Black farmers face a multitude of problems due to systematic oppression and financial discrimination; urban farms often lack infrastructure and adequate sustainable solutions to the harsh realities of food Apartheid in many black communities. Growing food in our communities allows us to spread knowledge to younger generations as well as feed the community nutritious food which is non-processed and is free from pesticides. Unfortunately, many barriers are restricting black farmers from finding success in the agricultural field.
The historical exclusion of black farmers from the agricultural sector is deep rooted within the systematic oppression of people of color from government and bank services. These government and financial institutions would often neglect black farmers and deny or delay requests for subsidies by the farmers for loans. Financial discrimination is one of the many factors that have decreased the number of black farmers working for themselves. It is time for people of color to stop relying on the government for help. Historically the government has never worked towards the benefit of black communities. The time for communities of color to start building our own farming economies through urban farming practice, upon us.
After slavery, it was taught from generation to generation to never plant again but you have to look beyond that if you are to feed the community and provide an education for the younger generations on sustainable urban farming practices. Farming is a tool for education and healthy living in our neighborhoods. If you do not show children how food affects the body, they will eat whatever is presented to them, junk foods such as McDonald’s, Coca-Cola and other processed food companies have a larger appeal than organic fruit and vegetables due to less awareness of eating habits in our communities. This is the reason that we must promote healthy living amongst children, teenagers, and older generations.
With such a high rate of obesity globally and a large percentage of malnutrition, the problem and the solution are in our food. There is no in-between and for this reason, we have to look into supporting subsistence urban farming as well as large scale farming techniques in black communities. Often municipalities have vacant lots which can be used for communal farming. Growing our own produce allows us to meet people where they live, know what they need and change their unhealthy eating habits for a longer and healthier lifestyle. Commercial stores often ship food from long distances which reduces freshness and contributes to pollution. Local black farming can reduce these problems whilst benefiting the community at large, it is a win-win for our health and our planet. 90% of farms produce commodity crops used to make processed foods.
People of color often do not trust healthcare providers as in the past the medical community has instilled distrust in black people through experimentation and discrimination. Coincidently black people are more prone to diseases such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and various others and are more likely to die sooner than their white counterparts. Whether you are for or against the medical community one thing is clear we need to find a healthier path through life. One thing is for sure, prevention is better than cure therefore we must educate our black brothers and sisters on healthy food eating habits. As well as to de-stigmatize food banks as this will allow people who need meals access to locally grown pesticide-free food.
Legislation often restricts black people from succeeding in farming, such legislation includes delayed land reform and correct land ownership. These problems can be a huge obstacle for black farmers, for example in South Africa and Zimbabwe where a large majority of the land still belongs to the descendants of colonial and Apartheid Boer farmers. Delaying land claims for rightful owners has constrained black people to the will of the government and white farmers. Elsewhere in the world black farmers struggle in getting loan agreements compared to white farmers, this is due to black people often being viewed as financially unstable by banks. In addition to these problems’ black farmers who already own farms often find themselves with a lack of capital to continue operations, at this moment they often find them having to sell to establish white owners. Some farmers invest in communal farming but when that does not work out financially a white owner will often buy the farm and hire the local farmers, often paying them peanuts in return for the labor. A form of Neo-slavery.
Nowadays more privileged communities prefer to focus on the growing food trends in stores including cutting down on GMO’s and purchasing food grown within the country, but we must focus on the problem of food Apartheid before we can follow the trends of other communities. Black people need to take control of their communities through sustainable living, which starts with the food we consume.
