The former president of a farm workers union will co-chair the Agriculture Department’s equity commission that includes the NAACP president, a dairy industry executive and a longtime advocate for Black farmers unfairly forced out of the department during the Obama administration.
The commission and a 13-member subcommittee on agriculture announced Thursday include people who have long called for changes at USDA to make it more hospitable for small and minority agricultural producers. The department said a subcommittee on the rural community and economic development will be announced in the future.
“This Commission will support our work to build a USDA that does not ignore or leave anyone behind …. as we dismantle barriers that historically underserved communities have faced in accessing USDA programs and services,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement.
