Read on Twitter
We’re settling in to watch Secretary of Agriculture nominee Tom Vilsack’s confirmation hearing. Stay tuned for highlights, and watch it live here: https://www.c-span.org/video/?508411-1/agriculture-secretary-nominee-tom-vilsack-confirmation-hearing #USDA
Vilsack is one of Biden’s most contentious cabinet nominees. Here’s a backgrounder on why: https://thecounter.org/biden-usda-tom-vilsack-ag-secretary-backlash/
"It's not lost on me, ironically, that this is Groundhogs Day [sic], and I realize that I'm back again. But I also realize that is a fundamentally different time... #Vilsack
...And I am a different person. And it is a different department. And I think we have to recognize that going into this process." https://thecounter.org/tom-vilsack-biden-usda-civil-rights-betrayal-lawrence-lucas/
How to move from disaster/crisis aid to a more stable farm economy? Vilsack says: Ramp up exports to Africa, Asia. Here at home "create new markets that have never been developed before," ie for carbon sequestration, methane capture, and "bio-based manufacturing" for farm waste.
On refinery exemptions: "The waiver system was designed for refineries that were having trouble and difficulty.
It was not designed for large scale refineries that are owned by Exxon and Chevron to receive a waiver...
It was not designed for large scale refineries that are owned by Exxon and Chevron to receive a waiver...
...I would hope and would strongly urge EPA to go back to a day when those waivers are very, very, very infrequently granted." https://thecounter.org/corn-belt-carl-icahn-ethanol-mandate/
Vilsack: "We need alternative processing opportunities. Why? Not just from the competitive standpoint. But also from a resilience standpoint. We found that when one or two processing facilities shut down during Covid, it created havoc in the market...
...We can't have that. We have to have a more resilient food system." Here's our explainer on how the shutdowns proved our vertically integrated, too-big-too-fast meat economy isn't a sustainable business model. https://thecounter.org/covid-19-shutters-meatpacking-plants-meat-shortages-smithfield-south-dakota/
And while it's true small processors saw a major uptick in business when the big packers shut down, they're also mired in regulations that keep them from building stable enterprises. https://thecounter.org/covid-19-usda-fsis-inspector-shortage-meat-processing/
Vilsack's solution isn't to ramp up environmental regulations. It's market solutions: "At the end of the day, more productive soil means more profit for farmers. And new market opportunities means more jobs. And more income for farmers. I think you make the economic case."
But the bigger idea here, is critical: which is that productive soil evangelism requires farmer buy-in. That's still a very tough sell. https://thecounter.org/cargill-regenerative-agriculture-initiative-north-america/
Pat Leahy on Farmers to Families Food Boxes: "We have local vendors that can work with local vendors and get local food. I want to get back to that." How can we use local producers and local vendors?
Vilsack on regionalizing food boxes: "I'm happy to work with you on that and look for ways in which we can improve that program. Especially as it relates to really remote areas."
Out of a well-documented failure, might there be opportunities for regional economies to build from? https://thecounter.org/usda-food-farmers-to-families-food-boxes-caribbean-produce-exchange/
Vilsack: "I am absolutely willing to listen to anybody about how we can get to a point where the WTO doesn't slap [Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling] down," and "doesn't create retaliatory impacts on American ag."
Here's what's at stake for American producers in a climate of rampant mislabeling. https://thecounter.org/grass-fed-beef-labeling-fraud-country-origin/
Tina Smith has a question about equity: "Underserved farming communities face really significant barriers to private farm credit." She asks: "What USDA can do internally and externally to ensure these communities have access to credit options?"
This occasions Vilsack to mention, for the first time since his opening remarks, what he can do to ensure racial equity in USDA programs.
Vilsack's solution? "We need to take a much deeper dive, deeper than has ever been taken before, in terms of USDA programs, to identify what barriers in fact exist in each of these programs."
Anticipates putting together an equity commission or task force for USDA programs. https://thecounter.org/food-apartheids-farming-while-black-leah-penniman-soul-fire-farm-interview/
Sen. Gillibrand is up now. She says that "small family-owned dairies have continued to dwindle and we've seen such extreme hardships that we've seen bankruptcies and suicides in dairy industry."
Her question: How do you intend to help small and mid-sized dairy farms?
Her question: How do you intend to help small and mid-sized dairy farms?
Vilsack responds: More markets. Those farmers can get assistance from from USDA to create small processing facilities to create value-added instead of sending it to processors. USDA can increase the farm to school pipeline—besides fluid milk, increase other local dairy purchases.
And of course, exports. "More and more milk is being exported in the form of powder and cheese around the world." https://thecounter.org/farmers-stress-mental-health-agriculture-covid-19-culling-pigs-milk-dumping/
John Thune says, "there's a lot of concerns about lack of competition among meatpackers," and notes that four packers have 80 percent of processing capacity. https://thecounter.org/beef-packers-profit-margins-reached-historic-levels-covid-19-plant-shutdowns/
He asks: What actions will you take to strengthen the integrity of cattle market? And what are your views on GIPSA and consolidation, more generally? https://thecounter.org/big-meat-just-won-100-year-battle-wait/
Vilsack, as it relates to Packers and Stockyards, "We're gonna look at every vehicle we have," and "every capacity we have to make sure we have open, fair, and transparent markets."
That's a wrap on the hearing. Stay tuned for a detailed analysis later this afternoon.
In easy confirmation hearing, Vilsack fielded questions on climate change, pandemic relief, and trade.
Read more: https://thecounter.org/tom-vilsack-senate-confirmation-hearing-secretary-agriculture-biden/
Read more: https://thecounter.org/tom-vilsack-senate-confirmation-hearing-secretary-agriculture-biden/
