As policy advocates and farmers’ organizations gear up for a predicted return of the stalled U.S. Farm Bill to Congress’s priority agenda, American University’s Antiracist Research & Policy Center, in partnership with renowned Black farmer and landowner advocacy group Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund, has released a multimedia toolkit to raise awareness of the bill’s implications for racial justice. The toolkit has been created to inform and empower farmers, policymakers, journalists, and racial justice advocates.

The toolkit, “Pointing the Farm Bill Toward Racial Justice,” is an important resource on the history of the farm bill and its profound impact on BIPOC farmers and farmworkers today. A major piece of legislation, the farm bill determines policy and funding for farming, food assistance programs, and many conservation programs. The toolkit includes an analysis of the bill’s limitations and proposes measures to increase equity while also supporting sustainable, climate-friendly approaches.

The toolkit is one outcome of two years of listening sessions with Black farmer members across the South held by the Federation, and an American University-hosted summit in early 2023. Summit participants connected the listening sessions to findings of other farmer, farm worker, and climate justice, and scholarly organizations. The summit culminated with a historic visit of farmers and advocates to Capitol Hill, marking the largest convergence of Federation members in D.C. for an agriculture lobbying event since the 1992 Caravan for Black Farmers. Additional partners to the toolkit include the Alcorn State University SDFR Policy Research Center and Berkeley Food Institute.

EXPERTS AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW:   

Prof. Sara Clarke Kaplan, executive director, ARPC: “Too few Americans understand the important role of agricultural policy in increasing racial equity. That’s why we created this toolkit: to inform and empower.”

Prof. Garrett Graddy Lovelace, AU School of International Service: “In order to move the U.S. Farm Bill toward authentic climate, food, and farm justice, we need to better understand the historical and ongoing racial inequities in our country.”

Cornelius Blanding, executive director, FSC/LAF: "Historically, as a Federation and community, we haven’t adequately seen ourselves as full participants in research; we are usually being researched by others rather than acting as the researchers. This collaboration is an important step toward centering our members' lived experiences and expertise in education and advocacy.”

Dr. Justine Williams, associate director of operations, ARPC

Tandelyn Daniels, director of communications, FSC/LAF

HOW TO ACCESS:

The toolkit is free and available for download.