2021 in Review: How We Took Action in a Critical Year

For decades, corporate interests have been gaining control over the food and farm system, transforming it into something that squeezes farmers, rural communities, and food workers for excessive profit — rather than a system that generates a living wage for those delivering nutritious, affordable food to consumers. Although this process was facilitated by government policies, the American public has remained largely unaware, deceived by corporate PR campaigns and the illusion of choice on grocery store shelves.

The COVID-19 pandemic shattered these illusions: producers and consumers were left out in the cold while the breakdown of our food supply exposed dramatic flaws in the way we treat farmers, workers, and animals. This crisis prompted the public to call for big systemic change in the food system.

And so in 2021, we channeled this newfound awareness into opportunities to create a food system that respects our land, natural resources, and neighbors here and around the world. Below, we pull back the curtain to reveal our ongoing strategy to dismantle industrial agriculture and shift power into the hands of individuals all along the food supply chain. Read on!

EDUCATING AND ENERGIZING THE MOVEMENT

The fair food movement needs a groundswell of informed support to make transformational change. And so in 2021 we met a growing public interest in the food system with increased awareness and education initiatives, connecting the dots and providing pathways to make change.

  • To amplify our call for change, we successfully placed our research, advocacy, and policy recommendations in big Hill-facing publications, community-based papers, and ag-focused journals. Our thought leadership paid off and we achieved an astounding 500 press hits in 365 days, with over 1.5 billion views of our coverage. Some highlights include: Reuters and Wall Street Journal coverage of our call for the DOJ to investigate the fertilizer industry, stories from the New York Times and Meatingplace about our actions to expose labeling fraud, and a Newsweek piece exposing the barriers young farmers face in a corporate-controlled system. See more of our great media coverage on our website.

PRESSURE'S ON THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION

2021 opened with ample opportunities to make inroads with a brand-new Presidential administration and the agencies that regulate agricultural sectors.

Laying the Foundation

Early Successes

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TURNING CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS INTO FARM CHAMPIONS

The Farm Action team’s research and policy expertise have earned the respect of key members of the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, and we are frequently called upon to brief Congressional staff on food and agriculture policy. For instance, Senator Booker, Chair of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research, publicly credits us for teaching him about the impacts of corporate consolidation on farmers and ranchers, and spurring him into action for fair market competition and healthy local and regional food systems.

Our trustworthy reputation helps our message resonate with policymakers from both sides of the aisle, where it can more successfully counter the world’s most powerful corporations and their lobbyists in Washington, D.C.

Laying the Foundation

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  • At our November 2021 virtual Fly-In, we introduced policymakers to the four pillars of change necessary to achieve a Fair Farm Bill: Food, Not Feed; Justice for All; Build Local, Eat Local; and Conservation and Regeneration.

Early Successes

  • Urgent requests from Farm Action and our allies yielded historic Agriculture Committee hearings on livestock and meatpacking in both the House and Senate this summer, giving our colleague Dr. Mary Hendrickson an opportunity to testify on corporate concentration.
  • Our advocacy efforts ensured that fair and just policies were included in legislation that became law in 2021. The American Rescue plan contained serious investments to address resilience in the food chain, and also confronted historic discrimination in our food system by creating an Equity Commission and supplying historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and Native American tribally-controlled colleges and universities (TCUs) with additional resources to work on issues like land loss and the next generation of BIPOC farmers and ranchers. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act substantially invested in rural communities, such as $65 billion dedicated to expanding internet access across the country.

WHAT'S NEXT?

With a skilled and expanding team of staff and volunteers working diligently toward our goals, in 2022 we’ll advance our carefully-crafted strategy. 

  • We’ll continue to spread our message across the nation, energizing the public and building support for our movement.
  • With our Fair Farm Bill campaign, we’ll continue leading the charge for transformational shifts in our food and farm policy.
  • We’ll keep the Biden Administration’s feet to the fire to ensure they deliver on the commitments outlined in the Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy.

GET INVOLVED!

We hope you’ll consider one of the many ways to lend your support to our movement. 

  • Sign up for our newsletter and action alerts. We send our subscribers only the most important breaking news and meaningful opportunities to break up Big Ag.
  • Donate to support our work. Our work is dependent upon individual donations to support our small but mighty team.
  • Volunteer to become a Farm Action Local Leader. Our new cross-country network will meet every other month and deploy targeted campaigns at the local, state, and national levels.
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