US EditionUS agriculture agency to end consideration of race, sex in many farm programs
UNITED STATES, JUL 10 – The USDA ends race- and sex-based criteria in farm programs following legal challenges and prior payments to tens of thousands of farmers who experienced past bias, officials said.
- On July 11, 2025, the USDA announced it will no longer consider race or sex in many farm loan, grant, and conservation programs.
- This change aligns with directives from the Trump administration to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and reflects USDA's position that previous discriminatory practices have been adequately addressed.
- The newly issued rule continues to provide support specifically for farmers who are new to the industry as well as those with military backgrounds, and notes that approximately 4.5% of U.S. farmers identify as racial minorities, based on data from the 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- In 2023, the USDA provided loans totaling $1 billion to farmers identified as socially disadvantaged, making up more than 21% of its total lending; however, critics like Rep. Shontel Brown argue that rolling back related policies removes essential tools needed to promote equity.
- This change reflects the USDA’s position that additional measures targeting racial and gender disparities are no longer warranted, while critics argue it undoes progress and call on Congress to safeguard historically marginalized farmers.
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US agriculture agency to end consideration of race, sex in many farm programs - Hawaii Tribune-Herald
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Thursday it would no longer consider a farmer’s race or sex in many of its farm loan, commodity and conservation programs, ending a longstanding effort by the agency to address its history of discrimination. The move was made to align with the Trump administration’s directives to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion policies across the federal government and because the USDA has adequa…
USDA Ends Use of Race and Sex in Farm Benefit Eligibility
The Department of Agriculture will no longer consider a farmer’s race or sex in determining eligibility for benefits in many of its farm loan, commodity, and conservation programs, the agency said in a regulatory note. On July 10, the Department of Agriculture published a final rule that ends the agency’s decades-long use of the “socially disadvantaged” designation. The designation was aimed at addressing historic discrimination against nonwhite…
Rep. Shontel Brown decries ‘resegregation’ as minority farmers lose ‘socially disadvantaged’ USDA status
Rep. Shontel Brown, a Warrensville Heights Democrat and House Agriculture Committee Vice Ranking Member, called a move by the USDA to eliminate its “socially disadvantaged” designation in its programs "a deliberate and disgraceful step backward" in addressing historic discrimination.
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