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Agriculture & Food Systems Institute

EIN 52-1323610 · Washington, DC

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood75 out of 100GovernanceStrong90 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THE AGRICULTURE & FOOD SYSTEMS INSTITUTE (AFSI) IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT ADVANCES AND DISSEMINATES SCIENCE FOR PUBLIC BENEFIT. OUR MISSION IS TO ACHIEVE SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE AGRI-FOOD SYSTEMS BY PROVIDING THOUGHT LEADERSHIP AND CREATING A COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENT THAT FOSTERS SCIENTIFIC INNOVATION ACROSS DISCIPLINES, SECTORS, AND GEOGRAPHIES.

Income
$1.5 million
Spending
$1.8 million
Spent on programs
79%
Reserves
23.3 months of spending
Largest source of income
government grants, 55%
Employees
6
Highest pay
$262,033, chief execut

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 75 out of 100. Higher than 50% of charities in its peer group (science, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 23.3 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 11% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 18% of income.

  • Income trend

    5 of 15

    Income fell 17% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    79% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 90 out of 100. Higher than 52% of charities in its peer group (science, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    7 of 7 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    0 of 10

    Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (1)
  1. $1.4 million spent. IN 2024, AFSI CONTINUED ITS STRONG PROGRAMS IN SUPPORT OF AGRICULTURAL INNOVATION AND REGULATION FOR PUBLIC BENEFIT. HIGHLIGHTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR THE YEAR INCLUDE: AS PART OF THE SOUTH ASIA BIOSAFETY PROGRAM (SABP), AFSI ORGANIZED THE "CONFERENCE ON GENOME EDITING FOR AGRICULTURE IN BANGLADESH" ON FEBRUARY 11, 2024 IN DHAKA TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THE PUBLICATION OF THE "STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES (SOP) FOR RESEARCH AND RELEASE OF GENOME EDITED PLANTS OF CATEGORIES SDN-1 AND SDN-2,2023," ATTRACTING 129 IN-PERSON ATTENDEES. AFSI ORGANIZED THE WORKSHOP "BOLSTERING ASEAN FOOD SECURITY THROUGH PARTNERSHIP AND COOPERATION ON AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY" IN JAKARTA, INDONESIA ON MARCH 4-6, 2024, WHICH WAS HOSTED BY THE ASEAN SECRETARIAT AND SUPPORTED BY THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (USDA) AND THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE. ALL 11 ASEAN MEMBER AND OBSERVER STATES WERE REPRESENTED, WITH 44 TOTAL PARTICIPANTS SHARING THEIR EXPERTISE AND EXCHANGING IDEAS. SUPPORTED BY A GRANT FROM THE USDA FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL SERVICE (FAS) EMERGING MARKETS PROGRAM (EMP), AFSI ORGANIZED THE "ENVIRONMENTAL RISK ASSESSMENT WORKSHOP: NON-TARGET ORGANISM TESTING," IN COOPERATION WITH THE USDA AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE (ARS), IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY, AND CORTEVA AGRISCIENCE, ON JUNE 24-28, 2024, FOR EIGHT PARTICIPANTS FROM THE USA, INDONESIA, NIGERIA, AND KENYA. AFSI IMPLEMENTED THE "WORKSHOP ON MOVING FORWARD ON AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY THROUGH CONTINUING EFFORTS ON REGULATORY COOPERATION IN APEC" ON AUGUST 14, 2024 IN TRUJILLO, PERU, PRIOR TO THE APEC HLPDAB PLENARY MEETING. THE FULL-DAY IN-PERSON EVENT WELCOMED OVER 40 PARTICIPANTS, REPRESENTING CANADA, CHINESE TAIPEI, INDONESIA, JAPAN, THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA, MALAYSIA, MEXICO, PERU, THE PHILIPPINES, RUSSIA, THAILAND, VIETNAM, AND THE USA. DURING THE EVENT, A DRAFT OF THE POLICY APPROACHES DOCUMENT FOR REGULATORY COOPERATION ON AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY (PAD)WAS PRESENTED TO PARTICIPANTS, ALONG WITH ITS COMPANION WEBSITE (BIOTECHPOLICYPORTAL.ORG), BOTH OF WHICH AFSI WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON IN 2025. AFSI ORGANIZED ON THE FOURTH TRAINING EVENT IN THE WORKSHOP SERIES "GENE EDITED PLANTS: CONTEXT AND COMMUNICATION FOR PLANT BREEDING INNOVATION" ON DECEMBER 10-11, 2024 IN DAEJEON, SOUTH KOREA. SPANNING TWO DAYS, "ENABLING REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT FOR GENOME EDITING IN AGRICULTURE IN SOUTH KOREA: OPPORTUNITIES & POSSIBILITIES" BROUGHT TOGETHER A DIVERSE SET OF 52 STAKEHOLDERS WORKING ON AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY IN SOUTH KOREA, INCLUDING SCIENTISTS AND EXPERTS FROM THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS. IN 2024, AFSI CONTINUED ITS STRONG PROGRAMS IN SUPPORT OF AGRICULTURAL INNOVATION AND REGULATION FOR PUBLIC BENEFIT. HIGHLIGHTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR THE YEAR INCLUDE: AS PART OF THE SOUTH ASIA BIOSAFETY PROGRAM (SABP), AFSI ORGANIZED THE "CONFERENCE ON GENOME EDITING FOR AGRICULTURE IN BANGLADESH" ON FEBRUARY 11, 2024 IN DHAKA TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THE PUBLICATION OF THE "STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES (SOP) FOR RESEARCH AND RELEASE OF GENOME EDITED PLANTS OF CATEGORIES SDN-1 AND SDN-2,2023," ATTRACTING 129 IN-PERSON ATTENDEES. AFSI ORGANIZED THE WORKSHOP "BOLSTERING ASEAN FOOD SECURITY THROUGH PARTNERSHIP AND COOPERATION ON AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY" IN JAKARTA, INDONESIA ON MARCH 4-6, 2024, WHICH WAS HOSTED BY THE ASEAN SECRETARIAT AND SUPPORTED BY THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (USDA) AND THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE. ALL 11 ASEAN MEMBER AND OBSERVER STATES WERE REPRESENTED, WITH 44 TOTAL PARTICIPANTS SHARING THEIR EXPERTISE AND EXCHANGING IDEAS. SUPPORTED BY A GRANT FROM THE USDA FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL SERVICE (FAS) EMERGING MARKETS PROGRAM (EMP), AFSI ORGANIZED THE "ENVIRONMENTAL RISK ASSESSMENT WORKSHOP: NON-TARGET ORGANISM TESTING," IN COOPERATION WITH THE USDA AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE (ARS), IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY, AND CORTEVA AGRISCIENCE, ON JUNE 24-28, 2024, FOR EIGHT PARTICIPANTS FROM THE USA, INDONESIA, NIGERIA, AND KENYA. AFSI IMPLEMENTED THE "WORKSHOP ON MOVING FORWARD ON AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY THROUGH CONTINUING EFFORTS ON REGULATORY COOPERATION IN APEC" ON AUGUST 14, 2024 IN TRUJILLO, PERU, PRIOR TO THE APEC HLPDAB PLENARY MEETING. THE FULL-DAY IN-PERSON EVENT WELCOMED OVER 40 PARTICIPANTS, REPRESENTING CANADA, CHINESE TAIPEI, INDONESIA, JAPAN, THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA, MALAYSIA, MEXICO, PERU, THE PHILIPPINES, RUSSIA, THAILAND, VIETNAM, AND THE USA. DURING THE EVENT, A DRAFT OF THE POLICY APPROACHES DOCUMENT FOR REGULATORY COOPERATION ON AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY (PAD)WAS PRESENTED TO PARTICIPANTS, ALONG WITH ITS COMPANION WEBSITE (BIOTECHPOLICYPORTAL.ORG), BOTH OF WHICH AFSI WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON IN 2025. AFSI ORGANIZED ON THE FOURTH TRAINING EVENT IN THE WORKSHOP SERIES "GENE EDITED PLANTS: CONTEXT AND COMMUNICATION FOR PLANT BREEDING INNOVATION" ON DECEMBER 10-11, 2024 IN DAEJEON, SOUTH KOREA. SPANNING TWO DAYS, "ENABLING REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT FOR GENOME EDITING IN AGRICULTURE IN SOUTH KOREA: OPPORTUNITIES & POSSIBILITIES" BROUGHT TOGETHER A DIVERSE SET OF 52 STAKEHOLDERS WORKING ON AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY IN SOUTH KOREA, INCLUDING SCIENTISTS AND EXPERTS FROM THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since March 1984.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.