Letter
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 Association of Iowa
Agribusiness Council of Indiana
Agricultural Retailers Association
Almond Alliance of California
American Bakers’ Association
American Beekeeping Federation
American Dairy Products Institute
American Farm Bureau Federation
American Feed Industry Association
American Fruit and Vegetable Processors and Growers Coalition
American Seed Trade Association
American Soybean Association
American Sugar Alliance
American Wood Council
Animal Health Institute
Association of Equipment Manufacturers
Biotechnology Innovation Organization
California Association of Winegrape Growers
California Fresh Fruit Association
California Grain and Feed Association
California League of Food Processors
California Table Grape Commission
Colorado Dairy Farmers
Consumer Brands Association
Corn Refiners Association
Cotton Warehouse Association of America
Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau
Crop Insurance Professionals Association
CropLife America
Dairy Producers of New Mexico
Distilled Spirts Council of the U.S.
Farmers for Free Trade
Florida Tomato Exchange
FMI – Food Industry Association
Food Northwest
Fresh Produce Association of the Americas
Global Cold Chain Alliance
Hop Growers of America
Illinois Pork Producers Assoc.
Imperial Valley Asparagus Growers Association
Indiana Dairy Producers
Indiana Pork
Institute of Shortening and Edible Oils
International Dairy Foods Association
Iowa Pork Producers Association
Iowa State Dairy Association
Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association
Kansas Dairy Association
Kansas Grain and Feed Association
Kansas Pork Association
Leather & Hide Council of America
Louisiana Pork Producers Association
Meat Import Council of America, Inc.
Michigan Agri-Business Association
Michigan Apple Association
Michigan Pork Producers Association
Midwest Food Products Associations, Inc.
Milk Producers Council
Minnesota Grain and Feed Association
Minnesota Pork Producers Association
Missouri Pork Association
National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
National Association of Wheat Growers
National Confectioners Association
National Corn Growers Association
National Cotton Council
National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
National Fisheries Institute
National Grain and Feed Association
National Milk Producers Federation
National Oilseed Processors Association
National Pecan Federation
National Pork Producers Council
National Potato Council
National Sorghum Producers
National Turkey Federation
National Wild Turkey Federation
Nebraska Grain and Feed Association
New York Pork Producers
North American Export Grain Association
North American Meat Institute
North American Millers’ Association
North American Renderers Association
North Carolina Pork Council
Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance
Northwest Horticultural Council
Ohio Pork Council
Oklahoma Grain and Feed Association
Oregon Dairy Farmers Association
Oregon Feed and Grain Association
Organic Trade Association
Pacific Northwest Grain & Feed Association
Panhandle Peanut Growers Association
Pet Food Institute
Plant Based Products Council
Produce Marketing Association
Renew Kansas Biofuels Association
Rocky Mountain Agribusiness Association
SNAC International
South Dakota Dairy Producers
South Dakota Grain & Feed Association
South East Dairy Farmers Association
Southwest Council of Agribusiness
Sweetener Users Association
Texas Grain and Feed Association
The Hardwood Federation
Tennessee Feed and Grain Association
Tennessee Pork Producers Association
U.S. Apple Association
U.S. Dairy Export Council
U.S. Hemp Roundtable
U.S. Wheat Associates
United Dairymen of Arizona
United Egg Producers
United Fresh Produce Association
United States Peanut Federation
US Dry Bean Council
US Rice Producers Association
USA Poultry and Egg Export Council
USA Rice Federation
Virginia Pork Council
Washington Apple Commission
Western Growers
Western Peanut Growers Association
WineAmerica
Wisconsin Agri-Business Association
