Agriculture Secretary Brook Rollins testifies before the House Agriculture Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington on June 11, 2025. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times
The Ministry of Agriculture does not take into account the race or gender of farmers when determining benefits eligibility for many of its farm loans, commodities and conservation programs, the agency said on its regulated bills.
On July 10, the Department of Agriculture announced final rules to end decades of use of “socially disadvantaged” designations. The designation was intended to address historical discrimination against colour and female farmers. The rules take effect immediately.
A wide range of USDA programs will be affected, including farm loan programs, conservation efforts, disaster relief and rural development initiatives. While the benefits remain for the beginning and the veteran farmers, race and sex will no longer be considered when awarding aid.
“Today, USDA will no longer apply race- or gender-based standards to the decision-making process, ensuring that the program is managed in a way that supports the principles of meritocracy, equity and equal opportunity for all participants,” the rules state.
In its final rules, the agency said the decision was in line with recent federal directives under the law, highlighting equal protection and merit-based opportunities. Furthermore, the rules reflect the agency’s conclusion that past discrimination has been adequately addressed through litigation, settlement and reform.
The policy change follows two executive orders signed by President Donald Trump shortly after taking office in January, which directs the government to roll back what is called diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
Specifically, Trump has signed an executive order revoking early enforcement actions that promote racial equity through targeted preferences. The next day, Executive Order 14173 declared national policies to end illegal discrimination and restore merit-based opportunities across federal agencies, and directed the program to be terminated based on diversity, equity or equity.
In an explanation of the final rules, the Agriculture Department said it faces a long history of lawsuits claiming discrimination in the management of farm loans and benefits programs. Over the years, agents have taken substantial steps to address these issues through settlements, institutional reforms and direct compensation.
The rules were raised in 1998 on behalf of black farmers who were allegedly systematically excluded from the Agriculture Department’s credit program between 1981 and 1996. I’ve referenced Glickman’s class action lawsuit.
The settlement in that case, approved in 1999, required over $1 billion in payments and debt relief, as well as system reforms at federal agencies. As many eligible claimants missed the original filing deadline, Congress approved a second settlement in 2010, allocating an additional $1.25 billion in compensation.
Keepseaglev. Similar lawsuits such as Vilsack were brought by Native American farmers, resulting in a $760 million settlement and additional reforms. Other cases involving Hispanic and female farmers spurred the USDA and created and compensated a management process to review and compensate for individual claims, the final regulations said.
USDA representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the Epoch Times.
