Justice for Black Farmers Act - NOC endorses legislation to address racial disparities

In 1920 there were nearly 1 million Black farmers in the United States. Today, due to a history of discrimination, it is estimated that there are less than 50,000 remaining Black farmers.

The Justice for Black Farmers Act was introduced in November by Senator Booker (D-NJ), and co-sponsored by Senators Warren (D-MA) and Gillibrand (D-NY) to address the history of discrimination in Federal agriculture policy and encourage and support a new generation of Black farmers.

NOC applauds the work of individuals and organizations such as Soul Fire Farm, the National Black Food and Justice Alliance, HEAL Food Alliance, the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund, the National Young Farmers Coalition, and the USDA Coalition of Minority Employees and dozens of other farming groups who collaborated on this legislation.

“When it comes to farming and agriculture, we know that there is a direct connection between discriminatory practices within the USDA and the enormous land loss we have seen among Black farmers in the past century,” said Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, the lead sponsor of the bill. He said the bill “would enact reforms within the USDA to finally end discrimination within that agency, would protect the remaining Black farmers from losing their land, and would provide land grants to create a new generation of Black farmers and begin to restore the land base that has been lost by Black farmers due to outrageous discrimination over past decades.”

This Justice for Black Farmers Act includes the following measures:

  • End discrimination within USDA, creating an independent civil rights oversight board and an Equity Commission whose responsibilities include developing recommendations to end disparities in treatment of Black farmers. The Act also puts reforms in place within the USDA Office of Civil Rights, including placing a moratorium on foreclosures during the pendency of civil rights complaints.

  • Protecting Remaining Black Farmers from Land Loss: Increase to $50M per year the funding authorization for the USDA relending program created in the 2018 Farm Bill to resolve farmland ownership and succession, or “heirs property,” issues, provide funding for pro bono legal assistance and succession planning to Black farmers.

  • Restore the Land Base Lost by Black Farmers: Create an Equitable Land Access within the USDA, including a fund devoted to buying farmland on the open market and granting it to new and existing Black farmers, with the goal of making 20,000 grants per year over nine years, with maximum allotments of 160 acres.

  • Create a Farm Conservation Corps: A USDA program for young people from socially disadvantaged communities with the training and apprenticeship opportunities to pursue careers in ranching.

  • Empower HBCUs and Advocates for Black farmers: providing resources to 1890 Land Grant Universities and nonprofits supporting and assisting Black farmers in identifying land, accessing land grants, help new Black farmers get started, provide training and other assistance.

  • Assist All Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers: increasing funding for USDA technical assistance and programs such as CSP and REAP, and giving priority for those programs to all socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.

  • Enact System Reforms to Help All Farmers and Ranchers: reform and strengthen the Packers and Stockyards Act in order to stop abusive practices by big multinational meatpacking companies and protect all family farmers and ranchers.

NOC has endorsed the Justice for Black Farmers Act as it aligns with our Coalition’s mission and priorities.

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Alice Runde