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Policy Development
Purpose
Farm Bureau's grassroots policy development process provides every Farm Bureau member an opportunity to participate and voice their concerns regarding issues pertinent to the agricultural industry. The end results are policy recommendations on local, state, and national issues, that when adopted by the members, provide direction to the local, state and national organizations for the year.
County Policy Devleopment Committees
Policy development begins with the appointment of a Policy Development Committee in every county Farm Bureau. It includes participation by Community Action Groups, Young Farmers, County Committees, other special committees and individual members. The Policy Development Committee has the responsibility to develop Farm Bureau policy recommendations on local, state, and national issues by encouraging the study and discussion of issues by all Farm Bureau members. County decisions on local, state and national policy recommendations are made by the members at the county annual meeting.
State Policy Development Committee
A 20-member State Policy Development Committee is appointed, representative of all areas of the state. It is composed of one member from each of the 11 districts, three members representing Young Farmers, three members-at-large, and three members-at-large from the MFB Board of Directors. This committee meets to gather information on a wide range of issues, review all of the county recommendations, and produces a slate of proposed recommendations to the delegates of the MFB Annual Meeting. Final policy decisions are made by the voting delegates from each county Farm Bureau at the MFB Annual Meeting.
Member Adopted Policies
Farm Bureau's policy development procedure results in about 1,100 policy recommendations from the counties. Other recommendations include those from various MFB Advisory Committees, for a total of 1,200 or more policy recommendations to be considered by the MFB Policy Development Committee.
State Policies adopted each year at the MFB Annual meeting become the position for the organization for the upcoming year. National recommendations are forwarded on to the American Farm Bureau Federation for consideration by the AFBF Resolutions Committee. Policies adopted at the American Farm Bureau Annual meeting by voting delegates from each of the 50 states, become Michigan and AFBF's position on national and international issues.
The Grassroots Process
Recommendations from members, Community Groups, Young Farmers, Commodity committees, and other county Farm Bureau committees
County Farm Bureau Policy Development Committee reviews recommendations and develop proposed policies
Members attend County Annual Meeting where they debate and vote on proposed policies
Decisions on local issues give Farm Bureau policies on county issues
Recommendations on state and national/international issues go to Michigan Farm Bureau Policy Development Committee
Proposed policies on state and national/international issues go to Michigan Farm Bureau Annual Meeting where delegates debate and vote
Decisions on state issues result in Michigan Farm Bureau policies
Policy recommendations on national/international issues go to American Farm Bureau Policy Development Committee
Proposed policies on national/international issues go to American Farm Bureau Federation Convention where delegates debate and vote
Decisions on national/international issues give Farm Bureau policies on national/international issues
