III 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. CON. RES. 36 

Supporting the Farmers Bill of Rights. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 11, 2020 

Mr. BOOKER (for himself and Mr. MERKLEY) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Supporting the Farmers Bill of Rights. 

Whereas the Center for American Progress reported mergers 

and acquisitions have increased corporate concentration 

across agricultural markets, including monopolizing 85 

percent market share of the corn seed market through 

the 4 largest firms in the seed sector; 

Whereas according to the Open Markets Institute, the excessive concentration in the poultry industry has resulted in 

half of chicken farmers working in regions dominated by 

only 1 or 2 processing monopolies, leaving them with little, if any, bargaining power for better contracts or growing terms; 

Whereas the Organization for Competitive Markets reported 

cattle prices paid to farmers from 2013 to 2016 dropped 

by 13 percent, while during the same period prices paid 


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for beef by consumers at the grocery store increased by 

4 percent, leading them to conclude that the prices paid 

to farmers and by consumers are not the result of a fair 

and just market; 

Whereas corporate concentration and abusive practices in 

America’s food and farm sector are at detrimental highs, 

harming consumers, rural communities and family farmers and ranchers, including historically underserved farmers and ranchers, by— 

(1) diminishing the availability of seed choice; 

(2) limiting the accessibility of domestic farming 

lands; 

(3) increasing food prices and market manipulation; 

and 

(4) hindering access to traditional foodways and agricultural practices; 

Whereas according to the American Farm Bureau Federation, farm loan delinquencies are at a 6-year high and 

have increased over the past 24 quarters; 

Whereas increasing farm debt, decreasing incomes, and deteriorating overall conditions for family farmers and ranchers have caused farm foreclosures and chapter 12 bankruptcies to steadily increase over the past year; 

Whereas, according to the 2019 Intergovernmental Panel on 

Climate Change Special Report, agriculture, forestry, and 

other land use activities accounted for 23 percent of net 

global anthropogenic emissions contributing to human-induced climate change, which is resulting in the ongoing 

deterioration of food systems, including irreversible impacts to the traditional farming practices and foodways 

of indigenous peoples and their lands; 


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Whereas, according to the Midwest Center for Investigative 

Reporting, the foreign acquisition of and increasing investments in American farmlands and agribusiness presents a risk to food system security and contributes to increasing prices of the country’s farmland beyond the financial ability of local residents to purchase domestic 

farm land; and 

Whereas monopolization and an increase of large corporations 

and foreign interests in America’s farming sector, combined with a changing climate, creates an unprecedented 

negative impact on the regional economic strength and 

security of rural and Tribal communities: Now, therefore, 

be it 

1 Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 

2 concurring), 

3 SECTION 1. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

4 That— 

5 (1) the Congress recognizes the many contribu6 tions that family farmers and ranchers, including 

7 historically underserved farmers and ranchers, have 

8 made to America’s agricultural industry, local food 

9 production, food sovereignty, rich variety of the 

10 country’s abundant food supply, and traditional and 

11 cultural agricultural practices; and 

12 (2) it is the sense of the Congress that the Fed13 eral Government should encourage support for fam14 ily farmers and ranchers, in rural communities and 

15 on indigenous lands, and ensure access to open and 


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1 fair agricultural markets in the United States, by in2 troducing the Farmers Bill of Rights. 

3 SEC. 2. FARMERS BILL OF RIGHTS. 

4 The Farmer’s Bill of Rights is as follows: 

5 (1) RIGHT TO FAIR, OPEN MARKETS.—There 

6 must be a competitive open marketplace to buy 

7 seeds, fertilizer, and other goods, and to sell 

8 produce, livestock, and meat for all people. It has 

9 become nearly impossible for independent farmers, 

10 processors, seed suppliers, mechanics, and other 

11 rural businesses to compete with multinational mo12 nopolies. Farmers need strong antitrust safeguards. 

13 (2) RIGHT TO FEED THEIR COMMUNITY.—Mul14 tinational corporations have taken control of the 

15 country’s food system by shutting out independent 

16 processing and distribution businesses, consequen17 tially locking farmers out of their local markets and 

18 denying domestic consumers local, regional, and cul19 turally traditional foods. In the United States, Na20 tive Americans suffer from the highest rates of food 

21 insecurity with African Americans and Hispanic 

22 communities more food insecure than the national 

23 average, which could be remedied through invest24 ment in local food systems, greater regulatory flexi25 bility, and Tribal self-governance programs. 


