Equity at USDA

Stories

National flag of the USA, in front of US Department of Agriculture in Washington D.C.

USDA’s mission (PDF, 9.6 MB) is:

"To serve all Americans by providing effective, innovative, science-based public policy leadership in agriculture, food and nutrition, natural resource protection and management, rural development, and related issues with a commitment to deliverable equitable and climate-smart opportunities that inspire and help America thrive."

Equity is not an add-on or extra; it is central. To accomplish this mission, we must, together, build and maintain public trust and confidence among USDA stakeholders that this truly is, in the words of President Lincoln, the “People’s Department”. We must: (1) identify and root out systemic discrimination in USDA programs; (2) ensure equitable access to USDA programs and services for all communities, including by removing barriers to access and working to repair past mistakes that have resulted in economic, social, and racial disparities; and (3) promote nutrition security, a healthy environment, and the opportunity for a good life for every person, in every community in America.

Breaking Equity News and Events

Biden-Harris Administration Issues Financial Assistance to More than 43,000 Farmers, Ranchers, and Forest Landowners through the Inflation Reduction Act’s Discrimination Financial Assistance Program

The Biden-Harris Administration announced it has issued payments to eligible applicants under the Inflation Reduction Act’s Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP), which aims to provide financial assistance to farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who experienced discrimination prior to January 2021.

Providing Financial Assistance Through Discrimination Financial Assistance Program

Press release: Biden-Harris Administration Issues Financial Assistance to More than 43,000 Farmers, Ranchers, and Forest Landowners through the Inflation Reduction Act’s Discrimination Financial Assistance Program
Discrimination Financial Assistance Program: Discrimination Financial Assistance Program Home (22007apply.gov)

USDA Opens Application Period for Composting and Food Waste Reduction Cooperative Agreements. USDA is accepting applications for Composting and Food Waste Reduction (CFWR) pilot projects for fiscal year 2024. The cooperative agreements, using remaining funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, are jointly administered by USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Selected projects will develop and test strategies for planning and implementing municipal compost plans and food waste reduction plans and are part of USDA’s broader efforts to support urban agriculture.

Applications Open for Composting and Food Waste Reduction

USDA Convenes Inaugural National Equity Summit, Equity Commission Delivers Final Report

Press release: USDA Convenes Inaugural National Equity Summit, Equity Commission Delivers Final Report (February 22, 2024)
USDA Equity Commission
Equity Committee Final Report
USDA Recommendation Implementation Update 2024
Updated Equity Plan (February 14, 2024)

Progress on funds for financially distressed borrowers (Section 22006 of the Inflation Reduction Act). With resources authorized by the Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law by President Biden in August 2022, USDA has, as of August 5, 2024, helped more than 43,800 farmers and ranchers who were in financial distress stay on their farms and farming, providing over $2.4 billion and counting in immediate assistance. The program is part of the Department’s ongoing effort to keep borrowers farming, remove obstacles that currently prevent many borrowers from returning to their land, and improve the way that USDA approaches borrowing and loan servicing in the long-term.

Additional $208 million in assistance announced November 30, 2023 to help prevent guaranteed borrower foreclosures and to assist emergency loan borrowers
Additional assistance announced August 11, 2023 for qualifying guaranteed loan borrowers facing financial risk
The deadline to request extraordinary measures assistance and cash flow-based assistance was December 31, 2023. All requests submitted prior to the December 31, 2023 deadline are currently being reviewed.
Prior assistance: October 2022 ($800 million) & May 2023 ($130 million)

More USDA Equity News USDA Equity Accomplishments and Resources

Making Equity a Priority

Over the course of its existence, USDA has faced several pivotal moments—times when our direction and efforts can fundamentally reshape the lives of agricultural producers, rural Americans, our country, and the world. Today, we are at such a moment. We must decide—Do we want to continue to use a system that benefits only a few or do we want a system that benefits all? USDA and the Biden-Harris Administration recognize that meeting this moment for all Americans means transforming the current system.

