MN ag group, promoting local food systems, sues feds over canceled grant

Farm-linked organizations, including one from Minnesota, are ratcheting up legal pressure over canceled federal grants, saying projects designed to create a fair and sustainable food production system are being shortchanged.

The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy is part of a newly filed lawsuit which argued the U.S. Department of Agriculture under the Trump administration unlawfully terminated a host of grants.

Erin McKee, program director of community food systems at the institute, said its funding was for an outreach project to elevate the voices of people in agricultural systems often shut out of farm program decisions. The grant was for two years and McKee noted they were close to finalizing materials when the termination notice came.

“We feel like this is rolling back a lot of progress towards a fairer food system,” McKee asserted.

McKee pointed out being stopped short of the finish line means the development of ag programs will suffer because they will not have input from small to mid-sized farmers, food shelf operators, conservation leaders and others. The USDA said the grants went to programs promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion and were no longer consistent with department priorities.

McKee noted her team was surprised by the grant termination because the work they’re doing actually supports part of the vision under the new administration.

“Maximizing and promoting American agriculture, ensuring a safe, nutritious and secure food supply, and enhancing rural prosperity,” McKee outlined. “Our program really aligns with those goals.”

Other plaintiffs in the lawsuit include the groups FarmSTAND, Earthjustice and the Farmers Justice Center. It follows a flurry of legal action from earlier this year when the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency began canceling around 15,000 grants.