Black Farmers Receive $2M Boost For A Sustainable Food System

Portrait of an african female gardener working in greenhouse. Female worker pruning bacd leaves from the palnts in commercial garden center. For far too long, Black farmers and food entrepreneurs have been systematically excluded from the financial resources and opportunities necessary to thrive in agriculture.  Decades of discriminatory policies, predatory lending, and lack of access to capital have left Black farmers fighting an uphill battle. Despite making up only 1.4% of the country’s farmers, Black farmers are reclaiming their space in the agricultural landscape. Now, the The Black Farmer Fund (BFF) is offering a path forward with a $2 million investment in Black-owned food and agriculture businesses, a major step toward building a more equitable food system. The Black Farmer Fund, co-founded by Olivia Watkins and Karen Washington, is more than a financial resource. It’s a community-led initiative that places the power back into the hands of Black farmers and food entrepreneurs. Unlike traditional financial institutions, which often place profit over people, BFF is driven by the belief that community and justice come first. This $2 million investment is just one piece of their larger vision—a vision rooted in sustainability, economic justice, and food sovereignty. Historically, Black farmers have faced...