Grange applauds moves to root out discrimination

The National Grange is pleased with recent attention by the Biden Administration and USDA to acknowledge and root out discriminatory practices by the agency against farmers of color and other minority groups.

Since its earliest days in the 1870s, and again in 1998, the Grange pledged its full support to investigating incidences of discrimination and implementing action to bring about changes to end racial discrimination in the USDA. The nation’s oldest farm organization has always concerned itself with equity and fought discrimination, especially in relation to agriculture. The Grange has long held that the federal government is responsible for assisting all farmers, regardless of race or creed, and should promptly investigate any instances of discrimination by the USDA and implement policies that would end such practices.

Actions not only to end discrimination but also to assist minority communities currently in agriculture or those seeking to enter the field are important for sustaining our food system. Such efforts help restore the belief in the American Dream for all, something the Grange believes imperative to our collective future as a nation.