A coalition of 126 food and agriculture associations signed a letter to Senate Agriculture Leadership recommending confirmation of the Honorable Thomas Vilsack to serve as our next Secretary of Agriculture. Read the full letter below.
Food & Agriculture Associations Letter to U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry in Support of the Nomination of Honorable Thomas Vilsack to be Secretary of Agriculture
January 20, 2021
The Honorable Debbie Stabenow, Chairwoman
The Honorable John Boozman, Ranking Member
U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
328A Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Chairwoman Stabenow and Ranking Member Boozman:
The undersigned food and agriculture trade associations respectfully urge confirmation of the Honorable Thomas Vilsack to serve as Secretary of Agriculture.
Our associations represent the vast majority of the food and agriculture sector that is responsible for roughly one-fifth of the country’s economic activity, directly supporting more than 23 million jobs – constituting nearly 15 percent of total U.S. employment.
Secretary Vilsack understands and embraces as USDA’s mission the advancement of U.S. food and agriculture for the benefit of all in the U.S. and countless consumers beyond our shores. We endorse the nomination of Secretary Vilsack not just because of his previous outstanding eight-year tenure in the post during the Obama Administration, but more importantly because of his vision for meeting the substantial current challenges of food and agriculture. Secretary Vilsack is ready to lead the peoples’ department and American food and agriculture broadly to meet environmental challenges, enhance diversity and inclusion, strengthen food security, and build rural prosperity through expanded trade and development of the bioeconomy, all with broad consumer benefits.
Please feel free to call upon any of the undersigned associations to expand upon our rationale for supporting the nomination of Secretary Vilsack. Thank you for your consideration of our views.
Sincerely,
Agribusiness Council of Indiana
Indianapolis, IN
Agricultural Retailers Association
Arlington, VA
Almond Alliance of California
Modesto, CA
American Bakers Association
Washington, DC
American Beekeeping Federation
Washington, FL
American Dairy Products Institute
Elmhurst, IL
American Farm Bureau Federation
Washington, DC
American Feed Industry Association
Arlington, VA
American Fruit and Vegetable Processors and Growers Coalition
Washington, DC
American Seed Trade Association
Alexandria, VA
American Soybean Association
Washington, DC
American Sugar Alliance
Arlington, VA
American Wood Council
Washington, DC
Animal Health Institute
Washington, DC
Association of Equipment Manufacturers
Washington, DC
Biotechnology Innovation Organization
Washington, DC
California Association of Winegrape Growers
Sacramento, CA
California Fresh Fruit Association
Fresno, CA
California Grain and Feed Association
Sacramento, CA
California League of Food Processors
Sacramento, CA
California Table Grape Commission
Fresno, CA
Colorado Dairy Farmers
Denver, CO
Consumer Brands Association
Arlington, VA
Corn Refiners Association
Washington, DC
Cotton Warehouse Association of America
Washington, DC
Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau
Washington, DC
Crop Insurance Professionals Association
Washington, DC
CropLife America
Arlington, VA
Dairy Producers of New Mexico
Roswell, NM
Distilled Spirts Council of the U.S.
Washington, DC
Farmers for Free Trade
Sheridan, WY
Florida Tomato Exchange
Maitland, FL
FMI – Food Industry Association
ARLINGTON, VA
Food Northwest
Portland, OR
Fresh Produce Association of the Americas
Nogales, AZ
Global Cold Chain Alliance
Arlington, VA
Hop Growers of America
Yakima, WA
Illinois Pork Producers Assoc.
Springfield, IL
Imperial Valley Asparagus Growers Association
El Centro, CA
Indiana Dairy Producers
Francesville, IN
Indiana Pork
Indianapolis, IN
Institute of Shortening and Edible Oils
Washington, DC
International Dairy Foods Association
Washington, DC
Iowa Pork Producers Association
Clive, IA
Iowa State Dairy Association
Ankeny, IA
Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association
Topeka, KS
Kansas Dairy Association
Hays, KS
Kansas Grain and Feed Association
Topeka, KS
Kansas Pork Association
Manhattan, KS
Leather & Hide Council of America
Washington, DC
Louisiana Pork Producers Association
Lake Charles, LA
Meat Import Council Of America, Inc.
Washington, DC
Michigan Agri-Business Association
Lansing, MI
Michigan Apple Association
Lansing, MI
Michigan Pork Producers Association
East Lansing, MI
Midwest Food Products Associations, Inc.
Madison, WI
Milk Producers Council
Escalon, CA
Minnesota Grain and Feed Association
New Prague, MN
Minnesota Pork Producers Association
Mankato, MN
Missouri Pork Association
Columbia, MO
National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
Arlington, VA
National Association of Wheat Growers
Washington, DC
National Confectioners Association
Washington, DC
National Corn Growers Association
St. Louis, MO
National Cotton Council
Washington, DC
National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
Washington, DC
National Fisheries Institute
McLean, VA
National Grain and Feed Association
Arlington, VA
National Milk Producers Federation
Arlington, VA
National Oilseed Processors Association
Washington, DC
National Pecan Federation
Washington, DC
National Pork Producers Council
Des Moines, IA
National Potato Council
Washington, DC
National Sorghum Producers
Lubbock, TX
National Turkey Federation
Washington, DC
National Wild Turkey Federation
Edgefield, SC
Nebraska Grain and Feed Association
Lincoln, NE
New York Pork Producers
Depew, NY
North American Export Grain Association
Arlington, VA
North American Meat Institute
Washington, DC
North American Millers’ Association
Arlington, VA
North American Renderers Association
Alexandria, VA
North Carolina Pork Council
Raleigh, NC
Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance
Albany, NY
Northwest Horticultural Council
Yakima, WA
Ohio Pork Council
New Albany, OH
Oklahoma Grain and Feed Association
Enid, OK
Oregon Dairy Farmers Association
Salem, OR
Oregon Feed and Grain Association
Portland, OR
Organic Trade Association
Washington, DC
Pacific Northwest Grain & Feed Association
Portland, OR
Panhandle Peanut Growers Association
Wellington, TX
Pet Food Institute
Washington, DC
Plant Based Products Council
Washington, DC
Produce Marketing Association
Newark, DE
Renew Kansas Biofuels Association
Topeka, KS
Rocky Mountain Agribusiness Association
Westminster, CO
SNAC International
Arlington, VA
South Dakota Dairy Producers
Madison, SD
South Dakota Grain & Feed Association
Pierre, SD
South East Dairy Farmers Association
Washington, DC
Southwest Council of Agribusiness
Lubbock, TX
Sweetener Users Association
Washington, DC
Tennessee Feed and Grain Association
Rockvale, TN
Tennessee Pork Producers Association
Rockvale, TN
Texas Grain and Feed Association
Fort Worth, TX
The Hardwood Federation
Washington, DC
U.S. Apple Association
Falls Church, VA
U.S. Dairy Export Council
Arlington, VA
U.S. Hemp Roundtable
Washington, DC
U.S. Wheat Associates
Arlington, VA
United Dairymen of Arizona
Tempe, AZ
United Egg Producers
Johns Creek, GA
United Fresh Produce Association
Washington, DC
United States Peanut Federation
Washington, DC
US Dry Bean Council
Portland, OR
US Rice Producers Association
Houston, TX
USA Poultry and Egg Export Council
Stone Mountain, GA
USA Rice Federation
Arlington, VA
Virginia Pork Council
Elberon, VA
Washington Apple Commission
Wenatchee, WA
Western Growers
Washington, DC
Western Peanut Growers Association
Seminole, TX
WineAmerica
Washington, DC
Wisconsin Agri-Business Association
Madison, WI