The U.S. Department of Agriculture said it is all about doing what's right, as over the years, Black and other minority ranchers and farmers have experienced discrimination in farm loan programs. It has limited their access to federal dollars and support. Advocates now are hoping for more transparency about the selection criteria for the payouts.
Sharon Mallory, executive director of the 2020 Farmers Cooperative, said the payments are welcomed but argued the program could also improve.
"I'm not personally dazzled about numbers or dollar amounts," Mallory noted. "Unless I can connect that to the people that are being most impacted, which is our Black and small-scale farmers."
Mallory argued the USDA should disclose more information about how the grant recipients were chosen, including who reviewed them and the racial demographics and sizes of the payouts. The awards range from a few thousand dollars to $500,000, with the average about $82,000.
The USDA is investing $1.1 million in eleven rural clean energy projects throughout the state. The goal is to lower utility bills, expand clean energy and create jobs for ag producers and small businesses.
The funds come from the Inflation Reduction Act and the majority of recipients are from the deep South. Mallory pointed out agriculture has been consolidating in recent decades and smaller minority farmers have often been forced out of business. She's pushing for the USDA's program to improve, in part because of its history of discrimination.
"You can be like an ostrich and put your head in a hole, you can put your blindfolds on, you can turn your head the other way," Mallory emphasized. "But the fact of the matter is, it did happen. It's documented. It's not a secret, so let's address it."
One study found Black American farmers lost more than $300 billion worth of land in the 20th century, due in part to the USDA's discriminatory practices.