USDA’s work is not just about farms and the people who work them and their associated processes.

It’s about keeping businesses alive in small towns.
It’s about school children having access to healthy food grown in their own communities.
It’s about protecting our planet from droughts and wildfires and natural disasters.
It’s about America leading the way in what it means to be a sustainable, inclusive, resilient place.

Centering equity in this work is essential.

EQUITY IS: the consistent and systematic treatment of all individuals in a fair, just, and impartial manner, including individuals who belong to communities that often have been denied such treatment, such as Black, Latino, Indigenous and Native American, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander persons and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; women and girls; LGBTQI+ persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; persons who live in United States Territories; persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality; and individuals who belong to multiple such communities.

FROM CONCEPT TO ACTION: USDA has mobilized, department-wide, to remove barriers to access to our programs and services for all Americans, including ensuring USDA resources reach underserved communities and those with the most need. This page shows how.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack meeting with Native American Youth at the Department of Agriculture

^{Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack spent time with the 30 Students from Eastern and Western Tribes, Southeast Alaska, and Tuba City, Arizona planting vegetable seeds that are indigenous to North America.}

USDA Rural Development Under Secretary Xochitl Torres Small, left, during a visit to Siesta Shores and Falcon Lake

^{Agriculture Rural Development Under Secretary Xochitl Torres Small, left, announced that USDA is investing $102 million to expand access to housing and water infrastructure for socially disadvantaged rural people who live and work in 45 states and American Samoa, during a visit to Siesta Shores and Falcon Lake in Zapata Co., TX.}

USDA’s Farm Service Agency Administrator Zach Ducheneaux is presented with Sweet Grass by Kipp Family during honoring ceremony before meeting with members of the Blackfeet Extension Stockgrowers/PHLI/Ag Producers to listen to their concerns and discuss solution they are working on to help during a meeting

^{USDA Farm Service Agency Administrator Zach Ducheneaux is presented with Sweet Grass by Kipp Family during honoring ceremony before meeting with members of the Blackfeet Extension Stockgrowers/PHLI/Ag Producers to listen to their concerns and discuss solution they are working on to help during a meeting.}

U.S. Acting Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kevin Shea welcomes students from the National 4-H conference to the Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C.

^{Acting Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kevin Shea welcomes students from the National 4-H conference to the Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C.}

United States Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary, Research, Education, and Economics Sanah Baig, U.S. Acting Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kevin Shea and U.S. National Institute of Food and Agriculture Director Dr. Dionne Toombs welcome students from the National 4-H conference to the Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C.

^{Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary, Research, Education, and Economics Sanah Baig, Acting Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kevin Shea and U.S. National Institute of Food and Agriculture Director Dr. Dionne Toombs welcome students from the National 4-H conference to the Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C.}

^{U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Health, Admiral Rachel Levine and Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services Deputy Under Secretary Stacy Dean visited Watkins ES in Washington, D.C. in recognition of National Nutrition Month.}

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Administrator Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young (center) visits with scientists and engineers participating in the “Meet the Scientists and Engineers Program,” during the 4th USA Science & Engineering Festival at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, in Washington D.C,

^{USDA Agricultural Research Service Administrator Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young (center) visits with scientists and engineers participating in the “Meet the Scientists and Engineers Program,” during the 4th USA Science and Engineering Festival at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, in Washington D.C.}

^{Agriculture Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt greets a vendor at the USDA Farmer's Market.}

United States Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary, Research, Education, and Economics Sanah Baig meets with Max Finberg, Growing Hope Globally as USDA resumes hosting its annual Ramadan Iftar Celebration on Thursday, April 13, 2023 in Washington, D.C.

