"...in recognition of the growing immigrant population who are relocating to rural communities."

Agency Reaches out to African farmers in Rural Minnesota
Susan Budig
Published 12/03/2008 - 6:57 a.m. GMT

The last weekend of October, 2008, the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) held what’s hoped to become an annual conference, the first of its kind in Minnesota and possibly the entire country. Founded in 1986 by an international board of directors who shared a common vision for farmers the world over IATP works to ensure fair and sustainable food, farm, and trade systems both in policy as well as practice.

IATP is a non-governmental agency that is locally rooted yet global in its concerns. Corinne Rafferty, vice president for IATP programs pin pointed an essential component of their organization. “Government agencies often focus on providing services; we focus on changing policies so that, for instance, rural communities in the Upper Midwest can thrive,â€