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1 (3) RIGHT TO FAIR CAPITAL.—With the loss of 

2 community and regional banks, coupled with the ex3 traction of wealth from rural communities by large 

4 corporations, farmers and local businesses cannot 

5 access the capital necessary to operate. Congress 

6 must ensure that all farmers, regardless of back7 ground, can access the credit and capital they need. 

8 This includes Native American producers and Tribal 

9 agricultural enterprises that often must contract 

10 with Federal agencies for resources, and African11 American farmers who have endured historical dis12 crimination accessing farm credit. 

13 (4) RIGHT TO PROTECT NATURAL RE14 SOURCES.—If large corporations want to purchase 

15 land and operate megafarms, they have a duty to 

16 protect the Earth’s soil, water, and natural re17 sources, as rural and indigenous farmers have for 

18 generations, including the protection of acequias 

19 that sustain accessibility to water, local agriculture, 

20 and traditional irrigation practices. Corporate 

21 megafarms have a duty to support conservation by 

22 following reasonable standards for aquifer use, ma23 nure storage, and other land-use guidelines. Pre24 serving land-based agricultural resources is vital to 

25 beginning to mitigate the impacts of climate change 


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1 and preserve natural resources for both the tradition 

2 of diversified rural family farming and the cultural 

3 sustainability of indigenous agricultural commu4 nities. 

5 (5) RIGHT TO LOCAL LAND CONTROL, PROP6 ERTY RIGHTS, AND PROTECTION OF TRIBAL LANDS

7 AND SOVEREIGNTY.—Counties and other local gov8 ernments should have the ability to pass and enforce 

9 ordinances regulating the size, placement, and scope 

10 of megafarms to protect the value of rural family 

11 farmers’ land and the surrounding environment. Af12 rican-American farmers and other historically under13 served farmers and ranchers should retain their land 

14 ownership and rights. Tribal Governments are sov15 ereign nations with the inherent right to independ16 ently control their lands through self-governance 

17 programs to safeguard traditional foods and medi18 cines for their citizens’ wellbeing and preservation of 

19 ceremonial practices of American Indian and Alaska 

20 Natives, including the expansion of historically di21 minished indigenous hunting, fishing, and gathering 

22 rights. 

23 (6) RIGHT TO FOOD SECURITY.—Foreign own24 ership hurts family farmers and ranchers and raises 

25 national security concerns. A strict cap on foreign 


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1 ownership of farms, farmland, and agribusinesses 

2 should be set to ensure that all American farmers 

3 can access domestic farm land. 

4 (7) RIGHT TO REPAIR.—Huge corporations and 

5 their Wall Street backers have gone so far as to pre6 vent local businesses and farmers from fixing their 

7 own tractors and equipment, forcing them to pay 

8 corporate technicians to make all repairs. A farmer 

9 should have the right to fix their own equipment as 

10 they see fit. 

11 (8) RIGHT TO TRANSPARENT LABELING.—A 

12 farmer should be able to label their food accurately 

13 and transparently—including strong country of ori14 gin labeling standards. 

15 (9) RIGHT TO RURAL OPPORTUNITY.—Monopo16 lies have hollowed out local economies and taken 

17 away the traditional pathways of opportunity for 

18 free enterprise that helped communities thrive. No 

19 farmer should have to choose between continuing to 

20 operate their farm and getting access to good 

21 schools and health care. No farmer should have to 

22 choose between farming and providing a future for 

23 their children. Farmers need the right to basic serv24 ices in rural communities. 


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1 (10) RIGHT TO PRESERVE A DIVERSE COMMU2 NITY OF FARMERS AND FARMING PRACTICES.—For 

3 too long, historically underserved farmers and ranch4 ers have lacked a voice on local and national agricul5 tural policies and development. Congress must en6 sure that historically underserved farmers and 

7 ranchers have fair opportunities in the market, a 

8 seat at the table in policy development, access to cul9 turally relevant training and technical assistance, 

10 and equal treatment by all Federal agencies. 

Æ 


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