In the United States, socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, for the purposes of USDA outreach and assistance, are defined under the

1990 farm bill The Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade (FACT) Act of 1990 — P.L. 101-624 (November 28, 1990) was a 5-year omnibus farm bill that passed Congress and was signed into law. This bill, also known as the 1990 farm bill, continued to move ag ...

as members of a socially disadvantaged group, which is defined to mean those whose identity in a group has subjected them to racial or ethnic prejudice without regard to their individual identity. For the purposes of loan eligibility, section 355(e) of the

Con Act The Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act of 1972 or Con Act (P.L. 92-419) authorized a major expansion of USDA lending activities, which at the time were administered by Farmers Home Administration (FmHA). The legislation was originally en ...

(), adds gender to the definition of a socially disadvantaged group. In 2021 the definition garnered renewed attention due to the

American Rescue Plan The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, also called the COVID-19 Stimulus Package or American Rescue Plan, is a economic stimulus bill passed by the 117th United States Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11, 2021, to sp ...

References

* United States federal agriculture legislation {{US-law-stub