Putting Tribal Sovereignty
in Food Sovereignty
Know anyone who might be a good fit for USDA’s Tribal Advisory Committee? There are four vacant seats. Submit your nomination by Sept. 22, 2025. Check out IFAI's analysis of USDA’s Final Rule on Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers. If you want to learn...
Congress remains in recess through Labor Day. IFAI recently published an analysis of the USDA Final Rule on Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers. Our Rooted Wisdom podcast team interviewed Akiptan’s, Skya Ducheneaux to discuss how Native CDFIs are reshaping...
Agency: USDA Food and Nutrition Service Action: Comments must be received by October 7, 2025 Why it matters: USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service is seeking comments from the public who want to provide feedback on a proposed information collection regarding SFMNP and WIC...
On July 10, 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced an end to certain uses of the “socially disadvantaged” producer designation. In a final rule published in the Federal Register, the department explained it would “no longer employ the race- and...
In the latest episode of “Rooted Wisdom,” Executive Director of Akiptan, Skya Ducheneaux, joins the podcast to discuss how Community Development Financial Institutions, or CDFIs, are reshaping access to capital in Indian Country. Ducheneaux, a member of the Cheyenne...
The public comment period on USDA’s Reorganization Plan is still open. All stakeholders, including Tribal governments, are encouraged to submit their feedback to reorganization@usda.gov by September 30, 2025. The Department’s reorganization plans were published via...
In July 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a sweeping reorganization plan that could significantly affect Tribal governments, producers, and service delivery across Indian Country. The Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative (IFAI) has...
In a recent feature by Fields of Possibility, Kelli Case (Chickasaw Nation), Senior Staff Attorney at the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative (IFAI), shared insights on the intersection of Tribal food sovereignty and organic agriculture. “We’re not just talking...
In the summer of 2024, the Chickasaw and Cherokee Nations led impactful implementations of the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (Summer EBT) Program, a federal nutrition program designed to reduce food insecurity among children during the summer months when school...
In a recent column for the Tulsa World, IFAI Executive Director Carly Griffith Hotvedt (Cherokee Nation) highlighted the expanding economic footprint of Tribal Nations across Oklahoma. The piece underscored how Tribal governments are driving growth through strategic...