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 There are aspects of the
Obama administration that were set aside with the arrival of
President Donald Trump. Now, it feels like Joe Biden, who was
President Obama’s VP, is looking to restore some of the former
administration’s policies.
While there were policy segments in both the Obama and Trump
administrations that were good for agriculture, other segments were
perhaps not that great. However, agricultural producers on the whole
are politically more conservative and found favor in a number of the
actions taken under the Trump administration, they will now have to
re-adjust to a new less conservative administration.
In an article published in Farm Progress magazine, Roger McEowen,
professor of agricultural law and taxation at Washburn University
School of Law in Topeka, KS attempted to put it in perspective. “I
try to tell farmers, divorce yourself from the politics of it and
deal with the reality of it. The problem is right now, we don’t know
what the reality is going to be until we see how the politics of
this plays out. It’s horrible to have your business dependent on
what people in Congress do who don’t understand the full impact.”
Though Biden is the President of the United States, the future of
agriculture in this country is going to fall into the laps of the
worker-bees of the White House; those who are chosen to write or
re-write policy and advise the president on how to approach reform
in agriculture, if at all.
The re-appointment of Tom Vilsack as Secretary of Agriculture was
met with mixed emotions by producers across the country. Vilsack
served in the secretary position under Obama. Then, and now, he was
considered to be a ‘company man’ earning the nickname of “Mr.
Monsanto” because of his relationship with the mega agricultural
supplier. When he left the office, he took on a position as chief
executive of the U.S. Dairy Export Council. Because of these “before
and after” positions, many farmers are not certain where Vilsack’s
loyalties will lie.
Vilsack has noted in various publications that he does have an
agenda for the USDA that includes some very important topics for
producers across the country.
Recognizing that nearly 90 percent of American farmers do not make
the majority of their annual income on the farm, Vilsack has vowed
to work toward establishing new sources of income for producers. On
March 1st Vilsack told the National Farmers Union that he will
“refocus” on food hub and farmers markets. He plans to revisit the
Grain Inspection and Packers and Stockyard Acts.
President Biden also has a lengthy to-do list. Among the items on
that list there are a number that will impact agriculture.
President Biden says he wants to enhance opportunities for new farms
and young producers. He hopes to be able to double the maximum loan
amount to $100,000 on the USDA Microloan program and increase
funding for the USDA Farm Ownership and Operating Loans.
He is looking to reverse or at least re-write immigration laws in
the U.S., which in the end gives migrant workers an opportunity for
citizenship. Immigrant workers who hold a green card for three years
will be offered the opportunity to apply for citizenship, providing
they meet additional specifications such as passing background
checks and “knowledge of English and U.S. civics.”
One of the larger concerns for the agriculture industry may be the
future of the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) Act. WOTUS was introduced
and implemented in the Obama administration and found to be very
unpopular with farmers. During the Trump administration, WOTUS was
more or less phased out and replaced with the Navigable Waters
Protection Rule (NWPR.) The NWPR was well received by producers for
a few reasons, the most important being that it was more clearly
written and outlined the dos and don’ts in real words and not
legalese.
Quoted in another article published in Farm Progress, American Farm
Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said “The Navigable Waters
Protection Rule provided much needed clarity and allows farmers to
understand water regulations without having to hire teams of
consultants and lawyers.”
The question for the future is, can Biden take the best parts of
each of these rules and create a modified version that will meet the
needs of the environment and the American farmer.
Ranking right at the top of the list for the Biden administration is
climate change. While the term is all sweeping and Biden intends to
address climate change from many angles, agriculture is one of the
cornerstone industries for implementing those changes.
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Agriculture and food
practice group leader at Invariant, Anne MacMillian, who also served
on Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack’s staff during the Obama
administration noted during a recent webinar that the attitude
toward the agricultural producer regarding climate change has
changed. Saying that farmers were once considered the “bad actors
and a problem that needed to be regulated.” The attitude has changed
and the administration now recognizes producers and the ag industry
as “a part of the solution and a willing partner.”
In an article published by Farm Progress, ‘Biden administration:
Tide shifting on climate change discussion,’ American Farm Bureau
Federation’s Director of Congressional Relations Andrew Walmsley
noted that the farming communities will need to become more
communicative of what they are doing and how they are working to
protect the environment and influence climate change. “The
agricultural sector will need to communicate gains the industry has
made and impacts of any proposals that arise. There’s a fine line of
policy proposals out there that would be harmful,” he says.
In an article published in the Greenville Sun, journalist Steve Goff
perhaps explained the situation as well as anyone can. “Biden hails
farmers as ‘some of the best stewards of our land, air, and water.’
How could they be otherwise? The environment is their workplace,
after all. But that doesn’t mean you – or the president – should
expect to hear farmers define themselves as environmentalists.
Unfortunately, the word has become associated with bureaucrats who
would limit their freedom – and farmers very much value freedom.
That’s something Biden should be aware of and keep in mind if he’s
tempted to toss too many rules their way. Farmers are wary of
regulations and limitations, not because they don’t want to do their
part for the environment and not because they don’t care. They care
deeply. But they also care about preserving their spirit of
independence. They are pretty good at detecting anything that
threatens their liberty to think for themselves. They don’t want
orders. They want explanations. Once they understand why something
is needed or important, they can be trusted to do what’s right. So,
the Biden administration must find a way to explain its plans well
if it wants to work successfully with the agriculture community.”
Goff went on to write, “If Biden is truly able to make good on his
promises to agriculture, he could win many friends in America’s
heartland who otherwise might be reluctant to support him.”
So, what can producers expect in the Biden administration? Still
within the first 100 days of the new administration, we can see some
definite returns to the old and tossing out of the new. There is
also going to be some blending of policy between the former Obama
and Trump administrations, and possibly some new and original ideas
that come from the Biden administration. In the end though, what we
will see is what we will get, and as has always been the case, the
American farmer will adjust and move on.
Sources
What those in agriculture can expect under a Biden
administration (farmprogress.com)
Biden administration: Will farmers see another WOTUS
redo? (farmprogress.com)
Biden administration: Tide shifting on climate change
discussion (farmprogress.com)
Vilsack pushes for new farm income streams | Farm
Progress
What A Biden Administration Means For The Future Of
Agriculture | Agriculture | greenevillesun.com
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