Beer Grown Here: Anheuser-Busch Adopts US Farmed Certification

The nation’s #1 brewer,  Anheuser-Busch, is making it easier for beer-lovers to “Buy American” with this new certification.

Here’s the deal…

On March, 19, the American Farmland Trust, a national nonprofit that helps to keep American farmers on their land, launched a new US Farmed certification and packaging seal for products that derive at least 95 percent of their agricultural ingredients from farms in the United States.

And Anheuser-Busch, the nation’s leading brewer, announced that it is the first-mover in adopting the U.S. Farmed certification and seal for several of its industry-leading beer brands.

Aimed at transforming the way consumers identify and shop for domestically sourced products, the 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.

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,” said Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth.

“We source nearly all the ingredients in our iconic American beers from hard-working US farmers – many of whom we have worked with for generations. The US 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 US agriculture, which is crucial to our country’s economy.

The US 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 US Farmed certification hopes to address this challenge head on by providing growers 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.

We look forward to other companies joining us in seeking U.S. Farmed certification for their products,” added Whitworth, “so that together we can make an even greater impact and show our support for American farmers.”

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