The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that they will be terminating 145 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) focused awards. The cuts, amounting to a maximum savings of $148.6 Million include programs that will be terminated including programs that would: Educate and engage socially disadvantaged farmers on conservation practices; a program that would create a new model for urban forestry to lead to environmental justice through more equitably distributed green spaces; and a program that would expand equitable access to land, capital, and market opportunities for underserved producers in the Bay Area.
Secretary Rollins said, “Putting American Farmers First means cutting the millions of dollars that are being wasted on woke DEI propaganda. Under President Trump’s leadership, I am putting an end to the waste, fraud, and abuse that has diverted resources from American farmers and restoring sanity and fiscal stewardship to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.”
In a post on X, Secretary Rollins credited the DOGE team in making these cuts possible.
Dale Sandlin with Southeast AgNet reporting.