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Advocates push for agriculture equity commission as farmland shrinks and BIPOC farmers remain underrepresented
Summary
At a joint hearing, advocates for H11/S53 and related bills urged the Joint Committee on Agriculture to create a commission to collect data and recommend policy to address farmland loss, economic strain on farmers and systemic barriers faced by BIPOC and immigrant growers.
Joint committee leaders and more than a dozen witnesses told the Joint Committee on Agriculture on Wednesday that a new state commission and related policies are needed to address farmland loss, rising costs and persistent racial and immigrant‑status barriers in Massachusetts agriculture.
The hearing focused on H11/S53, a resolve promoting equity in agriculture, alongside companion and related bills including H130/S52 (membership updates to the Massachusetts Food Policy Council) and bills to address climate impacts on farms. Advocates said these measures would create the data, representation and targeted investments needed to support underserved farmers.
The issue matters because farmland is shrinking and remaining acreage is expensive: "In a period roughly spanning the twentieth century, 80% of Massachusetts consisted of farmland. Today, we’re about 9% farmland," said Becca Miller, policy director for the…
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