Date & Time: Morning of Wednesday, March 1, 2023 

Location: Virtual, Please Register Here  

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) can live up to President Lincoln’s description of it as the “People’s Department” only if it ensures that the Americans who need its services most receive them. Equity is not an add-on or extra; it is central to the Department’s mission.

Today, USDA’s Equity Commission presented its 2023 Interim Report to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The Commission is composed of independent members from diverse backgrounds; it has been working for a year to identify improvements to USDA programs, policies, systems, and practices to lower barriers to access and address systemic discrimination and racial, economic, health, and social disparities. The Commission’s report and USDA’s response can be accessed at usda.gov/equity, where USDA will continue to share updates on its progress.

Join a briefing on the Equity Commission interim report and USDA’s equity efforts broadly. Secretary Vilsack and several USDA officials will update the public on steps USDA is taking under Secretary Vilsack’s direction to improve equity and eliminate disparate barriers to its programs, including:

• The Equity Commission’s recommendations
• Progress under Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Section 22006 to help distressed farm loan borrowers, and under Section 22007 to establish a program to provide financial assistance to farm loan borrowers who experienced discrimination.
• Equity action planning across the Department.

Please remember to register beforehand and submit any questions you may have by midnight on Tuesday, February 28.