USDA Takes Unprecedented Step to Address History of Discrimination

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that more than 43,000 individuals who experienced discrimination at the hands of the department have now received acknowledgement and financial assistance totaling some $2 billion through the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program. The program was authorized and funded in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

Below is a statement by DeShawn L. Blanding, senior Washington representative in the Food and Environment Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists.

"It is heartening to see the USDA reckon with its longstanding history of discrimination against farmers of color and other would-be farmers and ranchers and take meaningful steps to address it. The creation of the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program was a monumental and unprecedented step toward equity and racial justice, and we commend the Biden administration for making it a priority to address the history of injustices, discrimination and barriers in agriculture.

"We hope they will continue to expeditiously implement the recommendations of the USDA's Equity Commission for advancing equity within the department."