Michigan Farmers of Color and the Future of Sustainable Food Systems

Racial and ethnic disparities in agriculture and the food system experienced by farmers of color (FoC) in the United States stem from an exploitative and racialized agricultural system. Sustainable agriculture with a strong orientation toward racial justice can serve as a policy tool for building more racial equity and transforming our racialized food system by ensuring that the resources necessary to participate and contribute to a sustainable food system are accessible to everyone, not just those with significant power and resources. This report recommends the creation of an incentivized farm program as a way to address agrarian racial and ethnic disparities experienced by FoC and advance an equitable and just sustainable food system within the state of Michigan.