Celebrating Our Partners
By Larissa McKenna, Humane Farming Program Director with contributions from Harry Rhodes, Executive Director and Steve Roach, Safe and Healthy Foods Program Director
We know that it will “take a village” to transform the current system of animal agriculture from one that is rooted in an industrial, extractive mindset to one that is regenerative, equitable, healthy, and humane. As part of this journey, FACT is incredibly thankful and fortunate to have a diverse network of partners and collaborators that we connect with day in and day out. We couldn’t do what we do to help farm animals, support farmers, and promote safe and healthy foods without them.
Here are just a few of the many organizations and coalitions with whom we work to bring about a better, more just food system:
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Many people associate the ASPCA with cat and dogs – but they are dedicated to improving the lives farm animals as well. Case in point, the ASPCA has generously underwritten our Fund-a-Farmer Grants since 2017. As a result of their financial support, we have awarded 93 grants totaling over $236,000 to farmers who are seeking or who already hold one of three animal welfare certifications. We will continue this tradition in 2023. In addition, our allies at the ASPCA have supported our Humane Farming Mentorship Program and presented as part of our webinar series for farmers.
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AOTM organizations, representing millions of members, and working on an array of issues, are united around a single goal: to preserve to effectiveness of antibiotics in treating sick people and sick animals. AOTM urges food companies to adopt policies that stop the overuse of antibiotics in food production. FACT works with AOTM to produce the annual antibiotic scorecards: Chain Reaction and Superbugs in Stock.
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HEAL Food Alliance is a ‘national multi-sector, multi-racial coalition of 55 organizations. We are led by our members, who represent over 2 million rural and urban farmers, ranchers, fishers, farm and food chain workers, indigenous groups, scientists, public health advocates, policy experts, community organizers, and activists. Together, these groups are building a movement to transform our food and farm systems from the current extractive economic model towards community control, care for the land, local economies, meaningful labor, and healthful communities nationwide, while supporting the sovereignty of all living beings.’ FACT became a member of HEAL in 2022.
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KAW is a coalition of 19 advocacy organizations that work together to ensure that untreatable superbugs resulting from the overuse of antibiotics on farms do not reverse the medical advances of the past century. FACT staff coordinate the coalition but we rely on the other 18 members to make sure that federal agencies keep moving forward to address this serious threat to public health.
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NCAT’s ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture program supports farmers, ranchers, agriculture educators, and land managers at every stage of their agricultural journey. We have had the pleasure of collaborating with NCAT’s grazing experts to put on 12 exceptional webinars for farmers since 2019. NCAT staff are supportive and go out of their way to share their knowledge with the farmers and ranchers in our network. Felicia Bell, NCAT’s Regional Director for the Gulf States Office, sits on FACT’s Board of Directors.
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NSAC is an alliance of over 100 grassroots organizations – including FACT - that advocates for federal policy reform to advance the sustainability of agriculture, food systems, natural resources, and rural communities. FACT staff members participate on a number of NSAC issue committees and councils. Right now, we are most involved with the 2023 Farm Bill and how we can address climate change by investing in regenerative agriculture. We rely on NSAC’s federal policy expertise and the deep experience of the other coalition members to inform our policy efforts. We are proud to bring farmer voices to the proverbial “policy table.”
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SAFSF amplifies the impact of philanthropic and investment communities in support of just and sustainable food and agriculture systems. As an organization that distributes grants to farmers it is important for us to collaborate with other funding organizations that support sustainable agriculture and a more just and fair food system. We became a member of SAFSF in 2020.
It’s true what they say - the whole is certainly greater than the sum of its individual parts. It is an honor and a privilege to collaborate with these groups, and with all of the other fabulous organizations in our network. Together we are making a difference in the lives of farmers, farm animals, and communities.