Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy

Alongside the Shamba Center for Food & Climate and the Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development (CCRED), IATP is working with the German government to develop a new vision for agricultural trade that aligns with sustainable development goals. www.iatp.org/development-...

If governance of global food systems trade is not fit for purpose, what do you do? You develop something new. Really looking forward to diving deeper into this new model treaty. Importantly, it seems to recognize the importance of global food trade but asks how it can be done better.

Big meat & dairy companies often downplay the significance of livestock methane, focusing on its “biogenic” nature. But methane is a super-heating pollutant, regardless of its source — and needs deep & sustained cuts to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. www.iatp.org/methane-poll...

Today is World Food Day, a moment created by the United Nations to commemorate the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization in 1945. Read Executive Director Sophia Murphy’s reflection on what has changed, and the challenges facing global food security today: www.iatp.org/world-food-d...

With each new crisis, global fertilizer companies seem to get stronger. More public subsidies, less tariffs and more profits - even as proven farming strategies to reduce fertilizer use are sidelined. I wrote about the industry's crisis management playbook.

This week, the fertilizer industry celebrated “Global Fertilizer Day,” amid high fertilizer prices & tight global supply. But as farmers feel the squeeze, fertilizer companies continue to profit from a food & farm system that is dangerously dependent on chemical inputs. www.iatp.org/fertilizer-i...

Next week, at the 54th Plenary Session of the Committee on World Food Security in Rome, IATP will be co-hosting a side event on reforming and reclaiming global food systems governance. The deadline to register for the online session is Friday, Oct. 16. Register here: fao.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Today the fertilizer industry celebrates “Global Fertilizer Day,” but here’s the reality: chemical fertilizers are fossil fuels in disguise. 🔴 🛢️ #GlobalFertilizerDay #FoodJustice

Learn more about IATP’s work supporting Farm to Kids efforts in Minnesota and beyond — and how effective Farm to Kids policies can build stronger local food systems — at this Wednesday’s webinar: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Farm to School programs are instrumental in building new markets for local farmers and providing fresh, local food for kids. Explore our new Farm to Kids timeline, which documents Minnesota's progress in building Farm to Kids policy and program support across the state: www.iatp.org/minnesota-fa...

The New World Screwworm, a parasitic fly previously eradicated in the U.S. for decades, spread to the U.S. earlier this summer. The parasite thrives in hot, humid conditions — and USDA’s response to the outbreak fails to address the increasing risks of a warming climate. www.iatp.org/new-world-sc...

The food system we have isn’t the only option. And world hunger isn’t unsolvable. In fact – the resources and solutions already exist around the world. We just have to embrace them. Learn more in our new report: foodlandmoney.org

In 2025, IATP and the University of Minnesota conducted a statewide survey farmer survey. We heard from 462 Minnesota farmers who shared their experiences with climate resilient farming practices and accessing support for agroecology. Learn more here: www.iatp.org/minnesota-fa...

NEW: IATP’s Leila Yow recently traveled to Beijing to attend a workshop on competition law and policy. While there, she met small farmers and organizers who are building local alternatives to a corporate-controlled food system. www.iatp.org/beijing-trip...

Earlier this afternoon, the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee passed its Farm Bill out of committee by a 12-11 party-line vote. The bill fails to extend essential SNAP funding, and does not do nearly enough to help farmers in need. Read our full statement here: www.iatp.org/senate-farmb...

Join us this Wednesday for the first webinar in our fall Shaping the Future of Food series! IATP's Ben Lilliston will discuss how agribusiness exerts its economic and political power during times of crisis, and how we can chart a more resilient path forward. us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

A new @unep.org report warns of massive risk from exceeding 1.5°C global warming. Yet it fails to put a fast, fair, funded fossil fuel phase-out at the center of how governments fulfill their legal obligations. Here’s why that’s a problem. 🧵

📮🥕USDA’s new “Harvest to Hallways” initiative recognizes the importance of getting fresh, local food to schools but falls short w/ out sustained investment schools, farmers & food-system partners need.🔗See this guest post from @iatp.bsky.social for details: sustainableagriculture.net/blog/guest-p...

The U.S. and Canada have been locked in a tense tariff battle this month. Bilateral trade talks have collapsed, which could result in lasting resentment between the two trading partners. Read our latest from IATP Executive Director (and Canadian citizen) Sophia Murphy: www.iatp.org/what-next-me...

USDA announced its "Harvest to Hallways" initiative this week in support of school nutrition. While there are some positive components, the total investment of $125 million doesn't come close to the $1 billion of local school food funding that was canceled in 2025. www.iatp.org/usda-harvest...

Hear from IATP's Matt Kinsella-Walsh in this new video from @moreperfectunion.bsky.social exposing how monopolies and excess corporate power in the food system lead to more exploitation of workers and farmers — and worse food for all of us. www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyG-...

NEW from IATP’s @benlilliston.bsky.social: A number of new bills introduced in Congress aim to challenge unfair practices and corporate overreach in our food & farm system, from meat market consolidation to restrictive seed patents to worker exploitation. dailyyonder.com/commentary-a...

IATP was in New York this week, meeting with allies as part of the Global Alliance for Tax Justice. On Wednesday, Matt Kinsella-Walsh spoke at the U.N. negotiating session for the Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation. View the video of Matt’s remarks here: youtu.be/1rfzE1BUJrI

Today, the Senate Agriculture Committee failed to advance their draft Farm Bill to the Senate floor—largely due to a stalemate around the essential anti-hunger program SNAP. But across the board, the Senate's draft fails to meet the moment for farmers & our food system. www.iatp.org/senate-ag-co...

Despite the US Supreme Court ruling out Trump's imposed tariffs, to date 9 countries have signed US reciprocal trade agreement. An analysis by @iatp.bsky.social looks at how these agreements require countries to adopt US standards on seeds & food safety www.iatp.org/us-trade-agr...

NEW: An unusually widespread outbreak of the foodborne parasite Cyclospora has been causing illness across the U.S. this summer. Regulatory neglect, corporate consolidation in the food system, and poor labor conditions for farmworkers helped drive the outbreak. www.iatp.org/industrial-f...

The proposed Riverview Dairy would be the largest in the state. What is lost for Minnesota's rural communities, water and the environment, when big dairies move in & small/mid-sized farms are pushed out. The MN Dept of Ag is taking public comments on this ? app.publicnewsservice.org/story/minnes...

"We deserve an agricultural system that values the lives of the people who grow and harvest its wealth as much as the wealth itself." Op-ed from IATP's Matt Kinsella-Walsh and UC Santa-Barbara researcher Danny Sanchez Bravo: www.independent.com/2026/07/15/o...