In September, Steve Werblow, IFAJ president, ACN member, and freelancer, welcomed agricultural communicators from around the globe to a place he never thought he’d get to see in person. He told a story of befriending someone from Croatia decades ago and thinking he’d never get to see the region. But finally, thanks to the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists’ (IFAJ) annual Congress, he did.
Croatia has a storied past summed up by one farmer Congress attendees visited. He simply said, “My grandmother had six passports during her life yet never moved from our farm.” After the most recent fight for independence in the 1990s, Croatia further developed and joined the European Union in 2013.
The country was a fitting spot to celebrate IFAJ’s 70th anniversary as the Croatian people were eager to show ag journalists and communicators what it has to offer beyond the stunning coastline and deep history, including copious amounts of heritage and indigenous meats, cheeses, and wines.
IFAJ in a nutshell
IFAJ was formed in 1956 in Europe—under the name International Union of Agricultural Journalists—for “studying of agricultural journalism in the various countries” and “providing agricultural journalists with opportunities to meet and exchange experiences, and to discuss professional questions of general interest.”
The organization soon wanted to expand its global reach and asked the American Agricultural Editors Association (now Ag Communicators Network) to join in 1960. The main condition for Americans to join was to change the name from “Union” to “Federation” to avoid confusion with labor unions.
Fast-forward to 2026, IFAJ is now made up of ag communications and journalism guilds from 54 countries across seven continents. And the name will be changing again soon (when the lawyers say the ink is finally dry on all the paperwork, which will hopefully be early 2027) from “Federation” to “Forum.” This is to allow the organization to become a registered legal entity. The change facilitates current and future banking, legal, and insurance needs.
Opportunities for ACN members
With all the growth and changes, the mission centered on learning about agricultural journalism around the world remains the same as 70 years ago. IFAJ membership is included with ACN annual dues, and there are numerous ways to take advantage of it.
The annual Congress is the flagship program and typically gathers 150-200 people for a week of farm tours, professional development seminars, and ample time for conversations, networking, and hands-on learning. This year, ACN sent 16 members and four guests to Congress. Eight of the members received funding from the Professional Improvement Foundation (PIF) to help cover travel expenses.
One of the PIF stipends went to Andy Castillo, ACN member with Farm Progress, who also attended the IFAJ/Alltech Young Leader Bootcamp. This award program was added to the Congress agenda 21 years ago to bring more young people into the organization and honor the contributions they have already made in their home countries.
Smaller press tours are also offered through IFAJ, including Exposure-4-Development (E4D) trips planned by IFAJ members and some held alongside industry events such as the International Seed Federation’s World Seed Congress. Jake Zajkowski, Progressive Farmer, and Harlen Persinger, freelance photojournalist, are going to Costa Rica later in October for this year’s E4D trip.
“You do not have to get on a plane to participate in IFAJ,” Werblow says. One of his goals as president has been to bring IFAJ to more people.
The most tangible benefit of IFAJ is access to a press card. ACN members who are actively working as press can order a card recognized by institutes, governments, ministries, exhibitions, fairs, and events all over the world.
Other benefits you don’t have to leave your desk for include professional development webinars, committees any ACN member can join, and access to thousands of members who are just an email away if you need a source, global context for a story, or insight into how your job works elsewhere.
IFAJ also holds an annual awards contest to compare your work at the global level. The 2026 Star Prize Awards were announced in Croatia, and ACN members brought home five:
· Innovation category runner-up: Joel Reichenberger, Progressive Farmer, The Great Shift
· Trade, Economics or Global Issues category winner: Elaine Shein, Progressive Farmer, Finding Financing for Farming
· Audio category runner-up: Sarah Mock, freelancer, Buying the Farm – Offrange
· Photography category winner: Andy Castillo, Farm Progress, Nebraska farmers lead with smart irrigation tech
· Print category winner: Joel Reichenberger, Progressive Farmer, The Great Shift
Lastly, IFAJ recently formed a foundation akin to PIF called the Global Foundation for Agricultural Journalism. ACN currently has two trustees on the board: Owen Roberts and Den Gardner.
For more details on any of these opportunities, sign up for IFAJ’s newsletter at www.ifaj.org/newsletter-all/ or email me any questions at katie@theagphotographer.com.
Katie Knapp owns The Ag Photographer and is a contributor to The Furrow magazine.