SPRINGFIELD Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton has launched the Agricultural Equity and Food Insecurity Initiative, called #AgConnectsUsAll. During the month of February, the emphasis of #AgConnectsUsAll will be on diversity and equity. According to federal data, Black Farmers once owned 14% of the land in the USA, and now they own about 1.3%. Since the beginning of the pandemic, food insecurity has doubled among the general population in Illinois, tripled in households with children, and increased 60% among seniors.
“You’ll often hear me say that Ag connects us all. From rural to urban to suburban – Ag is at the center. It’s our state’s largest industry, a driving force in our economy and an integral part of feeding Illinois,” said Lt. Governor Stratton.
