- Support African American, Hispanic, Asian, American Indian and other minority farmers who have long worked and cared for the land. Increase funding for the Minority Farm Outreach and Technical Assistance Program to $25 million for FY 2003.
In 1920 the USDA reported that there were 925,170 black farmers on the land throughout the United States. By 1978, only 18,816 remained, a decline of 98%, compared to a 63% decline in white farmers in the same period. Today the numbers are even lower, and continue to decline at nearly three times the rate of other farmers. The crisis that has fallen on farm and rural families for the last two decades has become worse in recent years, hitting hardest those most precariously positioned and vulnerable. The poorest counties in the country continue to get poorer and the hardest working farmers are losing their land at alarming rates. In 1910 black farmers owned more than 15 million acres of land, almost all in the South, and mostly in Mississippi, Alabama and the Carolinas. Today, barely more than 1 million acres are still owned by black farmers and their families. Those who have managed to hold on have had to turn to their communities for support and assistance. Where federal programs and state USDA officials have fallen short, groups like the Mississippi Association of Cooperatives and the other state coops who comprise the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, and other similar community organizations have stepped up to give farmers the services they need to maintain their place on the land.
USDA has for two decades been in the hot seat when it comes to issues of racial discrimination, equity and justice. Reports throughout the 80's and 90's repeatedly cited civil rights violations by USDA and documented the prevalence of racial bias in the field and in Washington, DC. Following a 1982 Civil Rights Commission Report which attributed the decline of black-owned farms directly to poor service delivery, USDA implemented administratively the Small and Disadvantaged Farmer Initiative to address inequity. The groups who have long served minority farmers finally succeeded in the 1990 Farm Bill to establish legislatively the Minority Farm Outreach and Technical Assistance Program.
The program gave USDA authority and funding to work through community-based organizations and educational institutions to provide outreach and technical assistance to minority farmers to help increase the profitability of their farms and support them in efforts to maintain their place on the land. The program enabled organizations and institutions with demonstrated experience working with traditionally under-served producers - including the 1890 Colleges and Universities, and community based groups such as the Federation of Southern Cooperatives - to increase minority farm participation in USDA programs. This program allows African American and other minority farmers to learn about USDA programs and receive help in many other areas needed to increase the viability of their farms from the organizations and institutions that best understood their needs.
THE JUICY TRUTH
Funding for the Minority Farm Outreach and Technical Assistance Program has always been drastically inadequate. Authorized at $10 million when it was established as Section 2501 of the Farm Bill in 1990, the program has been subject to the whims and shortfalls of annual appropriations. Throughout the 90's funding fluctuated between $1 million and $3 million, leaving the organizations that survived off these funds always wondering what programs, offices or staff people they would have to eliminate if the funding was cut the following year. Congress has never funded the program above $3.2 million, a far cry from the allowed $10 million.
Despite the shortfalls and uncertainty in funding, the organizations and institutions funded by this program have succeeded in reaching thousands of farmers and helped to save many thousands of acres of land. The scant $3 million Congress has provided, however, is the only safety net on which many black farmers in the Southeast can rely. With such little funding the program is unable to expand service to the many other eligible groups. Those producers who are not lucky enough to have a program funded in their area continue to struggle and are being driven off their land.
The Rural Coalition/Coalición Rural and the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund, recently completed research of our members. By comparing our results, we found that only in areas where the 2501 program was operating did minority farmers participate or even know about USDA programs and services. The program was the only factor that increased the likelihood that farmers had applied for, or participated in, some type of USDA program.
While black farmers continue to lose land at a rate that far exceeds other farmers, the sad truth is that all family and independent farmers are losing their farms as corporations accumulate more land to build mega farms, and consolidate to control more and more of the market place, giving independent producers fewer and fewer opportunities to sell their products. Today more people are leaving farming then are coming in. However, minority producers, largely new immigrants, comprise the fastest growing population of new and beginning farmers. The future of rural America, the nation's independent and family farm sector, and most community-based food systems is increasingly more racially and ethnically diverse. The producers who stand between future access to local food vs. complete corporate control of the food system are exactly the producers who are being ignored by USDA, and who desperately need the support for the Minority Farm Outreach Program.
A few members of Congress recognize the importance of this program and worked together this last year to increase funding authority and to improve the program overall. The 2002 Farm Bill increased the funding authority for the program to $25 million, and in addition, language was added that more clearly defines the eligibility of Indian Tribes, Tribal Colleges and Hispanic Serving Colleges.
Now the Appropriations Committees in both Houses are writing the legislation that will determine funding for this and many other agriculture programs for the next year. In addition to Along the Minority Farm Outreach Program, they will be funding many new conservation, research and marketing programs. This program not only offers producers much needed training and technical assistance, it also provides a bridge to other programs and services offered by USDA. Increased support and funding for this program will only amplify the success of many other program.
Despite the dramatic ripple effect of benefits, many members of Congress and the administration are still dragging there feet. The House Appropriations Committee just approved the program at $8.3 for FY 2003 - still a far cry from the approved $25 million. The Senate will begin working on their appropriations bill. The members of the Senate Appropriation Committee must approve funding far beyond the House level if an acceptable compromise can be negotiated between the House and Senate bills. They need to hear from YOU and others who support small and other minority farmers.
THE JULY SQUEEZE
Help Keep Minority, Small and other Socially Disadvantaged Farmers
on the Land
We are asking the Senate to:
What you can do:
- CALL your Senators and demand that they support an increase
to $25 million, and vote YES on any amendment to increasing
resources for minority farmers.
- Send an email to Heather Fenney and join Rural Coalition Food n' Justice list to receive future action alerts and information on this and other issues.
Other Resources:
Be Part of Our Campaign for Food n’ Justice,
visit www.ruralco.org.
Questions on food and farm policy?
Contact Heather Fenney at (202) 628-7160.
To join or support our work:
Rural Coalition/Coalición Rural
1012 14th Street, NW Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 628-7160
Visit www.Ruralco.org or
www.SuperMarketCoop.com.
