Regional & National Events

The Disparity to Parity project (see https://disparitytoparity.org/) has explored issues around agriculture and fairness in the United States, but we have always seen these issues in the broader international context of human rights, globalization and social movements that extend beyond national borders. The concept of parity is grounded in fair prices for farmers, but it extends beyond that to issues of environmental, cultural and social justice for producers and their communities. In this webinar, we will hear from partners around the world about what the concept of parity means in their context, as well as the international policies and agreements that need to be changed. The webinar will be held on the eve of the World Trade Organization Ministerial. It will also honor the successes of the Indian Farmer Protests, as well as plans for the November 26 General Strike in solidarity with the farmers’ demands. We hope it will serve as input for critical reflection on the failures of neoliberal globalization and the need for alternatives that advance food sovereignty and agroecology.

The webinar is hosted by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, the American University Center for Environment, Community, and Equity, and the National Family Farm Coalition.

The Department of Agriculture's civil rights record is among the worst in the federal government. Black farmers have lost hundreds of billions in land and income since 1910 in large part due to federal policies—implemented by USDA—designed to drive them out of business. Despite sporadic attempts to reform the department's civil rights process, farmers, advocates, and reporters have continued to document widespread discrimination within the department in recent years. After Congress created a debt cancellation program for Black farmers in response to USDA's discriminatory lending practices, opposition groups brought the program to a halt through litigation. Our panelists will examine USDA's civil rights record, share their experiences in the fight for debt cancellation, and analyze the legal issues at stake, many of which will have important repercussions for public policy in the coming decades. Co-hosted by The Counter.