SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGE FARMER

ISSUE:

The definition of a socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher for Natural Resource

Conservation Service (NRCS) funding is inconsistent with the definition of a socially

disadvantaged farmer or rancher for the Farm Service Agency (FSA). The NRCS definition

leaves out women.

AMERICAN AGRI-WOMEN REQUEST:

American Agri-Women (AAW) requeststhat NRCS adopts the same definition for a socially

disadvantaged farmer as FSA and include women under the social disadvantage

definition.

BACKGROUND:

The NRCS definition of a social disadvantage farmer or rancher does not include women

Disadvantaged

For an entity, at least 50%

ownership in the business

must be held by SD

individuals, with the

exception of NASS

calculations (see details to

the right).

NRCS

A member of a group

whose members have

been subjected to racial

or ethnic prejudice

because of their identity

as members of that

group without regard to

their individual qualities.

Includes the following

groups:

• American Indians or

Alaskan Natives

• Asians

• Blacks or African

Americans

• Native Hawaiians or

other Pacific Islanders

• Hispanics

FSA, RMA, ERS, and NASS

A member of a group whose

members have been

subjected to racial, ethnic,

or gender prejudice because

of their identity as members

of that group without regard

to their individual qualities.

Includes the following

groups:

• American Indians or

Alaskan Natives

• Asians

• Blacks or African Americans

• Native Hawaiians or other

Pacific Islanders

• Hispanics

• Women