USDA Ends Discriminatory Programs for Minority Farmers

The USDA announced on Thursday that it will stop its programs aimed at increasing profits for minority groups.

A new USDA rule eliminates race and gender-based criteria from its farm programs, following litigation that prompted concerns about ongoing discriminatory practices. The agency disclosed a list of over twelve institutional programs deemed “contradictory to constitutional principles and government policy goals.”

“The USDA has a long history of litigation related to discrimination in the management of farm loans and benefits programs,” the new rules stated. “Moving forward, the USDA will no longer use race or gender as factors in decision-making processes, thereby promoting meritocracy, equity, and equal opportunity for all participants.”

In June, the Wisconsin Law & Liberty Institute filed a lawsuit against USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins on behalf of a white dairy farmer, Adam Faust. They claimed that the Environmental Quality Incentive Program and Loan Guarantee Program violated the Constitution’s equal protection clause by favoring racial minorities or women.

The lawsuit highlighted that under the loan guarantee program, Faust receives a 90% loan guarantee, whereas minority and female farmers can qualify for a 95% guarantee. Additionally, EQIP offers minority farmers a 90% cost reimbursement, while Faust is only eligible for 75%.

Faust’s legal team expressed frustration, stating, “We had cautioned the USDA, as well as the Trump administration, about these discriminatory programs established during Biden’s term. Equality has been disregarded for too long.” They noted that the Trump administration had positioned itself as anti-racist, yet the USDA remained a significant exception.

Moreover, the Pandemic Assistance Program, initiated under Biden, was criticized for providing benefits to those asserting racial, ethnic, or gender bias based on their identity.

In 2021, the same group sued USDA over a $4 billion loan forgiveness plan, which federal courts ruled unconstitutional due to discrimination based on race.

This recent policy change reflects a larger rollback of federal diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives implemented during the Trump administration. On January 21, the president signed an executive order titled “Ending illegal discrimination and restoring merit-based opportunities,” instructing all enforcement departments to terminate any discriminatory policies.

According to the USDA, the agency has made significant strides over the decades to rectify past injustices and has implemented reforms and compensation measures. “These efforts collectively support the claim that prior discrimination has been sufficiently addressed, and that additional racial or gender-based remedies are no longer necessary or legally justified,” the USDA stated.

On Wednesday, the Department of Transportation also announced it will cease the implementation of climate change policies from the Biden era.

The USDA did not provide a comment in response to inquiries from the Daily Caller News Foundation.