^{Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary, Research, Education, and Economics Sanah Baig meets with Max Finberg, Growing Hope Globally as USDA resumes hosting its annual Ramadan Iftar Celebration.}

Strategy for Impact

In response to Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities through the Federal Government, and Executive Order 14091, Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities through the Federal Government, USDA has adopted seven department-wide strategies to advance equity over the coming year:

Seven Department-Wide Strategies to Advance Equity image

Broaden access to agricultural programs. Ensure agricultural resources and assistance for producers are broadly accessible, while creating new, more, and better market opportunities so USDA policies and programs advance agriculture for all who want to participate, not just a few, promoting rural prosperity and economic security.
Promote rural prosperity. Promote prosperity and economic security in rural communities by empowering people with modern infrastructure, connecting business owners to new opportunities for growth, and supporting community-driven solutions to build brighter futures in rural America.
Promote nutrition security. Promote nutrition security and health equity through USDA nutrition assistance programs to ensure all Americans have access to the nutrition they need.
Broaden access to forest resources and outdoor experiences. Ensure equitable access to forest resources, funding opportunities, and outdoor experiences; and target wildfire prevention and conservation investments where they are most needed.
Advance equity in federal procurement by providing underserved and disadvantaged businesses tools and resources to increase access to funding opportunities and by helping promote safe and secure provision of services and supplies.
Empower tribal sovereignty. Empower tribal sovereignty and uphold treaty responsibilities to Indian tribes, removing barriers to access USDA programs and incorporating indigenous values and perspectives in program design and delivery.
Protect civil rights. Commit unwaveringly to civil rights by improving tools, skills, capacity, and processes to more effectively and efficiently enforce them.

These strategies update USDA’s 2022 Equity Action Plan, learning from hundreds of engagements with our customers and would-be customers—through listening sessions, requests for information, outreach events, tribal consultations, and advisory committees (including, preeminently, USDA’s Equity Commission).

We will operationalize our goals using

1. Reduce administrative, economic, historical, and other barriers to program access, and ensuring our programs include processes to observe, understand, and remove or mitigate such barriers. #ReduceBarriers

Icon of two people putting a puzzle together

2. Partner with trusted technical assistance providers to ensure that underserved producers and communities have the support they need to access USDA programs. #Partner

3. Direct USDA programs to those who need them the most. #MeetNeeds

4. Operate transparently and accountably, providing the information on Department programs that Congress, stakeholders, and the general public need to hold us to account on our equity agenda, and working systematically to collect and take account of public feedback. #Transparency

Equity Accomplishments

For more on USDA’s equity strategy and progress since 2021, visit the Equity Accomplishments page and the Equity Action Plans page.

Stories

Elizabeth Lower-Basch: Closing the Gap to Nutrition for Families

1890 Scholar Helps Others Recover from Natural Disasters as Loan Specialist with USDA Rural Development

Celeste Lucero, a USDA Tribal Policy Intern working with USDA Rural Development’s Tribal Relations team

Diversifying the Policy Space: Tribal Policy Intern Celeste Lucero

Veterans Tsiltiyah Fogle and her husband Charles Fogle

Veterans’ Spirit of Service Renewed in Their Community

USDA Announces the 2024 Class of USDA 1890 National Scholars

Reflections from the Road in Oregon: Building Trust and Partnerships so Rural Communities Thrive

Reflections from the Road: Equity Commission Connects with Minority Farmers and Landowners at Regional Equity Convening in North Carolina

E. Kika De La Garza Fellowship Gives Professor Inspiration and Confidence

1890 Scholar Applies Interest in Genetics to Help Farmers

USDA Welcomes 2024 Class of E. Kika De La Garza Fellows

Reflections from the Road in Oregon: Building Trust and Partnerships so Rural Communities Thrive

Reflections from the Road: Equity Commission Connects with Minority Farmers and Landowners at Regional Equity Convening in North Carolina

2501 Grants Help Springfield Community Gardens Promote Regenerative Agriculture in Local Communities

1890s National Scholar Finds Purpose Through Science

Celebrating Juneteenth and Black American Contributions to Agriculture

NIFA Makes Important Contributions to Environmental Justice Initiative

Nils Christoffersen, a member of USDA’s Equity Commission Rural Community Economic Development Subcommittee

