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Indian country pushes for bigger voice in ag
Story Date: 1/19/2018
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Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 1/18/18
Native American farmers and ranchers should be further involved in USDA decision-making, advocates said during a Senate Indian Affairs Committee oversight hearing on Wednesday. With the 2018 farm bill on the horizon, American Indian farmers want more resources and a louder voice - and USDA could step in.
"USDA's authorities are the most powerful way tribal governments, tribal citizens, native farmers and ranchers can achieve success," said Janie Simms Hipp, director of the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative at the University of Arkansas. "In the past, I think USDA could've done a better job. But I think now we are poised to have a full partner with USDA."
USDA/EPA difference: Hipp said that USDA should view Indian tribes the same way it acts with states, which the Environmental Protection Agency has done for decades. Several federal environmental laws - including the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act - provide Indian tribes essentially equal treatment as states.
What are some of the asks? More than 30 tribes have joined the Native Farm Bill Coalition to help shed a light on tribal interests - which range from more credit availability to increased access and eligibility for USDA programs. The group also wants tribes to have the authority to take over SNAP administration and have a presence in all Foreign Agricultural Service trade missions.
By the numbers: There are almost 60,000 Indian farmers and ranchers in the U.S., according to the 2012 USDA agriculture census. By all accounts, that number has steadily increased in recent years as Indian farm operators seek out new opportunities in agribusiness. Later today, Sens. John Hoeven and Tom Udall will host a roundtable on how Congress and USDA can help expand access to foods traditionally grown by tribes.
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