“The reason why this farm bill is so important, and access to land is so important, is because when you have land, you have power. Without land, we cannot continue to feed each other,” says Brielle Wright, a young farmer and Land Advocacy Fellow with the National Young Farmers Coalition from Clayton, North Carolina.
With almost half of U.S. farmland at risk of leaving agriculture in the next two decades, Brielle and thousands of other young farmers across the country are joining forces to demand that Congress enact a 2023 Farm Bill that meaningfully addresses the land access crisis facing the future of agriculture.
It is a common myth that there just aren’t enough young people who want to take on farming as their livelihood. In fact, there is a new generation of young farmers and young farmers of color who are motivated by environmental regeneration, social justice, and community support who desperately want to build careers in farming. Yet today, these next-generation farmers are faced with often insurmountable barriers that prevent them from breaking into, and staying in, agriculture. At the top of the list of barriers is secure access to land.
Access to affordable land to buy is the number one challenge reported by farmers under 40 years old according to a 2022 survey by the National Young Farmers Coalition of over 10,000 young and Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) farmers across the country, and the number one reason young farmers are leaving agriculture. This is a startling fact given that the power of agriculture rests in the hands of the next generation of farmers, growers, and land stewards. Agriculture plays a vital role in the United States economy, ecology, and culture, and impacts each of us every day.
In the face of this challenge, young farmers are coming together to build a multiracial, intergenerational movement for equitable land access. A movement that lifts the stories and shared struggle of young farmers and calls on allies to take action. In service of that mission, the National Young Farmers Coalition and Chipotle have partnered to advance the One Million Acres for the Future campaign, which calls on Congress to make a historic investment in equitable access to land for future generations through the 2023 Farm Bill.
The 2023 Farm Bill is a pivotal moment in our fight to make farmland transition more attainable and equitable so that the next generation of farmers can steward agricultural land and grow food for our communities into the future. Land is a foundational and interconnected challenge. Ensuring farmers have secure access to land means not only investing in community-driven land access projects, but addressing the climate crisis, facilitating farm transition, and providing support to young farmers and ranchers so they can access credit, find markets, and strengthen their operations.
Don't miss a beat sign up for a FREE month of Agri-Pulse news! The latest on what’s happening in Washington, D.C. and around the country in agriculture, just click here.
On June 9, Young Farmers partnered with Representatives Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13), Zach Nunn (R-IA-03), Joe Courtney (D-CT-02), and Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07) to introduce a new marker bill, the Increasing Land Access, Security, and Opportunities Act (H.R. 3955, S.2340), which would authorize $100 million in funding each year over the next five-years for community-led land access solutions through the next farm bill, which is slated to pass at the end of 2023. And on July 20, Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) introduced the Increasing Land Access, Security, and Opportunities Act in the Senate. This bill is a critical and historic step towards addressing the land access crisis facing the next generation of farmers, but we need to mobilize to ensure it is passed into law and fully funded.
Thousands of young farmers across the country are calling for action to address the land access crisis, but we need organizations, corporations, and community groups to join in and add their voice to this critical issue. The best way to do this is by signing on to our letter asking Congress to support land access policy efforts that will serve the next generation. With farm bill negotiations underway, the ground for policy change is fertile. Congress must not miss this chance to lock in the resources, the programs, and the opportunities our farmers and our food system need to successfully navigate this time of transition.
Chipotle and several other partners have already stepped up to join us in demanding change. Other organizations and corporate partners that want to join us in supporting equitable land access for the next generation can sign on to our letter to Congress here. To learn more about our campaign for equitable land access investment from Congress and to get involved, visit our website.
Holly Rippon-Butler is the Land Policy Director for the National Young Farmers Coalition where she develops policy, meets with elected officials, and collaborates with partner organizations to advocate for equitable land policy change at the federal level.
For more ag news and opinions, visit Agri-Pulse.com.