USDA Farmer Equity Program
USDA Farmer Equity Program: Redesigning Access to Agricultural Funding
The USDA's farmer equity initiative revealed a critical gap in agricultural funding: smaller, rural farmers—predominantly Black and Brown—were receiving disproportionately less financial support than their counterparts. Through comprehensive user interviews and listening sessions with farmers and USDA employees across the United States, our team uncovered the systemic barriers preventing equitable access.
The data painted a clear picture: these farmers lacked the time and resources to navigate complex funding landscapes, had limited awareness of programs suited to their specific needs, and faced geographic isolation that restricted their professional networks and community support systems.
Armed with these insights, our design team audited existing funding resources on USDA.gov and created a comprehensive service design blueprint—a tactical roadmap that not only guided farmers to appropriate funding sources but also provided AI agent support throughout the application process. The result was transformative: farmers reported significantly improved experiences, and funding access increased measurably across underserved communities.
Research and Design Process
