The National Farmers Union (NFU) was established in 1902 in Point, Texas formerly known as the Farmers Educational Cooperative Union of America. NFU immediately began advocating for policies that would promote and enhance the economic well-being of family farmers, ranchers, and fishermen. Some of these issues include increased co-operative rights, easier market access to farmers, and women’s right to vote. “These efforts also led to the enactment of the Federal Farm Loan Act”, which helped farmers get better interest rates on borrowed money by setting up the banks as a credit union or cooperative” (“About Us” 1). The National Farmers Union has been involved in many campaigns and councils throughout the year. “In 1940 they campaigned to make school lunches …show more content…
The group’s leadership is set up with a board of directors, a president, and vice president who is all elected. The board of directors is comprised of the 24 presidents of NFU’s state divisions. Members can join NFU for $60 a year, benefits come from being a member of NFU which range from health discounts on insurance to discounts on hotels/rental cars. The National Farmers Union prides itself on its grassroots system where they give a voice to the individual when it comes policy affecting those in agriculture by advocating and campaigning for policies that benefit family-farmers, ranchers, and fishermen. NFU deals with a multitude of issues related to agriculture and food policy, but some of their main focuses recently have been on three issues. First is the Renewable Fuel Standard which was passed in 2005 that mandates that a certain level of renewable fuel be blended into the U.S. fuel supply. According to NFU’s website states that, “the ethanol industry creates a price-stabilizing mechanism and encourages much-needed reinvestment in our rural