Archives of General

3 Key Takeaways from the Latest USDA Census of Agriculture

By Ashley Fent, Campaigns Researcher Producers of color face a farm economy that remains overwhelmingly white and is increasingly dominated by larger, fewer, and more industrialized farms, according to the 2022 Census of Agriculture, released in February 2024. Conducted every five years by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Ag Census is a […]
2 years ago

HEAL Statement on USDA Equity Commission’s Final Report

February 26, 2024: Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Equity Commission issued its final report of recommendations for the USDA to “address historic and current discrimination and promote equity.” The Commission’s report provides the USDA and Congress with a guide to righting past wrongs and ensuring it provides programs and services equitably to […]
2 years ago

Sovereignty & Resilience: HEAL’s Winter Update

Welcome to the HEAL Food Alliance quarterly newsletter! To stay up to date on what’s happening in the food and farm justice movement, subscribe now » Everywhere we look this winter, we see beautiful acts of resistance, community building and care. At HEAL we recognize that our sovereignty and liberation is interconnected. It will take […]
2 years ago

HEAL Statement on House Democratic Principles for the Next Farm Bill

February 8, 2024: On Wednesday, the House Agriculture Committee Democrats published a memo laying out the principles the next farm bill should include to win the support of the House Democratic Caucus. In response to the memo the HEAL Food Alliance issued the following statement: The HEAL (Health, Environment, Agriculture, Labor) Food Alliance is glad […]
2 years ago

Dysfunctional Congress Left American Farm Workers in Limbo

*note: This op-ed was originally published in the the Opinion section of the Messenger on October 18, 2023 Dysfunctional Congress Left American Farm Workers in Limbo By Jose Oliva and Sophie Ackoff Although Congress was able to make a deal this weekend and avoid a government shutdown, the 21.5 million people working in the food […]
2 years ago

Together We Thrive! HEAL’s 2023 Year in Review

Download “Together we Thrive” – HEAL’s 2023 End of Year Report! Everywhere we look, we see beautiful acts of resistance. Hundreds and thousands of people upending their own lives. Saying no genocide, yes to land back. We see poetry and prayer. Protests and possibility. People making meals for each other, giving each other car rides, […]
2 years ago

Bills, Bills, Bills: Nine pieces of legislation that could push the Farm Bill in the right direction

As part of the farm bill process, members of Congress introduce “marker bills” to try to get provisions included into the larger bill. We do not expect Congress to pass marker bills as standalone bills – they are often not politically feasible to pass on their own. But they do get people talking and help build momentum for policies that should be included in the larger (“omnibus”) bill. Marker bills are also an opportunity for advocacy, enabling community groups and legislators to work together to address issues that impact our food system and our lives. 
2 years ago

HEAL Statement of Opposition to Genocide

HEAL Statement of Opposition to Genocide HEAL is rooted in the understanding that stolen land, genocide, and the forced removal of peoples from their land is the foundation of today’s destructive U.S. food system. What we are witnessing in Palestine is a genocide that mirrors the brutal occupation of what is now the United States. […]
2 years ago

Climate Resilience: HEAL’s Summer Update

Welcome to the HEAL Food Alliance quarterly newsletter! To stay up to date on what’s happening in the food and farm justice movement, subscribe now » As we soak up the final weeks of summer, we are reflecting on the super bloom of our alliance’s collective work – from building climate resilience in our communities […]
2 years ago