Nils Christoffersen: Uplifting Rural Communities Through a Stewardship Economy

The Food and Nutrition Assistance Landscape: Fiscal Year 2023 Annual Report

Pictured from left to right back row: Equity Commission Member Dr. Ron Rainey, Senior Advisor Dr. Dewayne Goldmon, Equity Commission Member Savi Horne, Equity Commission Member Shorlette Ammons, Equity Commission Member Dr. Jennie Stephens; Middle row: Equity Commission Member Shonterria Charleston, Equity Commission Member Poppy Sias Hernandez, Equity Commission Member Arturo S. Rodríguez, Cecilia Hernandez, Tanika Whittington; Front row: Equity Commission Member Shirley Sherrod

Reflections from the Road: USDA Engages the Southeast with Regional Equity Convening in Georgia

Conference participants visited Hub of Prosperity in Edinburg

Reflections from the Road: USDA Journeys to Texas for its Second Regional Equity Convening

Cecilia Hernandez in the Power of Partnerships Equity event

Reflections from the Road: USDA Co-Hosts Inaugural Regional Equity Convening in Michigan

Cecilia Hernandez in the Equity Commission meeting

Echándole Ganas: Giving it My All to Honor Legacy and Elevate Voices

National Agriculture Day: How USDA is Growing a Climate for Tomorrow by Transforming our Food System Today

Local Agriculture Market Program Grant Recipient Helps Small Farms and Their Community Prosper

2501 Program Recipient Helps Heirs Connect with Important Resources

High Speed Heroes Keeping Rural Texans Connected

Essential Storage Expansion Helps Food Connects Create More Capacity

Grupo De Mujeres Provides Education, Community for Spanish-Speaking Women

Fort Valley State University Project Is Building Reproductive Technology Capacities

Growing Opportunities for Women in Agriculture

A Family Brew – Celebrating Mother-Daughter Coffee Farmer on International Women’s Day

Establishing the Equity Commission with USDA Senior Advisors Drs. Dewayne Goldmon and Gbenga Ajilore

Ertharin Cousin: Improving Social Equity in the Food and Agriculture Industry

USDA Under Secretary Alexis Taylor to Lead Historic Native Nations Agribusiness Trade Mission to Canada

1890 Land-grant Institutions Strengthening Agricultural Profitability and Sustainability of Small-Scale Farms

Rural Development Assisting Female Vets Down East

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): Background, Trends, and Economic Issues, 2024 Edition

Walkers gather for morning circle at Log Springs in Mendocino National Forest

100-mile trek: California's Trail of Tears Commemorated in Nome Cult Walk

Soulful Food and Sauces: Through USDA Programs, A Black Agribusiness Owner Rises Internationally

E. Kika De La Garza Fellow Expands Public Service

Celebrating Black History at Black Seeds Urban Farm

APHIS’ Plant Protection and Quarantine Program Recognizes Black History Month – “African Americans and the Arts”

NIFA Celebrates Climate Hubs for 10 Years of Helping Farmers, Ranchers and Forest Landowners Enhance Climate Resilience

USDA Women in Science Share Advice with the Next Generation

Dionne F. Toombs, Associate Director for Programs

International Day of Women and Girls in Science

New SARE Publication Supports Urban Agriculture

Two-Year Anniversary of Customer Experience Executive Order: Pt. 6 Delivering for Small Towns

Rural Utilities Service Administrator Andrew Berke

USDA ReConnect Is Paving the Way for a More Connected and Prosperous Future for All Residents

Agriculture Secretary Calls on States to Take Action to Improve SNAP Administration for Families in Need

USDA Future Leader in Agriculture Student Sees Future in Yuma

USDA Announces 2024 Agricultural Export Market Challenge Participants

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Visits Minnesota to Highlight Biden-Harris Administration’s Investments in Clean Energy Infrastructure in Rural America

Moulton Fire Department in the city of Moulton

Moulton, Iowa, Modernizes Fire Department

Carolina Conservation: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Environmental Justice at Work

