Tierra, tractores y tiendas (Land, Tractors, Markets): The relationship among food security, beginning farmer programs and small-scale Latino farmers

In 2008, farm bill programs targeting beginning farmers aimed to undo some of the institutionalized discrimination found in the food and farming system. This discrimination has benefited the majority Caucasian male population, and increased the inequality gap for African American, Latino, Native American, Asian, and women farmers. This session will outline aspects of the farm bill beginning farmer programs that are working for marginalized communities, program features that could be improved or added, and ways to build community engagement around these issues. While the links between supporting beginning farmers and improving health are not always evident, addressing disparities via farm bill programs can reduce food insecurity in communities. According to the USDA, 17.2 million (14.5%) households were food insecure in 2010. This figure can be a proxy indicator of health status and well-being. It is associated with poverty, social and racial segregation, ill health, poor dietary intake, and limited social capital. A community's food security status is determined by the availability, accessibility, acceptability of food, and the community's level of self-efficacy. These tend to be lower in many rural areas and immigrant communities. Despite some recent opportunities for minority small farmers via programs like those mentioned above, these farmers still face an array of challenges such as access to culturally appropriate educational tools, lack of adequate access to loans, and lack of active Latino leadership in the planning, implementation, and evaluation stages of these programs. Stronger farm bill programs to support historically disadvantaged communities could have significant positive health impacts.