Institute for Agriculture & Trade Policy

What it reported doing in 2025

Iatp is a policy and advocacy organization that works at the intersection of food and economic systems. Our program is organized in interconnected core areas according to content, relationships with partners and the policy institutions associated with our focus areas. The three interconnected areas are agriculture & food systems, climate solutions, and trade & governance. In 2025, iatp continued to advance our mission while navigating a rapidly changing domestic economic context and big changes in international relations. (continued on schedule o)climate solutions: iatp has fought to end the harms of exploitive animal factory farm systems for decades. We are committed to food and farm systems that serve independent family farmers and workers, rural communities, and human and ecosystem health. In 2025, our climate team published timely information and critical analysis as federal climate regulation was derailed by the trump administration. We published the meat and dairy emissions dashboard, an interactive data tool that tracks corporations on their climate risk and emissions reporting. We also published a scorecard, which showed that livestock companies are falling short on their obligation to reliably report on their climate risk and emissions, and an analysis on corporate emissions reduction projects that miss the mark. Iatp and partners in the u.s. And eu published a report on the scale of pollution from the world's biggest meat and dairy companies, which has been cited in more than 80 articles by global media outlets reaching over 600 million readers worldwide. In 2025, iatp published analysis and reporting on how the usda cuts to conservation programs and staff have made it harder for farmers to access important programs that help protect the climate. We also published analysis illustrating the scale of historic and current unmet demand for conservation programs among farmers. Agriculture & food systems: iatp is committed to building community-based food systems in Minnesota that give all people access to sufficient, safe, culturally appropriate, and nutritious food while also developing local food supply chains that allow small to mid-scale farmers to access new markets. Iatp is helping to revitalize local economies, give farmers stable and predictable income through the buying power of institutions (such as school districts and childcare centers), and supply fresh and healthy local food to rural communities and children of all ages across the state. In 2025, federal cuts to local and regional food programming and to farm to school was a huge setback.but through coordinated advocacy efforts with our local partners, we were able to secure a 25% increase in state funding for farm to school and early care programs in Minnesota, partly making up the gap created by the federal funding cuts. We published "harvest of the month" resources aimed at providers of pre-k early care, connecting young children with nutritious, locally grown foods while supporting local farmers. We also released survey findings from recipients of Minnesota's farm to school grants. We evaluated data and provided analysis that helped farmers and school districts plan for future growing seasons and improve their programming. We advanced the minneag network, an alliance of more than 30 Minnesota-based farm and food systems organizations, that we co-founded and co-lead. We updated the minneag website and branding to better represent the network's mission and the people we serve. Minneag interns expanded our legislative tracking capacity and with their support, iatp was able to introduce a biweekly newsletter for minneag that now has more than 250 subscribers. The newsletter keeps minnesotans informed throughout the legislative session.trade & international food governance: iatp is committed to trade relationships that support and protect independent farmers, farm workers, economically vibrant rural communities, and a healthy planet. This means integrating tr

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 73.1%; rating input score 73
• Fundraising efficiency: $6.49 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 87.5%; rating input score 88; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
• Grant itemization coverage: 0%; rating input score 0; 15th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -47.4%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.64; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.1; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 16.4%; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: -1.6% per year; rating input score 0; 11th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -3.3% per year; rating input score 0; 5th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: -5.5% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings