Communication is the linchpin that creates solutions and ultimately brings advancements to agriculture. U.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action is uniquely positioned to bring together a broad spectrum of stakeholders to discuss and develop actionable solutions and drive change related to sustainable food, fuel and fiber systems.
Organizations often communicate with peers in the same industries and communities. What makes USFRA stand apart is the wide net it casts to bring together people in the crop, livestock, biofuel, farm supply, food processing, retail and restaurant communities into a single forum. There, they are able to listen, learn, discuss, propose and resolve common issues as they provide nourishment and energy for communities. Their solutions strive to not only be sustainable for the environment but also economically sustainable for the farm families who form the grassroots base of the agriculture industry.
"USFRA’s partnership with CoBank exemplifies the power of connecting across the food and agriculture value chain to drive meaningful impact. Together, we’re advancing shared goals around economic resilience, environmental stewardship and innovation in U.S. agriculture. CoBank’s collaboration has strengthened our collective ability to support farmers and ranchers as they adopt solutions that benefit both their bottom line and the planet. It’s a true example of how working together creates value for everyone involved," said Kevin Burkum, USFRA Chief Executive Officer.
CoBank played an active role within the USFRA community throughout 2025. At each quarterly gathering, Corey Geiger, CoBank’s lead industry analyst, provided an economic update for all the members. Geiger discussed near-term and long-term market trends, and USFRA board members actively engaged and shared details from their respective sectors. This robust dialogue laid the foundation for each two-day meeting and created an environment for active solution development.
Sharing national and global perspectives, Steve Wittbecker, CoBank’s chief sustainability officer, joined the greater USFRA Team at Climate Week NYC in 2025 to listen and provide insight on agriculture’s role in making the best use of available resources. Attendees without touchpoints to farms and food production walked away informed and energized about the possibilities for agriculture to positively impact the environment. As this dialogue took place, Wittbecker shared how the financial community can help facilitate this change and deliver additional financing opportunities to farmers to implement new practices.
Adding to its value proposition, USFRA is an official observer organization of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change for the Conference of the Parties. COP is the world’s largest climate conference and is attended by representatives from nearly 200 nations. As an official observer, USFRA can host side events in the “Blue Zone” which is the official, UNmanaged area for formal negotiations and accredited events. At COP30 in Belem, Brazil, USFRA hosted a side event on November 18 titled “How Agriculture Is Increasing Resilience, Mitigating Emissions and Improving Farm Productivity” that included a presentation by Wittbecker. This engagement continues the communication needed to drive positive change.