CERTIFICATION INCLUDES NEW PACKAGING
SEAL FOR PRODUCTS MADE WITH INGREDIENTS GROWN BY
AMERICAN FARMERS
ST.
LOUIS, April 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/
-- Anheuser-Busch recently announced the national rollout
of its newly-adopted U.S. Farmed certification and seal for
several of its industry-leading beer brands, showing support for
farmers in the U.S., including Louisiana, where the state's farmers sold
$4.8B worth of agricultural products
in 20221. Developed and verified by the
American Farmland Trust (AFT), a national nonprofit that
helps to keep American farmers on their land, the U.S.
Farmed certification and packaging seal helps shoppers choose
products that derive at least 95 percent of their agricultural
ingredients from farms in the United
States.
Anheuser-Busch is a proud supporter of American farmers,
including its grower partners in Louisiana whom the brewer purchases over
$16 million in rice from each year.
Consumers in Louisiana are
empowered to purchase U.S. Farmed certified products to
benefit U.S. farmers and invest in the future of domestic
ingredient sourcing, helping to ensure a vibrant and thriving
agricultural sector in America for generations to come. The U.S.
Farmed seal will first appear on Anheuser-Busch's Busch Light this May, and Budweiser, Bud Light
and Michelob ULTRA have also obtained U.S. Farmed
certification.
Companies across the consumer-packaged goods (CPG) industry are
encouraged to join the effort by obtaining U.S. Farmed
certification for their domestically-sourced products. AFT will use
funds raised through those certifications 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.
By harnessing the potential of U.S. sourced goods across the
entire CPG industry, the U.S. Farmed certification aims to
create a far greater impact for American agriculture than any one
company could alone. This industry-wide effort will be supported by
an Anheuser-Busch led campaign, "Choose Beer Grown Here," to
encourage consumers to seek the U.S. Farmed certification
and seal when shopping for products.
"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," said
Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan
Whitworth. "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."
The U.S. Farmed certification comes at a critical moment
for American agriculture. According to AFT, within the next 15
years, ownership of over 30 percent of our nation's agricultural
land could be in transition 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 will address this
challenge head on by providing growers in Louisiana and across the country 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.
"For over four decades, American Farmland Trust has worked
tirelessly to ensure the land that sustains us remains in farming
and its soils stay healthy and productive. Now, with the launch of
the U.S. Farmed certification, we're taking a bold step to
help secure the future of American agriculture and create both a
movement and a market niche that celebrates and supports our
nation's farmers," said Beth
Sauerhaft, PhD, AFT Acting President and CEO. "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 tangible impact for American
farmers."
"Farming is an integral part of American heritage, and I applaud
American Farmland Trust and Anheuser-Busch for partnering on the
U.S. Farmed certification. The certification helps consumers
make an informed choice when looking for American-grown beer,"
said Meryl Kennedy Farr,
President of Kennedy Rice. "I'm
grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the history of U.S.
agriculture and am grateful for the certification's work to
strengthen American communities and economies."
For more information on the U.S. Farmed certification and
seal, including resources for American Farmers and product
certification, please visit http://www.farmland.org/us-farmed.
Learn more about Anheuser-Busch's commitment to U.S. farmers
here http://www.anheuser-busch.com/USFarmed.
ABOUT AMERICAN FARMLAND TRUST
American Farmland
Trust is the only national organization that takes a holistic
approach to agriculture, focusing on the land itself, the
agricultural practices used on that land, and the farmers and
ranchers who do the work. AFT launched the conservation agriculture
movement and continues to raise public awareness through our No
Farms, No Food message. Since our founding in 1980, AFT has helped
permanently protect over 7.8 million acres of agricultural lands,
advanced environmentally-sound farming practices on millions of
additional acres and supported thousands of farm families. Learn
more at www.farmland.org.
ABOUT ANHEUSER-BUSCH
At Anheuser-Busch, our purpose is to create a
future with more cheers. We are always looking to serve up new ways
to meet life's moments, dream big to move our industry forward, and
make a meaningful impact in the world. We hope to build a future
that everyone can celebrate, and everyone can share. For more than
165 years, Anheuser-Busch has carried on a legacy of
brewing great-tasting, high-quality beers that have satisfied beer
drinkers for generations. Today, we own and operate more than 120
facilities, including breweries, wholesaler distribution centers,
agricultural facilities and packaging plants, and have more than
18,000 colleagues across the United States.
We are home to several of America's most loved beer and beyond
beer brands, including Michelob ULTRA, Cutwater Spirits, Stella
Artois, Budweiser and Bud Light as well as a number of regional
brands that provide beer drinkers with a choice of the best-tasting
craft beers in the industry. From responsible drinking programs and
emergency drinking water donations to industry-leading
sustainability efforts, we are guided by our unwavering commitment
to supporting the communities we call home. For more information,
visit www.anheuser-busch.com or follow Anheuser-Busch
on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook,
and Instagram.
1 USDA National Agricultural Statistics Services
(2022). Census of Agriculture. Retrieved from
https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2022/index.php.
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