Op-ed: Black Producers Have Farmed Sustainably in Kansas for Generations. Let’s Not Erase Our Progress.
A 19th-century Nicodemus family in front of their improved homestead. (Photo courtesy of Kansas University Spencer Research Library, Nicodemus Historical Society Collection)
Increased federal funding for Black farmers—not less—will help US agriculture become more resilient as our climate changes.
In the U.S., we’ve seen a much-needed push toward “regenerative” and “sustainable” agriculture to protect the environment and keep farms productive, particularly in the face of climate change. In the last few years, there has also been renewed interest in addressing historic wrongs perpetrated against Black farmers and building a more equitable food system.
These efforts come at a time when the number of small U.S. farms, which includes most Black-owned farms, continue to decline. Farms are consolidating as small producers struggle with rising costs, changing weather conditions, and other challenges. The obstacles are particularly acute for Black farmers, who own far fewer acres of farmland today than they did a century ago. The loss of these small farms hurts rural communities, paves the way for environmentally harmful monocropping, and prevents farmers from building economic power through agriculture. 01-29-25
