National Black Farmers Association President John Boyd Jr. blasted the Biden administration Tuesday for sending money to Ukraine while Black farmers in America face "extinction."
President Joe Biden has remained steadfast in supporting Ukraine's defense against Russia's invasion since the start of the war in February 2022, although conservatives in Congress have put a halt to sending any additional aid, arguing that Washington should instead focus on putting America "first." In total, Biden has sent over $75 billion in assistance to Ukraine, including humanitarian, financial and military aid.
Speaking with Fox Business on Tuesday, Boyd raised concerns about how Biden's policies were impacting Black farmers, noting that the number of Black Americans owning farmland has sharply declined over the past century. According to census data, there were nearly 1 million Black farmers in America in 1920, which accounted for around 14 percent of all farmland. One hundred years later, that number has dropped to roughly 40,000 farmers, making up less than 2 percent of all owned agricultural land.
"We're definitely facing extinction," Boyd said. "And as it relates to American farmers, all farmers are hurting. And under this leadership, we're sending aid to Ukraine, but we won't stop farm foreclosures for America's farmers."
The White House included agriculture debt relief in its Inflation Reduction Act signed in August 2022, which according to a report from Reuters was expected to save "thousands" of farmers from foreclosure. But the plan did not specifically target minority farmland owners—an earlier debt relief program had provided aid based on race, but ended after a group of white farmers sued to stop payments, read Reuters' report.
Instead, under Biden's administration, farmers are eligible for relief based on "economic precariousness rather than race." At the time that the Inflation Reduction Act was signed, many Black and minority farmers spoke out against the president's decision to scale back the race-based program.
"We've been trying to get debt relief for over four decades," Boyd told Fox Business on Tuesday, noting that relief had "passed Congress" but was "repealed" by Biden.
"So we didn't get the debt relief, but then I see $100 billion go to Ukraine, and some of that money went to help Ukrainian farmers with taxpayers money," Boyd continued. Biden asked Congress to pass a $95.3 billion emergency aid package in the fall, with $60 billion allocated to Ukraine.
"Why can't we use some of the resources to help farmers right here at home and the United States," Boyd added. "We're American citizens, and American farmers should come first. And that's what my message is to the president, and if I had the opportunity to tell him, I would tell him he's taking the wrong direction and he needs to put American farmers first."
When reached for comment, the White House pointed blame at the trade policies of former President Donald Trump's administration for hurting farmers in America, saying it led "to an increase in farm bankruptcies and debt, and forcing President Biden's predecessor to spend tens of billions of dollars to mitigate the fallout."
"Fortunately, Bidenomics and President Biden's Investing in America Agenda are delivering for rural communities and farmers nationwide," a spokesperson for the White House told Newsweek via email on Wednesday.
"President Biden will continue to ensure that all American farmers have the tools and resources they need to be successful, which means better options—and prices—for farmers, ranchers, and ultimately, the consumer," the spokesperson added, noting that the White House plans to work with partners like Boyd to "support rural communities and farmers, including Black farmers, throughout the country."
Update 02/21/24, 5:40 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from the White House Press Office.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Kaitlin Lewis is a Newsweek reporter on the Night Team based in Boston, Massachusetts. Her focus is reporting on national ... Read more
