The National Family Farm Coalition, Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund, and American University Center for Environment, Community & Equity hosted the second webinar in the Disparity to Parity series on Thursday, June 24.
The divisions between rich and poor, rural and urban, BIPOC and White, landed and landless, Main Street and Wall Street look as wide today in the U.S. as they have ever been. To understand the depths, causes and remedies of this situation, a diverse group of farmers, activists and scholars began exploring the notion of parity and supply management together nearly two years ago. That journey has led to an array of essays, videos and conversations on parity, and how the lives of everyone involved in the food system would be changed with true parity and social peace.
In recognition of Juneteenth and the disparities and racism experienced by diverse communities throughout the U.S. and the world, a panel of esteemed guests will look more closely at the history of parity and what parity has meant to different sectors of the food and farm system.
Guest speakers include:
- Raj Patel – Research Professor at LBJ School of Public Affairs, University of Texas-Austin, facilitating the discussion
- Brenda Cochran – Dairy farmer, American Raw Milk Producers Pricing Association and Farm Women United representative (PA)
- Burkett – Diversified farmer, Indian Springs Farmers Association director, and Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund representative
- Brad Wilson – Iowa farmer and farm justice historian
- Bill Winders – Professor of History, Ivan College of Liberal Arts, Georgia Institute of Technology
With deep gratitude to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color growers and harvesters of food who continue to teach what true parity should be. We also appreciate and stand in solidarity with the Indian farmers fighting for parity in protest of governments and a neoliberal, pro-corporate, free-trade system that seek to diminish their lives and livelihoods.