| Getting to Know Tom Vilsack |
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| Written by Kiki Hubbard | |
| Saturday, 10 January 2009 | |
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The President-elect's choice of former Governor Tom Vilsack for Secretary of Agriculture has ignited sentiments ranging from delight to dismay, just what you'd expect from a pick who "has the merit of being unsatisfactory to both extremes of the farm-policy debates." Here at Envirovore we've been digesting a range of views on the Secretary of Ag nominee -- the Secretary of Food, as some advocates keep reminding the nation. This position comes with a host of responsibilities tied to issues that don't automatically register when one hears "agriculture," like nutrition, food stamps, rural development, energy and conservation, to name a few. We know the road ahead will demand the tools of diplomacy and debate. May it also include millions of watchful eyes who are waiting for Obama's administration to see through his ambitious plan for Rural America. So, here you go. Below the fold is a quick and dirty overview of why Vilsack comes bearing both promise and peril. Vilsack's experience. Some progressive, well-respected farm and conservation groups praise Tom Vilsack for his experience. National Farmers Union president, Tom Buis (someone I would have picked for the post), said Tom Vilsack understands the economic challenges facing rural America; the League of Conservation Voters cited Vilsack's commitment to renewable energy; and R-CALF said in a press release that it's pleased with Obama's choice, and expects Vilsack to represent the interests of independent U.S. cattle producers. Other food and farm groups aren't as complimentary, pointing to his support of industrial farming, including an expansion of CAFOs in Iowa, and biotechnology (which Obama actually mentioned in his nomination speech). As evidence, in 2001 the Biotechnology Industry Organization gave Vilsack a Governor of the Year award, and in 2005, Vilsack supported a pre-emption bill that took away local and state rights to enact stricter regulations on GMOs. He has, however, said he supports labeling GMOs (which is great, but wrong agency, since the FDA oversees labeling and isn't poised to sway on this issue) and wants to strengthen the approval process for biotech crops. Andrew Kimbrell notes in the Huffington Post that Vilsack also supports biotech firm liability in cases of contamination events and said USDA should require companies to demonstrate no harm to markets for conventional and organic crops before approving new GE varieties. Conflict of interest? There are two questions regarding integrity that surfaced with Vilsack's nomination, concerns that are likely to have only minor implications for him politically. One, he and his wife have accepted about $42,000 in government farm subsidies through the Conservation Reserve Program. Vilsack has been a staunch supporter of capping subsidy payments, and said he'll forgo subsidy payments to avoid conflict. Two, Vilsack used to work for a lobbying law firm that worked with clients on agribusiness development and energy. According to one watchdog group, this violates Obama's pledge "to bar appointees from working on issues related to their employment for two years." (Sen. Tom Daschle, Obama's pick to head the Department of Health and Human Services, is in the same boat on this last piece.) The verdict's out. Not surprising, the biggest issue getting the media's attention is Vilsack's support of corn-based ethanol, still a controversial topic. The New York Times published an editorial piece that says Vilsack must take an impartial approach to this issue since he comes from the largest corn-producing state. The biofuels conversation has now stretched to include a variety of other crops. Will Vilsack heed the call of visionaries Wes Jackson and Wendell Berry and embrace the promise of perennial plants in energy and grain production and soil restoration? So many of these opportunites await in rules yet to be written for the 2008 Farm Bill. This is an extraordinary responsibility to be stepping into. Vilsack seems to be right on about a few things, like what constitutes fair competition. He supports stronger restrictions on livestock packing plants and wants to end the damaging consequences of vertical integration in the industry, which decreases prices and market access for family farmers. Let's hope he's strong on seed industry concentration, too, where a handful of biotech firms are increasing seed prices unencumbered because there isn't competition to regulate the marketplace. And he's voiced support for local food systems and accessible health care for farming families -- a serious but oft-forgotten problem that the Center for Rural Affairs is tackling. In the end, Vilsack is a cautious pick who might not bring as dramatic of change as some progressive farm groups had hoped, especially with biotechnology regulation. Or maybe he will. As John Crabtree at the Center for Rural Affairs writes, "It is difficult, if not impossible, to predict when, where and from whom leadership will emerge." Crabtree thinks Vilsack deserves a chance, and holds a hopeful and "different" view of the nominee, one that can be embraced with equal parts watchfulness after the new administration takes office. So, let's do our part. Let's keep tabs on our decision-makers and sow seeds of support so we're there to ensure accountability. Whether you like the idea of Vilsack taking the reins of one of the largest agencies or not, we should all put our energy into thoughtful and direct input, and feed the derision to the hogs.
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