HR0726 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0726 LRB104 21123 ECR 35391 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Farming as a family-owned and independent business has been an important part of the social and economic development of Illinois and the United States; and

WHEREAS, Black farmers in America have had a long struggle to own land and operate independently; for more than a century after emancipation and the ratification of the 13th Amendment that abolished slavery, various economic and social barriers were discriminatorily applied toward Black farmers, and the few existing civil rights laws were rarely enforced; and

WHEREAS, Many foundational agricultural techniques used in the United States today were developed or refined through the knowledge and labor of enslaved Africans, who brought with them sophisticated farming traditions from West and Central Africa, including expertise in rice cultivation, crop rotation, seed selection, irrigation, and soil stewardship that helped shape American agricultural systems; and

WHEREAS, Pembroke Township in Kankakee County, founded by self-emancipated formerly enslaved people, developed into one of the largest historic Black rural farming communities in the Northern United States, where generations of Black farmers pursued land ownership and agricultural independence and established a lasting legacy of agricultural stewardship in Illinois; and

WHEREAS, In 1920, there were approximately 892 Black farmers in Illinois, and African Americans owned approximately 14% of the nation's farmland; and

WHEREAS, Despite Illinois having nearly 27 million acres of farmland, Black farmers today operate less than 1% of that land, reflecting the long-term decline in Black land ownership and participation in agriculture over the past century; and

WHEREAS, Over the last century, Black land ownership has declined dramatically nationwide, with Black farmers losing an estimated 90% of their farmland since its peak in the early 20th century; and

WHEREAS, According to the United States Department of Agriculture's 2017 Census of Agriculture, Illinois had 188 individually Black-owned farms, covering approximately 40,412 acres, and out of 116,417 agricultural producers statewide, only 267 were Black; and

WHEREAS, According to the 2022 Census of Agriculture, Black producers in Illinois represented well under 1% of all agricultural producers in the State, and Black-operated farmland accounted for less than 1% of the State's nearly 27 million agricultural acres; and

WHEREAS, As farming has become a large-scale, capital-intensive industry, it has become one of the least diverse business sectors in the State, and pressures of consolidation, rising land values, limited access to credit, heirs' property challenges, and inequitable program access have disproportionately reduced the ranks of Black family and independent farmers; and

WHEREAS, In a landmark legal settlement, the United States Department of Agriculture acknowledged decades of discriminatory lending practices toward Black farmers, including delayed loans, denied financing, and inequitable access to federal programs; and

WHEREAS, Illinois has created regulatory frameworks for both industrial hemp and adult-use cannabis cultivation, and the State has expressed a commitment to social equity and the inclusion of communities historically harmed by prohibition; and

WHEREAS, Expanding equitable access to land, capital, and agricultural markets, including emerging specialty crop sectors creates new opportunities for Black farmers and growers to build generational wealth and participate more fully in Illinois' evolving agricultural economy; and

WHEREAS, Illinois has increasingly recognized the importance of expanding opportunities for emerging farmers and socially disadvantaged producers, including those participating in specialty crop sectors such as industrial hemp and cannabis cultivation, as part of a broader effort to build a more equitable and resilient agricultural economy; and

WHEREAS, Black farmers and growers in Illinois today are leading innovation in urban agriculture, specialty crop production, regenerative farming practices, hemp and cannabis cultivation, vertical production systems, and local food distribution networks; in Chicago alone, more than 800 community gardens and urban farms operate across the city, with many being stewarded by Black growers and community organizations working to strengthen local food systems and improve food access in underserved communities; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare May 3 through May 9, 2026 as Black Farmers and Growers Week in the State of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage the people of Illinois and their representatives in government to learn about the history of Black farming communities and the contributions made by African Americans to agriculture in the United States; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we further encourage State agencies and policymakers to ensure that agricultural programs intended to support farmers are implemented in a manner that meaningfully reaches Black farmers and growers across Illinois, including emerging, limited-resource, and socially disadvantaged producers, and that outreach and program participation extend broadly throughout the State's Black farming communities; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the Governor of the State of Illinois, the Lieutenant Governor of the State of Illinois, the Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture, the National Black Farmers Association, and the National Black Food & Justice Alliance.