AgWired

More fascinating conversation today at the Farm Foundation’s Food and Agriculture Policy Summit in Washington, D.C. as former Rep. Charlie Stenholm is on the stage again leading a discussion on how to restructure agriculture infrastructure.

In the spirit of the current talk of whether the government should bailout the American auto industry, Stenholm is asking the question: “Who will bailout the American farmers?”

Stenholm, a former Democratic leader on the House Agriculture Committee, is confident Pres.-elect Barack Obama will be able to lead the country’s policies so that agriculture will remain viable. And, in the spirit of the change theme Obama has promised to bring, Stenholm says we need to look at changing the structure of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He says there are too many stovepipes at USDA where people don’t talk to each other because they are focused on staying only on their field of expertise. Stenholm says that has to change.

More speakers are joining in the discussion, and I’ll have more as we cover Farm Foundation’s Food and Agriculture Policy Summit.

An increasing world population coupled with increasing incomes will pose agriculture with some major challenges over the next three decades, as the world puts greater and greater demands on farmers to meet the world’s food and energy needs.

Farm Foundation has released a new report this morning at The Food and Agriculture Policy Summit the group is hosting in Washington, D.C. that outlines those challenges that agriculture will face over the next 30 years. Entitled “The 30-Year Challenge: Agriculture’s Strategic Role in Feeding and Fueling a Growing World,” the report was put together with input from a diverse set of agriculture and agribusiness leaders, government agency representatives and academics:

“Global population is expected to increase by one-third by 2040. Increasing incomes, particularly in developing countries, may bring changes in dietary preferences and greater demand for agriculture to provide food and energy,” says Farm Foundation President Neilson Conklin. All this will increase pressure on and competition for natural resources at a time when the impacts of climate change on production systems are not yet fully understood, he adds.

The report breaks down the challenges into six major categories: 1. Global financial markets and recession; 2. Global food security; 3. Global energy security; 4. Climate change; 5. Competition for natural resources; and 6. Global economic development.

Conklin points out that American farmers alone cannot feed the growing world, but they can play a key leadership role in helping meet these daunting challenges. And he adds that Farm Foundation is not intending this report as his group’s solution to what agriculture is facing but rather as a catalyst to start debate as to how best to meet these challenges.

You can hear my conversation with Neil by clicking here: Conklin1.mp3

Download the audio here. (mp3)
You can read the entire report by going to Farm Foundation’s web site: www.FarmFoundation.org.

On a day when he moderated a conversation between seven former Secretaries of Agriculture, speculation swirled that former Rep. Charlie Stenholm would be the next person to lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Stenholm’s primary role was to ask questions of the six who attended in person and one who appeared by video at the Farm Foundation’s Food and Agriculture Summit in Washington, D.C. today.

Afterwards, I turned the tables on him by getting in a few questions of my own, including whether he was being considered to serve in Pres.-elect Barack Obama’s Cabinet.

“I’ve heard the same rumors you’ve heard. I’m quite honored that so many people believe I would be qualified for that job, but, no, I have not had any conversations with any of the people making that decision.”

But Stenholm did not rule out the possibility he would serve as Ag Secretary should Obama ask.

“I’m not running for it, [but] obviously if the President of the United States called and said ‘Charlie I’ve looked at your record of 26 years on the House Ag Committee and I believe you’re the man to serve me’ it would be very hard, in fact, impossible, to say no.”

Stenholm says he is looking forward to working with whomever the next chief of USDA would be.

You can hear my entire conversation with Stenholm, including his comments on the importance of the forum held today, by clicking here: Stenholm1.mp3

Download the audio here. (mp3)

It was a pretty historic meeting this afternoon at the Farm Foundations’ Food and Agriculture Policy Summit in Washington, D.C. as six former Secretaries of Agriculture shared the stage and another joined by videotape.

This truly bipartisan meeting of the minds was moderated by Farm Journal’s Roger Bernard and former Rep. Charlie Stenholm (who is rumored to be on the short list to be the next Ag Secretary… more on that later).

As I mentioned in a previous post, these former secretaries offered the next ag secretary some great advice that ranged from making sure you have the right team together right away to how important international relations are to the USDA and the U.S. in general.

The rest of the conversation, obviously with the start of a new administration just more than a month away, also focused on what would face the next ag secretary and Pres. Barack Obama.  Fuel was a big part of the conversation… from the perspective of the roller-coaster ride prices have been on in the last few months and from the perspective of how agriculture will contribute to the nation’s energy supply in the form of biodiesel and ethanol.

Those on the stage… and on the video… debated the current structure of USDA with Block pointing out that the next Farm Bill is more than just a bill for farming, as it will contain provisions on forestry and nutrition.  Block even suggested that the USDA be renamed the Department of Food, Agriculture and Forestry to highlight the diverse nature of the Ag Department.

As I said, there was some great conversation in this truly unique forum.  But I think the line of the day has to go to Espy who said: “Within the population of the US, only 2 percent are farmers.  But 100 percent are eaters.”  He was pointing out the importance of food safety.  But I think he was also making the point how dependent all of us are on those few who plow the fields and pick the fruits and vegetables we eat.

You can hear the entire 95 minutes (I know, a bit long but worth the listen) by clicking here: Sec of Ag Forum.mp3

Download the audio here. (mp3)

Six former U.S. Secretaries of Agriculture… John Block under Pres. Ronald Reagan, Clayton Yeutter under the first Pres. George Bush, Michael Espy and Dan Glickman for Pres. Bill Clinton, and Ann Veneman and Michael Johanns under the second Pres. George (W.) Bush… and one on video… Robert Bergland for Pres. Jimmy Carter… are on the diais today in Washington, D.C., discussing the future of agriculture as the Farm Foundation is hosting The Food and Agriculture Policy Summit.

As I post this, the conversation has just started, moderated by former Rep. Charlie Stenholm and Farm Journal’s Roger Bernard.  The first question out of the gate is what advice would these former secretaries suggest to the next Ag Secretary.

Block suggested that the next secretary should put together a team quickly to hit the ground running.  Glickman stressed the need to meet the employees at USDA and make sure to make contact with the key members of Congress.  Espy said, in light of the current economic conditions, the next secretary will need to do more with less.  Yeutter pointed out the importance that energy will play in the future.  Veneman and Johanns talked about how this country’s export policies are key to agriculture and how the next secretary will need to make sure our trade policies are beneficial to American agriculture.

I’ll have audio to post a little later as they are still talking.  Fascinating conversation and I promise to have more a little later.