February 26, 2020 – The Sustainable Food Policy Alliance (SFPA), including members Danone North America, Mars, Incorporated, Nestlé USA, and Unilever United States, wrote a letter to congressional leaders urging them to include provisions in the American Rescue Plan COVID-19 relief package that provide resources for and take important steps to address historic and ongoing discrimination against farmers of color.

Specifically, SFPA is supportive of provisions in Senator Raphael Warnock’s (D-GA) Emergency Relief for Farmers of Color Act that were included in the Agriculture Title of the COVID-19 relief package passed by the House Agriculture Committee earlier this month. Those provisions include direct assistance to socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers to help pay off U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) farm loan debt, appropriations to fund USDA programs to provide essential technical and legal assistance to communities of color, and other efforts to root out discrimination across the department, down to the local jurisdiction level. It is important this language remains in the Senate bill and is not removed during budget reconciliation negotiations.

Read the full letter here.

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About the Sustainable Food Policy Alliance
The Sustainable Food Policy Alliance seeks to accelerate the pace of change in the food industry through individual company leadership and collective support for public policies that raise the bar and inspire further action in this critical journey. As some of the world’s best-known food companies, founding members Danone North America, Mars, Incorporated, Nestlé USA, and Unilever United States recognize our responsibility to drive positive change for the people who use our products, the people who supply them, and the planet on which we all rely. To learn more about the Sustainable Food Policy Alliance, visit www.foodpolicyalliance.org.