Independent farmers want fair relief aid

Several farm groups have banded together to ask Congress to make sure coronavirus relief funding reaches independent farmers, not huge agribusinesses.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is causing enormous disruption and harm to the nation’s family farmers and rural communities. The recent federal aid packages, and the fourth bill that is under consideration, are important steps toward responding to this crisis,” the groups wrote in a letter. However, they added, “we want to ensure that the public money allocated through these aid packages actually makes it to people and the rural communities they live and work in, not multinational corporations that are, in some cases, reporting record profits.”

The recent Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) allocated an additional $14 billion to the Commodity Credit Corporation and $9.5 billion to go directly to farmers selling into local markets, specialty crop, and livestock and dairy producers. But the law didn’t stipulate how the U.S. Department of Agriculture should distribute that money. After recent issues with trade aid, “we have deep concerns that these resources won’t get to those who need it the most.”

Congress should ensure fair distribution by prohibiting new public funding for concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and multinational companies, the groups say. They also offer suggestions for the next aid bill.

The coalition of signers included several state and national organizations.