name="Roberts">{{Cite web |last=Roberts |first=Andrea Suozzo, Ken Schwencke, Mike Tigas, Sisi Wei, Alec Glassford, Brandon |date=2013-05-09 |title=American Farm Bureau Federation - Nonprofit Explorer |url=https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/360725160 |access-date=2023-07-27 |website=ProPublica |language=en |archive-date=2023-02-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230214161953/https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/360725160 |url-status=live }}</ref> Headquartered in [[Washington, D.C.]], the Farm Bureau has affiliates in all 50 states and [[Puerto Rico]]. Each affiliate is a (state or county) Farm Bureau, and the parent organization is also often called simply the Farm Bureau.

Founded in 1919,<ref>{{Cite web |title=American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) |publisher=Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/American-Farm-Bureau-Federation |access-date=2023-04-19 |language=en |archive-date=2023-04-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230419172651/https://www.britannica.com/topic/American-Farm-Bureau-Federation |url-status=live }}</ref> the AFBF represents the 2 million farms in the United States, and is among the agriculture industry's largest lobby groups.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Agricultural Services & Products: Lobbying, 2022 |publisher=OpenSecrets |url=https://www.opensecrets.org/industries/lobbying.php?cycle=All&ind=A07 |access-date=2023-02-11 |archive-date=2023-02-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230211020250/https://www.opensecrets.org/industries/lobbying.php?cycle=All&ind=A07 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":0" /> Some observers contend that its federal lobbying efforts, which began in the 1930s, helped drive the subsequent three-decade shift to larger farms.<ref>{{Cite web |title=USDA ERS - Farming and Farm Income |url=https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/ag-and-food-statistics-charting-the-essentials/farming-and-farm-income/ |access-date=2023-12-11 |website=www.ers.usda.gov |archive-date=2023-12-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211102346/https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/ag-and-food-statistics-charting-the-essentials/farming-and-farm-income/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2022, the AFBF spent $2,120,000 on lobbying,<ref>{{Cite news |title=American Farm Bureau Lobbyists |language=en |work=OpenSecrets |url=https://www.opensecrets.org/federal-lobbying/clients/lobbyists?cycle=2022&id=D000021832 |access-date=2023-12-11 |archive-date=2023-03-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230304161315/https://www.opensecrets.org/federal-lobbying/clients/lobbyists?cycle=2022&id=D000021832 |url-status=live }}</ref> including for policies benefitting the for-profit activities of state farm bureaus, such as federal subsidies for the [[crop insurance]] sold by affiliate companies.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=McVan |first=Madison |date=2022-02-08 |title=The American Farm Bureau Federation claims it's the 'Voice of Agriculture.' These groups beg to differ. |url=http://investigatemidwest.org/2022/02/08/the-american-farm-bureau-federation-claims-its-the-voice-of-agriculture-these-groups-beg-to-differ/ |access-date=2023-02-11 |website=Investigate Midwest |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-02-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210034036/https://investigatemidwest.org/2022/02/08/the-american-farm-bureau-federation-claims-its-the-voice-of-agriculture-these-groups-beg-to-differ/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="The Nation2" /> Until 2019, it [[Climate change denial|denied]] that climate change was real.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Harvesting Peril |url=https://insideclimatenews.org/project/harvesting-peril/ |access-date=2022-10-08 |website=Inside Climate News |language=en-US |archive-date=2022-10-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221009174910/https://insideclimatenews.org/project/harvesting-peril/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

AFBF itself does not sell insurance, but all but a handful of its non-profit state affiliates have affiliated for-profit insurance companies. Most of AFBF's revenue comes from dues paid by its nearly 5.9 million members,<ref>{{Cite web |title=American Farm Bureau Federation |url=https://www.fb.org/about/benefits |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230211012341/https://www.fb.org/about/benefits |archive-date=February 11, 2023 |access-date=2023-02-11 |website=www.fb.org |language=en-US}}</ref> most of whom are not farmers but insurance customers who pay the dues as a condition of their policies.<ref name=":4" />

Every year, the organization holds an annual convention and adopts new policies to guide its work. The convention is attended by farmer and rancher delegates from across the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-01-22 |title=Farm Bureau Establishes Policies Including Higher THC Levels in Hemp |url=https://northernag.net/farm-bureau-establishes-policies-including-higher-thc-levels-in-hemp/ |access-date=2023-04-19 |website=Northern Ag Network |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-04-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230419173012/https://northernag.net/farm-bureau-establishes-policies-including-higher-thc-levels-in-hemp/ |url-status=live }}</ref>