One of the most devastating yet overlooked consequences of Congress passing the Inflation Reduction Act is the removal of economic relief for Black farmers. The act, which was signed into law by President Joe Biden on Aug. 16, repeals the 2021 Emergency Relief for Farmers of Color Act (ERFCA)—one of the biggest pieces of legislation for Black farmers passed to date.
The ERFCA allocated $4 billion under the American Rescue Plan to forgive 120 percent of USDA loan debt for farmers-of-color, but was nixed after several white farmers brought forth legal challenges and allegations of discrimination to stop the bill.
From feelings of elation and hopefulness early last year with the promise of sustainable funding, Black farmers are once again met with the familiar sentiment of disappointment and betrayal from the U.S. government. Black farming inequities in the U.S. trace back several decades.
Since 1920, Black farmers have lost land at a clip of 50 percent every 10 years—nearly tripling the land loss of white farmers during the same time period. Several governmental transgressions have contributed to this decline, including unfair policy legislation, legacies of institutionalized racism on the part of the USDA, and combined forms of racialized and gendered capitalism. Most recently, the Trump administration earmarked $26 billion in relief to U.S. farmers, yet less than 0.1 percent of that money was allocated directly to Black farmers.
Today, Black farmers account for only 1.4 percent of the nation's farmers (48,697 producers). Black operated-farms represent just 0.5 percent of U.S. farmland (4.7 million acres), 0.4 percent of total agricultural sales ($1.4 billion), and are disproportionately small-scale in comparison to white farms. For example, 85 percent of Black-operated farms had fewer than 180 acres (average size of 132 acres) and 57 percent had sales and government payments of less than $5,000 per year in comparison to 431 acres and 47 percent of white-operated farms, respectively.
Evidence suggests that Black farmers are more likely to commit suicide, experience higher stress levels and poorer mental health, and live in poverty compared to white farmers. These inequities have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and all but eliminated Black farmers from the modern agricultural landscape.
The repeal of the ERFCA will have widespread consequences for Black farmers and the Black community more generally across various societal sectors. The aid nullification will intensify the country's current farm foreclosure crisis, particularly among Black-owned farms. Black farmers are the most at-risk for farm foreclosure. A government court filing uncovered that between 2006 and 2016, Black farmers represented 13 percent of all USDA farm foreclosures, despite receiving less than 3 percent of loans.
Moreover, the repeal reinforces health disparities and food system-related inequities in the Black community. Combined cultural erasure and land loss have limited the capacity of Black farmers to produce their own food and address meaningfully disproportionate rates of food access and food insecurity in Black communities (one in five Black Americans experience food insecurity). Politically, this eradication has left Black farmers out of policy conversations and contributed to their diminished leadership and representation in many health and sustainability-promoting farming initiatives, such as the organic and alternative food movement, community-supported agriculture programs, and local food and farm conferences.
Despite myriad challenges, Black farmers show resilience to farm in this context. As a critical food studies scholar, I have conducted several research projects foregrounding Black farmer experiences across the U.S. A primary feature of my work explores how Black farmers challenge norms, power inequities, and structural barriers in the agriculture industry to preserve their cultural legacies and use farming as an emancipatory vehicle to address broader social, public health, and economic disparities among the Black community. Recently, several grassroots-based Black farming justice organizations, such as National Black Farmers Association, National Black Food and Justice Alliance, and National Women in Agriculture Association have emerged to advocate for more just and equitable policy in agriculture and direct mainstream attention to the issue.
Today, Black farmers continue to lobby government officials for relief to help gain political and economic freedom. Rather than treating Black farmers as a political chess piece, Congress must prioritize their wide-ranging exigent needs. With the upcoming midterm elections looming, now is the optimal time for President Biden and other Democrats to reinstate policy helping ensure the legacy and sustained future of Black farming.
Andrew Carter is an assistant professor in the Department of Public Health and Recreation at San José State University and a Public Voices Fellow with The OpEd Project.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
