As food recalls raise concerns, Black farmers offer communities a path to fresh, local produce
TheGrio...
Amid growing concerns about food safety, the Black Farmers Index is helping consumers connect directly with local Black farmers across the US.
In recent weeks, food recalls have become a trending topic as the FDA announces more and more produce and product recalls. From iceberg lettuce to jalapenos, eggs, frozen berries, rice, baby formula, mangoes and more, the growing number of food recalls, including the cyclosporiasis outbreak, which has impacted thousands of Americans, has made going grocery shopping feel more nerve-racking than ever.
Though data shows that the number of 2026 food recalls is in line with that of previous years, experts like Jennifer McEntire, food microbiologist and the founder of Food Safety Strategy—a food safety consulting firm—note how cuts to the CDC and FDA may have impacted the ways outbreaks unfold and the pace at which they are investigated.
“I do think the cuts may have influenced the way outbreaks unfold,” McEntire told Stateline. “I think there are valid questions around the timing of the response, the time it took for agencies to recognize the outbreak and to start to investigate it.”
As a result of the uncertainty, many shoppers have been turning to local farmers’ markets to buy produce for their homes in hopes of avoiding health outbreaks and related concerns. However, understanding the ways in which the Trump administration’s policies have disproportionately impacted Black farmers, there have been calls to support local Black farmers.
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“What about Black farmers here in the United States who are losing our damn farms?” John Boyd, president and founder of the National Black Farmers Association, previously told The Grio, reflecting on how Trump has eliminated critical grant and loan funding for Black and other disadvantaged farmers, who have faced decades of racial discrimination by the USDA. “This administration is anti-Black. They want nothing to do with anything that is Black in this country.”
To help address the growing food insecurity and inequities that Black agriculturers face, the Black Farmers Index has created a consumer-to-Black-farmer pipeline through its free online directory, “The Index.”
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Starting as a service-journalism project in 2020 spotlighting 150 farmers to address ressource shortages during the pandemic, Black Farmers Index has blossomed into a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization committed to connecting agriculturists with consumers, agencies, institutions, and marketing and education resources needed to build their businesses and access capital. Today, the Index highlights approximately 1,300 row crop farmers, small-to-medium-sized growers, ranchers, poultry farmers, vegetable and fruit producers, grains and nut harvesters, beekeepers, fisherfolk, oystermen, foresters, foragers, vintners and more.
In addition to being featured in its comprehensive online directory, Black Farmers Index helps drive exposure to Black farming communities through social media promotion and short narratives; educational workshops for farmers; food-centered virtual and in-person events; curated farmer lists for individuals and institutions; carefully selected gift boxes highlighting food-items of growers; feature stories in news or other media outlets; data gathering and reporting; sharing stories through our farm visits; connecting farmers with business opportunities and resources; and creating a robust ecosystem for farmers to connect with each other.
Spotlighting farmers across 11 regions, click here to find a Black grower near you.