On July 31, it was reported that $2 billion was going to be paid to Black and minority farmers because of discrimination by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This is a significant step to right some wrongs that this country has had in reference to Black farmers.
USDA reports that agriculture, food, and related industries contributed roughly $1.530 trillion to U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023, a 5.6-percent share. The output of America’s farms contributed $203.5 billion of this sum—about 0.7 percent of U.S. GDP. These numbers seem large, but looking at how many Black farmers there are would show how little of the total market share we have access to. In 1910, about 14 percent of U.S. farmers were Black, owning more than 16 million acres. Now, only 1% of farmers are Black, owning less than 5 million acres.
One of the issues is access to lines of credit and access to resources that their white counterparts have. Farming is a cost-intensive activity. Not having access to resources, capital, and credit would put anyone in a precarious position. This explains the steep decline in Black farmers over the last one hundred or so years. With USDA prepared to give 2 billion dollars to Black and minority founders, it will be interesting to see if more steps are taken to rectify years of wrongs. Systemically, Black farmers and Black aspiring farmers need access to more. Young Black people need to be exposed to more agriculture and learn more about the industry. A lack of knowledge compounded with a lack of resources is a dangerous combination. It’s clear they are trying to rectify the resources issue, now we have to wait and see if the education issue is also corrected.