According to a media report, the US Department of Agriculture's Equity Commission has proposed over 70 suggestions to enhance equity and combat discriminatory practices at the USDA.
According to a copy of the report acquired by CNN, the US Department of Agriculture's Equity Commission made over seventy suggestions on Thursday that the department hopes will "further advance equity at USDA" and assist in eradicating long-standing discriminatory practices.
The commission sought to stop the continuation of any and all discriminatory and unfair USDA systems, operations, policies, and actions, according to its final report.
It is one of many steps the USDA has recently taken to address discrimination within the organization, such as providing debt relief to thousands of farmers with financial difficulties. Applications for financial compensation of up to $500,000 have also been accepted for farmers who have experienced discrimination through its loan schemes.
During the USDA's National Equity Summit, the commission chairs formally presented their recommendations to the agency's leadership. The suggestions, according to a statement from Arturo Rodriguez, co-chair of the Equity Commission, "reflect the breadth and depth of the Commission's background and the communities they represent."
The 15-member panel and members of two subcommittees on rural community economic development and agriculture wrote the report to end long-standing discrimination against farmers of color. Two years ago, the commission started looking into USDA policies and programs for elements that may have contributed to historical discrimination.
