What does equity in agriculture matter?

By Jean Lam, September 1, 2022

Without everyone seated at the table, feeding, clothing, and fueling a world of 7 billion will be impossible. Creating a sense of belonging falls to farmers and ranchers.

The COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2020 revealed many unspoken truths about society in the United States — truths that many marginalized peoples have long known. The pandemic caused us to look inward and re-evaluate our place and sense of belonging. A sense of disconnectedness and social isolation was common for many, which often led to an environment of disempowerment, a feeling new to most.

Among these realizations was a great reconciliation concerning our understanding of work; it seems that we are moving beyond our traditional understanding of “work.”

Even in rural Oklahoma where speaking openly about emotions has not been the generational norm, today’s farmers and ranchers are increasingly willing to explore what their involvement in agriculture means to them. While the generational commitment to maintaining a legacy is a popular motivating force, the personal emotional fulfillment derived from growing and nurturing food and fiber for the world is becoming expressed more openly.

Without a doubt, there is an underlying commitment to individualism and self-reliance in agriculture and the rural way of life. This commitment is both a romanticized accolade to our lifestyle we wear with pride and also the unfortunate downfall of far too many. And yet despite our independence, our reliance on community is fundamental to the survival of agriculture and our role within; without consumers, our products are valueless. Without good neighbors, strong fences, and generous friends to fall back on, agriculture would be nearly impossible.

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