Making Equity a Priority
We know that people’s frustrations run deep and are rooted in their own daily battles—to make ends meet, to maintain their land, to put food on their tables, and to see their children have a shot at economic opportunity. The increasing gap in wealth and opportunities challenges the very core of who we are as a Department. This is why USDA is making EQUITY a priority.
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Learn more about USDA's activities to promote equity
Learn more about the Administration’s Equity Agenda
Equity Commission
USDA established an Equity Commission comprised of external stakeholders who will conduct a thorough review of USDA policies and programs and provide the Secretary with a set of recommendations on how the Department can advance equity.
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Review and Reporting
Its interim reports will be completed in 2022 with the goal of submitting the final report to the Secretary by 2023. While the Equity Commission may make recommendations that require Congressional action—where USDA has the authority to do so and assuming the recommendations are practicable and sound—USDA intends to take swift action and will incorporate recommendations of the Equity Commission into USDA's Equity Action Plan.
Equity Action Plan
While waiting for the Equity Commission’s recommendations, USDA is taking swift actions in alignment with Executive Order 13985, Civil Rights Laws, and other applicable laws and authorities to advance equity in program design, delivery, and services.
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Identifying Actions
Based on stakeholder input and internal equity assessments, USDA challenged its offices and programs to identify actions that will build and maintain trust, reduce barriers to access, and increase USDA investments towards underserved communities. The USDA Equity Action Plan highlights a subset of these actions that are high-impact and cross-cutting and are slated to commence implementation starting in Fiscal Year 2022.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Strategy
Recognizing the role of a healthy and inclusive organizational culture and the need to build an organization that reflects the communities that the agencies and programs serve, USDA is looking inward to understand what it will take to build an organization that centers DEIA.
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USDA's DEIA Strategic Plan (PDF, 1.2 MB)
Resources
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USDA
- USDA Equity
- USDA Equity News
- USDA Equity Action Plan
- USDA Equity Commission
- USDA Request for Information (RFI) Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
USDA Section 1006
- Press release - Aug. 24, 2022 - USDA Announces $550 Million in American Rescue Plan Funding for Projects Benefiting Underserved Agricultural Producers and Minority Serving Institutions that Create Career Development Opportunities for Next Generation Leaders
- FAQ (PDF, 140 KB)
- Fact sheet – Equity at the Center of All USDA Activities (PDF, 1.4 MB)
- Fact sheet – FSA: Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program (PDF, 381 KB)
- Fact sheet – NIFA 1006 Components (PDF, 105 KB)
Assistance for Agricultural Producers
- Publication – July 2022 – Get Started! A Guide to USDA Resources for Historically Underserved Farmers and Ranchers (2MB)
White House
- White House Equity Agenda
- White House Equity News
- FACT SHEET: How President Biden’s Build Back Better Agenda Helps Black Communities
- Executive Order on White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through Historically black Colleges and Universities
- A Proclamation on National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week, 2021
- Executive Order on White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics
- Government-Wide Strategic Plan
- White House Blog: Meeting a Milestone
- Budget Fact Sheets
Office of Management and Budget (OMB)