Plight of Black Farmers in the Context of USDA Farm Loan Programs: A Research Agenda for the Future

Black farmers remain an underdeveloped topic in academic literature. This historical study used a historical research methodology to assess the plight of Black farmers in the context of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) farm loan programs and offered an array of future research recommendations. We investigated the severity of the plight of Black farmers in the context of USDA farm loan programs with an emphasis on effective and responsive leadership in relation to four elements: 1) legislative initiatives, 2) policy initiatives, 3) USDA structure and delivery systems, and the 4) Pigford v. Glickman class action and consent decree. We identified research and development recommendations for the future, such as interviews to determine the perceptions of Black farmers pertaining to the current accessibility of USDA loans. This research agenda may better assist both scholars and advocates in supporting the steady rise of Black farmers in the U.S