Mel Tafoya

The Intertribal Agriculture Council, Inc. is a member-driven organization representing federally recognized tribes across over 56 million acres of tribal land. The private company is based in Billings, MT. The company’s mission is to promote the conservation, development, and sustainable use of agricultural resources to benefit tribal nations and their citizens. It provides services including technical assistance, marketing support, natural resource management, small agribusiness development, and advocacy to advance tribal agricultural priorities and policy. Key initiatives include the USDA Tribal Advisory Committee, which ensures Native voices influence federal agricultural policy, and the National Intertribal Food Business Center, which supports Native food businesses through grants, technical assistance, and capacity-building. The company leads programs in regenerative agriculture, holistic land stewardship, youth leadership development, and supports meat and poultry processing capacity for tribal producers. It organizes nationwide events and webinars for education, networking, and collaboration among tribal producers and stakeholders. The company was founded in 1987. The CEO is Kari Jo Lawrence.