The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University was created through the 1987 Iowa Groundwater Protection Act. The Center's goals are to identify and develop new ways to farm profitably while conserving natural resources as well as reducing negative environmental and social impacts.

The Center is housed within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University. It is funded by an endowment, private donations, and grants that support research and education at Iowa State University. The Leopold Center is proud of its national reputation for helping foster cleaner water, conservation of natural resources, and agricultural vitality in Iowa and beyond.

The Center is named for Aldo Leopold (1887-1948), a native of Burlington, Iowa, known internationally as a conservationist, ecologist, and educator. He saw the need for development of a land ethic, outlined in his 1949 book of essays, A Sand County Almanac. Today, the Center seeks to honor Leopold and many other hard-working Iowans' legacies in ensuring current and future generations have sustainable, thriving, and healthy farms.