The Native Farm Bill Coalition is a nation-wide initiative to give Native Americans a strong, united voice to advance a common agenda on the federal Farm Bill, which addresses everything from nutrition programs to rural development. It is a joint project of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community’s Seeds of Native Health campaign; the Intertribal Agriculture Council; the National Congress of American Indians; and the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative.
Since the Coalition’s launch in October 2017, more than 170 tribes, intertribal groups, other Native organizations, and non-Native allies have become members of the Native Farm Bill Coalition. The coalition’s research, education and advocacy was critical to ensuring that the 2018 Farm Bill incorporated key priorities tribal governments and producers. The 2018 Farm Bill, signed into law in December 2018 included 63 separate provisions that impact everything from strengthening tribal self-governance and the management of nutrition programs to investing in economic development opportunities.
With the 2023 Farm Bill on the horizon, the coalition continues to educate policymakers on Native nutritional and agricultural issues, assisting in oversight activities and urging Congress to further expand its recognition of tribal self-determination authority.