Shari Rogge-Fidler: Encouraging Next-Generation Farmers to Get Engaged and Seize Opportunity

Picture of improved business processes and the year 2024

Two-Year Anniversary of Customer Experience Executive Order - Pt. 2: Establishing USDA’s CX Framework

USDA 1890 National Scholar Balances Responsibilities

Two-Year Anniversary of Customer Experience Executive Order: USDA Celebrates Customer Experience Efforts

Ribbon Cutting and Open House held at Dallas USDA Urban Service Center

Advancing Homeownership on Montana's Tribal Lands

What if the ambulance never comes?

NIFA Teams Honored with USDA Nation to Nation Tribal Innovation Awards

Toni Stanger-McLaughlin: Highlighting Tribal Nations and Indigenous Foods during Native American Heritage Month

USDA Deputy Secretary with a group of people

Partner Spotlight: Urban Transformation Network

USDA Rural Development Helps Make ‘Home for the Holidays’ a Reality for Kauai Families

A Season of Thanksgiving

Where the Wild Rice Grows: USDA Celebrates Indigenous Agriculture, Businesses, and Peoples

2501 Grant Enhances Food Sovereignty Among Native Communities

The Shape of Water: A Tribe’s Connection and Conservation Efforts to North Carolina’s Waterways

Delivering mni wašté to residents of Cheyenne River Reservation

Through learned lenses

Finding Common Ground: A Community Economic Development Project

USDA People’s Garden Groundbreaking Ceremony at Joppy Momma’s Farm

NIFA’s FRTEP Supporting Tribal Youth

Broadband Provides Vital Lifeline for Protecting Lives and Property in Cartersville

Uncorking New Business Growth with Broadband

NIFA Communications Training with Hopi Community

USDA Reasonable Accommodations Help Disabled Veteran Succeed with Federal Career

Bridging the Gap in SNAP E&T

USDA, Cooperative Extension and APLU Award 2023 Top Honors in Extension Excellence and Diversity

Associate Professor Making a Better Way for Students Through E. Kika de la Garza Fellowship

Three people smiling holding a Welcome to the NutHouse sign

International Day of Rural Women Spotlight: Indiana Soccer Moms Score Big as Global Entrepreneurs with USDA Assist

Revitalized Communities Through Cooperatives: Linda Leaks Shows Interagency Working Group How It’s Done

2501 Grants Support Traditional Farming and Culture in Hawaii

Replacing a Relic to Keep a Community Market Growing Strong

Hope & Main Nourishes Neighbors in Warren, RI

Linking Food Access, Fiber Intake, Gut Microbiota & Health Outcomes Among New Hampshire’s Hispanic Residents

Forest Supervisor, Kurt Davis of the Coronado National Forest and Chairman Terry Rambler of the San Carlos Apache Tribe of Arizona sign cross-boundary forest restoration agreement

Tribal Action Plan in Action

Secretary Vilsack speaking at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health

USDA Celebrates First Anniversary of the Historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health

In His Own Words: E. Kika De La Garza Science Fellow Alok Arun

Planning for Equity: A Puerto Rican Community Planner's Journey to USDA's Equity Commission

Reflecting on and Improving on Tribal Programs at FNS

Critical Need to Increase Food Security in Rural Alaska

A man standing beside Vision Statement and Mission Statement text

Health Care Grant Provides Pandemic Lifeline to Rural Montana Senior Care Facility

Two masked men, a woman and a man holding a root

1890s Institutions Charging Forth on Specialty Crop Projects through USDA Support

People standing together in the USDA Whitten building

USDA Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month and Hispanic-Serving Institutions

Streamlining Farm Operations in Cumberland

Arkansas River Rice’s state-of-the-art rice mill

Building Opportunities for Minority Farmers through McGovern-Dole Program

USDA/1890 National Scholars Program Has a Lifetime Impact

Urban Agriculture Forum provides opportunity for information, networking

People standing together in front of a HungerActionMonth hashtag with Capital Area Food Bank background

