Statement of Todd Van Hoose, President and CEO, Farm Credit Council
The events of the past few weeks sharply demonstrate the need for all Americans to recognize and reflect on the discrimination and racism in our society that creates hardship and blocks opportunity for many of our fellow citizens, especially Black Americans.
We condemn racism. We also realize that it’s not enough to simply say that. We recognize that we have much to learn, and we are committed to listening. Farm Credit, as a mission-driven system of cooperative lending institutions established to support rural communities and agriculture, can be instrumental in creating more opportunities for Black Americans and other people of color.
Supporting people of color in agriculture and rural communities is an integral part of our mission, and we reaffirm our commitment to that mission. We believe strongly in the future of American agriculture and people of color are a critical part of that future.
At the national level, we partner with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), the Congressional HBCU Caucus, Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS), and other organizations that are helping guide our efforts to support people of color in agriculture and rural communities. We desire to do more. To that end, we are actively looking for additional partners to help us identify ways to foster a more equitable and inclusive agricultural industry. We commit to taking intentional and purposeful action.