Partnerships with trusted technical assistance providers to ensure that underserved producers and communities have the support they need to access USDA programs. For farm programs, this includes improved assistance and capacity for the skills involved in successful farm management, such as business planning, market development, financial knowledge, and others. For rural communities, the strategy is to help communities build the futures they envision, assisting them to navigate and access programs from across the federal government and other providers, secure technical assistance, and develop local capacity. Equity takes a willingness to speak up and find solutions when resources aren’t reaching people who need it most,” said Deputy Secretary Torres Small. “The Equity Commission is doing the hard work of identifying ways USDA can best support farmers, farm workers, and a food system that serves us all. I am honored to work with the Commission and its Agriculture and Rural Community Economic Development Subcommittees to build a legacy at USDA that will benefit people across our country for generations to come.”

The Equity Commission is co-chaired by Ambassador Ertharin Cousin and United Farm Workers President Emeritus Arturo S. Rodríguez. Prior to March 2023, the Commission was co-chaired by former USDA Deputy Secretary Dr. Jewel Bronaugh and Rodríguez. It is comprised of 13 additional members, appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture, who are not USDA employees but who have a shared commitment to ensure USDA is a diverse, equitable, inclusive and accessible organization that upholds its commitment to civil rights and effectively advances racial justice and equity. The Equity Commission works in partnership with two subcommittees, one focused on agriculture and a second focused on rural community economic development. The subject matter experts on the subcommittees have been instrumental in developing recommendations on how to optimize USDA programs for the Equity Commission—the formal and official voting body—to consider, refine, adopt and include in the interim and final report. The launch of the Loan Assistance Tool, an online step-by-step guide that provides materials to help an applicant prepare their farm loan application.

Authorized and funded by the American Rescue Plan, the Equity Commission is an important component of the Department’s and President Biden’s vision to Advance Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. She told the Star at the sidelines of the meeting that they would use the platform to give an update on Kenya’s progress in implementing projects under the nine themes that were resolved in the Dakar meeting.

Do Not Disturb Meeting in Progress sign is a visual cue that is commonly used to indicate that a meeting or conference is currently taking place and that interruptions are not welcome. This sign can be useful in a variety of settings, such as offices, conference rooms, hotels, and other venues where meetings or events are held. The sign typically features a simple message, such as “Do Not Disturb” and “Meeting in Progress,” along with a graphic or symbol that communicates the same message. The sign can be hung on a door or placed outside a meeting room to indicate that the space is currently occupied. Kenya was represented at the meeting by Jane Makori, a director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs alongside senior officials of the National Treasury and Economic Planning Ministry. Hiring the first-ever permanent Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer to lead the department’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) program. Development in Africa shouldn’t be overlooked. The world should pay more attention to Africa,” Li said, adding that China’s ties with Africa have borne results. Publication of a Department-wide Equity Action Plan as well as 14 individual Agency/Mission Area Equity Action Plans

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In remarks at the opening ceremony of the meeting, Deng Li – chairman of the Follow-Up Committee of FOCAC and Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Ministry of China, said Africa’s role in global development cannot be understated.