by: Michaela Hoffelmeyer 

Though research and data frequently erase the presence of queer people in agriculture, queer people are engaged in all aspects of the agrifood system, from the farm—as farmworkers and farmers—to the table—as restaurant owners and consumers. As such, there is no singular queer agricultural pandemic experience. This blog post outlines the multifaceted ways that COVID-19 impacts queer people at various points in the agrifood system in the United States. I emphasize that queer food and farmworkers’ experiences are influenced by intersections of race, ethnicity, class, and gender as queerness traverses these identities. I highlight how continued disparities in healthcare, economics, and social support call for policies that attend to this heterogeneous group, especially in times of crisis.

Farmworkers

Farmworkers are the foundation of the food system and have been deemed “essential” during COVID-19 despite frequently being admonished in Western and European culture for immigration status or ethnicity. Of the 2.5 million farmworkers in the U.S., there is no count of the number of queer farmworkers, but they are in the fields and sharing their stories. In addition to healthcare barriers (cost, access, fear of employer retaliation) faced by all farmworkers, queer farmworkers may face stigma and fear for revealing their identity in healthcare settings, potentially placing them at higher risk in the pandemic. The LGBT Health Education Center’s policy brief lays out best practices for health centers to build trust with queer farmworkers, such as inclusive language and availability of sexual health screenings. As farmworkers are required to continue working during this time of increased health risks, healthcare facilities must adopt these best practices to support queer farmworkers’ well-being.

Farm Owners

The queer community is no stranger to being physically distant and isolated from social support as our fellow queers and chosen family are often geographically dispersed. For queer farmers, in-person queer-centered events offer a chance to relieve social and physical isolation, as well as offer economic networking opportunities[1]. Queer community gatherings can often be a place of vital respite and networking, especially for queer people navigating heterosexism in agriculture[2]. However, many of these in-person meetings are at risk of being canceled this year. The loss of social support, knowledge transfer, and networking due to COVID-19 is immeasurable.

Queer farmers, often small-scale and sustainable, have unique policy needs that cannot be assumed to be met through sweeping legislation. During COVID-19, small-scale farms with already tight profit margins are rapidly adjusting to online sales, increased safety measures, and lost wholesale and event revenue. The Coronavirus Financial Assistance Program will provide relief to agricultural producers; however, there is concern that small-scale producers will miss out on these funds due to challenges accounting for losses of direct sales and costs associated with diversified production. Rather than continuing the status quo of disproportionately supporting large-scale commodity producers (see farm aid during U.S.-China trade war), funds directed toward small-scale producers are critical, particularly in times of crisis.

Farm scale and identity are tightly interconnected. Government aid funneled toward large-scale producers ultimately means that men—often white and likely heterosexual—reap the benefits of U.S. farm subsidies[3]. This is predominantly because crop subsidies favor wheat, corn, grain, and other staple crops, and men tend be engaged in this type of production. As such, COVID-19 farm aid should center socially disadvantaged farmers. The USDA has a history of discrimination against minorities, including Blacks, Hispanics, and women in agricultural loans. In the wake of COVID-19, small farms may benefit from increased customer interest in sourcing food directly from farmers. However, these farmers may ultimately be excluded from government support if programs are not specifically geared to underserved farming populations. Unlike race, ethnicity, and (cis)gender, the USDA does not consider queer (not heterosexual and/or not cis-gender) farmers to be an underserved population. Qualitative research demonstrates that queer farmers face barriers in accessing government farming assistance[4]. Therefore, in addition to COVID-19 farm aid being directed to underserved farming groups, USDA programs should expand to include support for queer farmers as heterosexism has been documented in agriculture[5].

Consumers

Moving from farm to table, LGBT populations experience disproportionate levels of food insecurity and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation, even in times outside of global pandemics. In 2016, approximately 17% of non-LGBT adults experienced a time when they did not have enough money to feed themselves or their families; that number was 27%—or 2.2 million people—for LGBT adults. Within the LGBT community, food access is unevenly distributed by race and ethnicity as 42% of African Americans, 33% of Hispanics, 32% of American Indians and Alaskan Natives, and 21% of Whites reported not having enough money to feed themselves or their families. Efforts to expand SNAP and provide emergency food access are essential to meet the already existing inequalities in food access.

Conclusion

Despite existing inequalities in healthcare, farm assistance, and food access, queer people in the agrifood system have mobilized during COVID-19. Rock Steady Farm revamped their ‘meet your farmer event’ to an online formatand are actively developing community outreach to respond to COVID-19. The rural queer grassroots organization Out in the Open hosted a virtual meeting for queer farmers to gather and network about the impact of COVID-19. The Okra Project, who works to address food and economic inequalities faced by Black Trans people, has expanded its international grocery fund during the pandemic in anticipation of increased need.

COVID-19 has exposed the numerous cracks in the standardized global food system[6], yet the shortcomings of the current agrifood system were already visible to many of those experiencing food injustice. While COVID-19 data is still emerging, trends suggest that Black, Indigenous, and queer communities are disproportionately affected. Moving forward, policies that center these communities’ insights and perspectives on food production, distribution, and access will be critical to bolstering resilience and sustainability in the agrifood system.

Sources:

1. Wypler, Jaclyn. 2019. “Lesbian and Queer Sustainable Farmer Networks in the Midwest.” Society & Natural Resources 1–18.
2. Hoffelmeyer, Michaela. Forthcoming. “Queer Farmers: Sexuality on the Farm.” in Gender and Agriculture Handbook, edited by C. Sachs, K. Sexsmith, L. Jensen, and P. Castellanos. Routledge.
3. Sachs, Carolyn, Mary Barbercheck, Kathryn Brasier, Nancy Ellen Kiernan, and Anna Rachel Terman. 2016. The Rise of Women Farmers and Sustainable Agriculture. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press.
4. Leslie, Isaac Sohn. 2017. “Queer Farmers: Sexuality and the Transition to Sustainable Agriculture.” Rural Sociology 82(4):747–71.
5. Leslie, Isaac Sohn. 2019. “Queer Farmland: Land Access Strategies for Small-Scale Agriculture.” Society and Natural Resources 1–19.
6. Hendrickson, Mary K. 2020. “Covid Lays Bare the Brittleness of a Concentrated and Consolidated Food System.” Agriculture and Human Values.

 

Michaela Hoffelmeyer (she/they) is a Ph.D. student in Rural Sociology at Penn State University. Her work focuses on sexuality, gender, and justice in agriculture.