IL HR0046

Illinois had 892 Black farmers in 1920 owning 14% of the nation's farmland, but as of the 2017 USDA Census only 188 individually Black-owned farms exist covering 40,412 acres out of 116,417 total agricultural producers in the state.

The decline of Black farmers stems from historical racial discrimination including unequal USDA loan approvals, delayed financing, withheld payments, and unequal market prices for crops as recently as the mid-1990s.

Urges the Illinois Department of Agriculture to study the effects and types of land loss experienced by Black farmers from post-slavery to the present.

Calls for state support and capacity building for Black farming communities across Illinois and expansion of agriculture in rural, urban, and suburban areas to address food access and economic resilience in vulnerable communities.

Recognizes Black farmers' potential role in developing local healthy food systems and creating regional networks of jobs, food, and opportunities.