The Intertribal Agriculture Council (IAC), representing U.S. agricultural producers across 574 federally recognized American Indian tribes and Alaska Native Villages, has joined the U.S. Sustainability Alliance (USSA). This brings USSA’s membership to 23 farming, fishery, and forestry trade associations and supply chain partners across the United States. All share a commitment to conservation and continuous improvement and are collectively responsible for more than $5 billion of annual U.S. food and agricultural exports to the EU. The IAC says it will work alongside USSA to promote its members and their culture and share their traditional regenerative practices in Europe.
Founded in 1987, the IAC is the leading voice in the Indian community and government circles on agricultural policies and programs in Indian country. It actively promotes sustainable agriculture among its members, working closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service on programs to enhance the environmental stewardship of Native American lands while respecting traditional, cultural, and Native-led approaches to agriculture. It has also developed a Rege[N]ation pledge and seal[1], available to IAC members who replace or eliminate industrialized inputs with natural-based or traditional methods.
Latashia Redhouse, American Indian Foods Program Director at IAC said, “We admire the U.S. Sustainability Alliance’s work to challenge misperceptions of U.S. agriculture in Europe. We look forward to partnering with them to put IAC’s small tribal producers on the map and showcase the traditional, regenerative practices they use to produce healthy, sustainable food and other products.”
David Green, Executive Director of the U.S. Sustainability Alliance (USSA) added, “USSA prides itself on representing the diversity of U.S farming and production, from Alaska seafood and U.S. meat to California almonds and American hardwood. IAC further extends our reach, enabling us to share a side of American agriculture that may be unfamiliar to European audiences. We are excited to collaborate with them to show how tribal communities protect the land for future generations, balancing progress with traditional techniques.”
[1] IAC | RegeNation Seal and Pledge (indianag.org)