Feds Feed Families During Hunger Action Month

Ron Rainey: Agriculture Economist Advancing Technical Assistance and Extension Program Opportunities to Improve Financial Outcomes for Farmers

Partner Spotlight: Africulture: Connecting Underserved Farmers to Conservation and Market Opportunities

Listen Better, Serve Better

USDA Helps Alaskan Communities Meet Sustainable Food System Goals

A woman smiling behind fruits and vegetables on a stand

Modernizing SNAP Transactions with Local Farmers

GusNIP Efforts Impacting Rural Communities – and Economies

Land-grant Universities Improve Local Food Security

A group of 14 YouthMappers from Tanzania pose in front of jeeps before going out into the field for research

From Sky to Soil: Young Agricultural Leaders Nourish FAS Satellite Data with Grassroots Truth

Deputy Under Secretary Stacy Dean smiles with another woman as a child plants flowers in a green pot as part of a youth gardening activity at the Spirit Lake Sioux FDPIR building

FNCS Supports Food Sovereignty of Tribal Nations

Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program Finding New Ways to Reach Audience

Land-grant Universities Improve Local Food Security

Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Xochitl Torres Small

USDA Mission Areas, Agencies, and Offices’ Equity Action Plans Are Making Progress

Announcing NRCS New York Local Working Group Meetings

USDA establishing new Urban Service Center in Dallas and Urban County Committee in Houston

NRCS PIA and partner organizations speaking to local O'ahu farmers

NRCS Pacific Islands Area Connects with O’ahu Farmers

A group of Black students and their instructors stand outdoors

USDA/1890 National Scholars Program Makes Collegiate and Agricultural Careers a Reality

People in a group looking at a wall of organizations

Putting the CO in Co-located Services

USDA NRCS Awards Zenger Farm Equity Agreement

2023 "Growing Together" Black Farmer Conference to be Held April 21

105-Year-Old Fondy Farmers Market Increases Access to Healthy, Local Food and Economic Opportunity in Greater Milwaukee Area

Increasing Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Youth Engagement, Farmer Support, and Climate Adaptation on the Tohono O’odham Nation

OPPE internship students and administrators in front of USDA

Equity Commission: Shaping Change at USDA

USDA's Equity Commission is an independent body with 41 Commission and Subcommittee members charged with evaluating USDA programs and services and developing recommendations on how we can reduce barriers. Using this information, USDA will make needed changes so that the Department's programs, services, and decisions reflect the values of equity and inclusion. This will ensure everyone has a fair shot at resources, begin closing the racial wealth gap, and address longstanding inequities in agriculture. In October 2023, the body finalized its work by voting on a total of 66 recommendations that will be included in the Final Report to be published in 2024.

The work of the Equity Commission is empowering USDA to objectively confront the hard reality of past and help build back better by serving our customers fairly and equitably.

Learn more

Building a More Diverse USDA

Leading with Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access Front and Center: USDA’s commitment to diversity and equity includes both committed leadership and strong policy. USDA has issued a robust diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) strategic plan and has hired a Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer (CDIO) and other staff to implement it. The CDIO leads USDAʼs work to build an organization that reflects the diversity of the communities USDA serves, bringing the best talent to USDA, retaining and investing in our workforce, and creating a culture where everyone feels welcomed.

At the core of USDAʼs Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Strategic Plan are six focus areas for the next five years:

Build a culture that drives trust, belonging, transparency, accountability, and employee empathy.
Achieve a workforce representative of Americans that inspires development of innovative ideas and best practices.
Foster a workplace environment that is physically, mentally, and emotionally safe.
Establish leadership and governance structures to support long-term and sustainable DEIA efforts.
Promote empowerment, responsibility, and accountability for DEIA through developing the workforce.
Demonstrate a commitment to a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible USDA through accountability, data collection, analysis, and effective policymaking.

USDA DEIA Strategic Plan (PDF, 1.2 MB)