Ag CEO Council Briefs Presidential Campaigns
/By Dennis McLaughlin, McLaughlin Writers LLC
Earlier this month several national commodity and agriculture industry groups published a policy white paper for the candidates running for President of the U.S. It was written to assist and inform policy development undertaken by both campaigns regardless of the potential election outcome. The council comprises CEOs of a multitude of farm and commodity organizations and key supplier industries that speak for a large segment of U.S. agriculture. The 12-page document lays out the current challenges facing the agriculture industry and defines the policy needs that will address those concern and improve the agriculture economy. The full report is available here.
Report In Short
The future of U.S. agriculture is bright. Agribusiness and production agriculture are a substantial part of the nation’s rural economy and can help lead positive change that creates a more just and equitable society. Advancing U.S. agriculture into a new future will require a diverse, highly skilled and hardworking next generation of human talent.
The current pandemic has magnified the importance of U.S. agriculture as well as the fragility of supply chains and its impact on the food security of our nation for all consumers. Food security sustains national security. America’s food and agriculture sectors are responsible for nearly one-fifth of U.S. economic activity, directly supporting 23 million jobs or 15% of U.S. employment, and contributes $7 trillion in direct and indirect economic output. Farmers and their agribusiness partners are the economic backbone of our rural economies.
American farmers are independent and have diverse political alignment within our organizations. Therefore, member organizations of the Ag CEO Council do not endorse presidential candidates of either party, nor does the Council itself. But the campaigns would benefit significantly by being able to thoughtfully discuss the key issues that matter to the industry and to rural America – a constituency that historically has significant influence in electoral outcomes and whose issues resonate with the electorate.
Priorities
Here is a summary of the Priorities for the Next Four Years and Beyond that the Ag Council of CEOs expects whichever party running the country to focus on:
COVID-19 Vaccine & Testing: The COVID-19 pandemic awakened many Americans to the realization that stocked grocery store shelves should not be taken for granted. The ag industry has stepped up to help meet demands in many ways. Development of a vaccine, access to widespread testing and PPE products, and development of a plan to address future pandemics should be achieved as quickly as possible to protect workers in the processing/supply chain, restore consumer confidence, and reestablish restaurant and institutional demand.
Farm Policy = Consumer Food, Feed, Fuel and Fiber Security = National Security: Farming is one of the most important and riskiest businesses in our nation and requires a strong safety net, on-farm conservation assistance, and risk management tools provided in farm policy.
Trade Agreements: Completed and ratified bilateral and multilateral agreements should have significant benefits to American agriculture. A functioning World Trade Organization is critical to U.S. agricultural trade.
Biofuels: Continued support for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), including increasing annual will be integral to the success of the biofuels sector and lead to greater reductions of greenhouse gas emissions.
Research: Immediate and intensive innovation is needed if agriculture is to feed 9 billion people or more by 2050. But this cannot be achieved without aggressive research. Public sector investments made into agricultural research have a very high return on investment, but federal investment in agriculture research has been declining. Breakthroughs and discoveries from land grand universities, USDA, and from private sector research are vital to improving our nation’s health and economy.
Labor: Access to a stable, legal workforce is imperative for the success of U.S. agriculture. Each of the 2.4 million hired farm employees working on American farms and ranches supports two to three full time jobs further down the value chain. The current, experienced workforce must be preserved, and programs such as the H-2 visa programs must be maintained and expanded to meet all labor needs.
Rural Broadband: Access to broadband is absolutely essential for rural economies, health care, education and agriculture technology in order to retain the next generation of farmers. Some 24 million Americans lack access to broadband internet connectivity, 19 million of whom reside in rural America.
Infrastructure and Competitive Modes of Transportation: Modern barge, rail and truck transportation are essential for the flow of inputs to the farm and products from farm to markets both domestically and abroad. Continued investment in improving infrastructure provides an essential underpinning not just to agriculture but to our entire economy
Sustainability and Climate: Agriculture accounts for less than 10% of total U.S. emissions, far less than transportation, electricity generation, and industry sectors. Farmers continue to produce more with greater efficiency. In fact, U.S. agriculture would have needed nearly 100 million more acres in 1990 to match 2018 production levels. The United States can and should lead by continuing to identify and utilize sustainable agriculture practices that preserve and protect our air, soil and water.
Nutrition and Health: Consumers around the world have become more interested in and conscious of where their food and fiber come from, how it is produced and the nutritional value of what they eat. These market forces have created millions of jobs and spurred investment by the livestock and commodity industry by funding and finding responsible and renewable production methods and practices that bring greater nutritional efficiency to people around the world.
Source: Ag CEO Council, Presidential Campaign Briefing; Agri-Pulse Communications; Feeding the Economy.com, 2020; USDA Economic Research Service, Farm Sector Income and Finances 2020.