PAGE 12 / 56

Unit 1: Conceptual Framework and Historical Foundations of Sustainable Agriculture

One of the acknowledged strengths of the sustainable agriculture movement is its grassroots heritage and connections. In the 1970s and 80s, farmers and other advocates of family-run farms began to join forces to address their shared challenges. In some cases, those coalitions resulted in the formation of nonprofit organizations focused on sustainable agriculture.

In 1988, for example, the Midwest Sustainable Agriculture Working Group was established "to interject grassroots sustainable agriculture perspectives" into the USDA's fledgling sustainable agriculture program, the periodic Farm Bill debates on Capitol Hill, and annual rural and agricultural budget and appropriations decisions.