Defining a Socially Disadvantaged Farmer or Rancher (SDFR): In Brief

A socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher (SDFR) refers to a farmer or rancher who is a member of a group whose members have been subjected to racial or ethnic discrimination (7 U.S.C. §2279) and in some cases racial, ethnic, or gender discrimination (7 U.S.C. §2003). Which of these two SDFR definitions applies varies among U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) farm programs. Analysis of 2017 Census of Agriculture data by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) indicate that SDFRs (including women regardless of race and ethnicity) accounted for about 30% of all U.S. farms in 2017. Farms operated by SDFRs accounted for about 21% of all farmed acres and about 13% of the value of all agricultural sales. Other data from USDA indicate that SDFRs excluding non-Hispanic White women accounted for about 9% of all farms, 10% of all farmed acres, and 8% of sales. SUPPRESS