Farmers, and the rural communities that depend on them, are in crisis, and have been for a long time. Median net farm yearly income for US farmers in 2020 is projected to be negative 1,840 dollars, an estimate made even before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the food supply chain. Farm debt is at an all-time high, causing more than 10,000 farms to close each year and raising fears that small farms are “nearing extinction.” The suicide rate among farmers is higher than for any other occupation, compelling dairy cooperatives to include numbers for suicide prevention hotlines when sending dairy checks. Overproduction and low prices are driving farms out of business. Unchecked consolidation among crop and livestock industries has further driven down farm income while funneling money out of rural communities. Additionally, farmers, farm workers, and rural communities experience disproportionate health impacts from industrial agriculture, including exposure to toxic pesticides and hazardous pollution from factory farms, all while facing declining access to healthcare facilities.
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