Learn About the U.S. > Work and Workplaces in the U.S. > Agriculture > Minorities as Farm Operators

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Agriculture
- Farm efficiency in the United States
- Who Farms in the United States?
- Growth of Large Corporate Farming
- Minorities as Farm Operators
- Agricultural Subsidies
- Food for Peace Program
- Major Crops in the United States
- Major U.S. Crops: Corn
- Major U.S. Crops: Soybeans
- Major U.S. Crops: Wheat
- Major U.S. Crops: Cotton
- Planting and Harvesting Cotton
- Major U.S. Crops: Rice
- How Rice Is Grown in the United States
- Dairy Farming in the United States
- Cheese Production in the United States
- Poultry and Meat Production in the United States
- Raising Cattle for Beef
- Factory Farming
- Farm Mechanization in the United States
- Biotechnology and Farming in the United States
- Organic Farming in the United States
- Farm Aid
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Two African American farmers with a John Deere tractor.
Photo Courtesy of the United States Department of Agriculture.
Minorities as Farm Operators
The number of African-American farmers has declined at a rate three times greater than that of white farmers. African-Americans now make up less than 1% of the nation’s farmers. For years, African-American farmers said that discrimination against them in loan programs by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) was a major reason for the disappearance of African-American farmers. Without easy access to the low interest government farm loans that white farmers received, many African-American farmers were forced out of business. In 1997, African American farmers filed a class action lawsuit against the USDA demanding compensation from the government. The USDA admitted that there had been discrimination against African-American farmers and offered them cash payments and remission of any loans they had. Click on PICTURES below to see a photo of an African American man tending his crops. Click on CHARTS and MAPS below for additional information about minority farm workers.
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Special Terms:
minority
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African American
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loan programs
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class action lawsuit
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