Inequality of Land-Grant faced by Indigenous
Agriculture has been a major source of the United States economy, however, the distribution inequity varies by race. The transition from hunters and gatherers to food production has started long before colonialism. Corn, cotton, potatoes, and tobacco were the first domesticated crops in North and South America by American Indians, which makes up over half of the value of America’s current crops. For hundreds of years, Indigenous Americas have practiced regenerative agriculture by rotating crops. The integration of pesticide and farming technology has negatively impacted the condition of the soil and overused water resources. The rise in desertification is influenced by modern agriculture practices. Small farmers were also negatively impacted due to their inability to afford the transition to modern agricultural practices. Contemporary agriculture has separated and allowed injustice that occurred with slavery, land theft, and contract servitude.
The article “Understanding agriculture… and farmers too!,” highlighted that farmers typically chose to farm for the ‘lifestyle’ rather than profits. Arguably, contemporary agriculture is an individualized and commodified resource. Whereas in an indigenous community, they view that some things cannot be commodified-- land, water, air, animals, and wellbeing of individuals. These are all viewed as collective resources and handled with collective and community management. The idea of exploitation has made settlers believe that they are at higher power to control and commodify natural resources. This is supported by Congress allocating yearly funding to offices. However, due to the lack of representations by agents in comparison to three extension agents for every county, tribal nations have to compete for the FRTEP funding. The Federally Recognized Tribes Extension Program (FRTEP) was created in 1990 to assist in funding. Unlike other county agents, FRTEP agents have to reapply for competitive federal grants every four years. The FRTEP funding is insufficient because the competitive grant cycle created ‘instability and inconsistency in marginalized, impoverished and underrepresented communities” according to the USDA.
Indian tribes are land-rich and lack economic opportunities, therefore agriculture provides a tool for financial stability. However in 1994, “only one Native American received a doctorate in agriculture science and Indian reservation encompassed 54.4 million acres of land, of which 75 percent is agricultural land and 15 percent forest”(Jones). The Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Indian Affairs has underserved Indian farmers, forcing tribal nations to seek alternatives for securing an agent such as through their tribal colleges or universities for separate funding. The lack of trusted agents has negatively impacted the economic success of Native-led farms. Despite “Native-led farms being twice the size of other farms in the U.S., their sales are three times smaller”(Zhorov). These statistics highlight the urgency for representation and revision of the FRTEP grant system. The majority of farms encompass less than 100 acres of land but their income is significantly supported by non-farm employment. In 2009, it was claimed that the bulk of agricultural production in the U.S. is from large farms. This statement raises a concern on which large farms contributed to these statistics if Native-led farms typically make three times less in sales.
In 2008, Secretary Ed Schafer created a new USDA office to assess carbon credit values. The creation of carbon offset credits has raised concerns about its implication on the agricultural and forestry industry. Both industries want to maximize the amount of money that they would be paid for sequestering carbon. However, it was argued that farmers and timber companies should not be paid for enacting what they’re supposed to do (planting crops and trees). Although this is a valid point, this approach will not help stimulate a national carbon market. The U.S. federal government has made the program for GHG emission reduction to be voluntary, which explains the slow progress to reduce carbon emissions and establishing a national market. Carbon sequestration can become another source of farm income. This can help address the lack of funding for tribal farmers and create a movement that centers on the health of the planet. The market-based approach is the most effective system to persuade industries to comply with a greener economy and sustainable practices. Crops being subsidies to advance trade agreements is only hurting the farmers because they are more dependent on other forms of government support. As demonstrated in the Hopi Reservation, the federal, state, and local government has underserved Native farmers and the community members are forced to allocate other forms of funding and resources.
The modern agricultural systems are unsustainable due to the uneven distribution of funding and diminish the quality of food and soil. The transition to traditional farming methods is necessary for the health of the planet and food supply. Since the interruption of colonial conquests and settlement, the production methods of indigenous farmers were shunned by western and settlers. Additionally, there has to be a revision in the FRTEP grant system and increased trusted representation of agents for tribal regions to assure equal opportunity despite systematic racism. The federal government has to mandate carbon offset credit to provide additional funding and push to meet the Paris Agreement and Kyoto Protocol.
Felicep Jan. 12, 2. (2009, January 12). Understanding agriculture...and farmers too! Retrieved February 14, 2021, from https://www.hcn.org/blogs/goat/understanding-agriculture.......and-farmers-too
Irina Zhorov April 1, 2. (2020, April 01). Agricultural extension agents HELP Farms succeed. but in indian country, they're scarce. Retrieved February 14, 2021, from https://www.hcn.org/issues/52.4/indigenous-affairs-agriculture-agricultural-extension-agents-help-farms-succeed-but-in-indian-country-theyre-scarce
Lisa Jones Nov. 11, 1. (1996, November 11). Agriculture, education key to indian prosperity. Retrieved February 14, 2021, from https://www.hcn.org/issues/93/2890
