Equity Commission recommends ‘sweeping and generational change’ at USDA

The Agriculture Department, whose programs range from crop subsidies to public nutrition, would reform its operations to assure fair treatment of everyone under the recommendations of an administration-appointed commission, delivered in a final report on Thursday. Co-chair Ertharin Cousin said the goal was “to ensure equity becomes part of the DNA as well as the culture of this great organization.”

The 66 recommendations, adopted unanimously by the Equity Commission, were grouped into nine areas, from removing bias in USDA offices and programs to mitigating hunger. For example, the commission said the USDA should consider requiring that membership on the county committees that help direct its local operations reflect the local farm population. It also said SNAP should be extended to U.S. territories, which are now given block grants.

The USDA, sometimes called “the last plantation,” has paid $3 billion since 1999 to settle lawsuits by Black, Native American, and Hispanic farmers alleging discriminatory treatment. At the commission’s inaugural meeting two years ago, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack directed its members “to prevent wrongs in the future.” Vilsack is also the first USDA chief to appoint a racial equity adviser.

“It’s our report now,” said Vilsack on Thursday. “I would just simply say, you damn well better know I take this seriously, and everybody who works with me at USDA.”

The commission issued an interim report last February with 32 recommendations for action. As part of the National Equity Summit convened for release of the final report, the USDA offered progress updates with interim recommendations. The USDA said it planned to hold a series of regional meetings to “feature the breadth of USDA’s equity work, while also having deep-dive discussions on priority issues identified by [commission] members for ongoing engagement.”

“This commission … proudly recommends sweeping and generational change,” said the final report. “The recommended changes seek to interrupt the perpetuation of any and all USDA discriminatory and unfair systems, operations, policies, and actions.”

Co-chair Arturo Rodriguez, former president of the United Farm Workers union, said he had joined the commission “to make sure that farmworkers were at the table. Today, I’m filled with hope and confidence to say that our seat at the table and the needs and concerns of farmworkers will be addressed.” The report recommended a review of farmworker living and working conditions, funding for groups to assure fair treatment of farmworkers, and removal of barriers to farmworker enrollment in public nutrition programs.

Georgia Rep. David Scott, the senior Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, said the report “is a historic step toward addressing systemic inequities whose lingering effects can still be felt today. By removing barriers to, and increasing fairness in, USDA programs, we not only advance equity — we advance the interests of American agriculture.”

The Equity Commission reports are available here.