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.

Join us for a deep dive into understanding how traditional philanthropic practices have negatively impacted movements led by people of color, specifically understanding “movement capture” and how participatory grantmaking practices aim to address those negative impacts.

Our sessions will feature BIPOC centered participatory processes, and how committee selection, orientation, committee support, and the deliberative process look like for these models.

Black farmers have a rich history and promising future in the United States, even though the Black history of agriculture is often reduced to slavery and cotton plantations. In Farming While Black (2018), Leah Penniman argues that justice for Black people, farmers and otherwise, requires learning about Black histories of agriculture, creating new experiences in the natural world, and getting in touch with our food systems. With a panel of Black scholars, farmers, and activists, in this webinar we explore what justice for Black farmers is today, what it has been in the past, and what it can be in the future.

Esteemed Panelists:
Maya Allen, PhD Candidate in Botany | The University of New Mexico
Teona Williams, PhD Candidate in History | Yale University
Ashley Gripper, PhD Candidate in Environmental Epidemiology | Harvard University
Laquanda Dobson, Chef and Farming Activist
Jayson Porter, PhD candidate in History | Northwestern University & Social Justice Intern | The Organic Center (Discussion Leader)

This webinar is open to all and will be recorded and made available on demand

Recounting stories from the early twentieth century and across generations to the present, the recent book In the Struggle: Scholars and the Fight Against Industrial Agribusiness in California (2021, NYU Press) by Daniel O’Connell and Scott Peters brings together the experiences of eight politically engaged scholars, documenting their opposition to industrial-scale agribusiness in California. As the narrative unfolds, these eight scholars’ previously censored and suppressed research, together with personal accounts of intimidation and subterfuge, is introduced into the public arena for the first time. This event, a part of the Fall 2021 “Food and the Public” series, will begin with these narratives as grounding for a discussion and public discourse on timely agricultural justice and policy issues in New York City and State

Come join us as we explore the last 100 years of school food, and discuss how the history of school lunch can provide context for bringing Farm to School to life in your cafeterias. We will review current policies in place to support Farm to School work and hear from Guy Koppe, a local food service director who has navigated the school food terrain and gained valuable experience using the different resources available to build robust farm to school programs. Not a food service director? This workshop is open to anyone who is interested in learning more about school food and how to become an advocate for farm to school in their community.