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Peter Welch Asks Trump USDA Nominee About Improving Resiliency In US Agriculture
Forbes Breaking News
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5/28/2025
During a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing last week, Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) spoke about the resiliency in the US agriculture industry.
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00:00
A question to Mr. Hoskins about the National Organic Program. In Vermont, we've got 690 USDA
00:08
organic certified farms, and that's about $153 million in sales. It's a big deal.
00:16
And our organic farmers want clear, consistent organic regulations. That's the foundation of
00:23
a thriving organic market. And my hope is that you will, given the recent staff reductions at the
00:32
National Organic Program, how does USDA intend to maintain support both for transitioning and
00:39
existing organic producers so that this organic sector that does have a lot of value added can
00:45
continue to grow? Thank you for that question, Senator, and to your staff for making them
00:53
making themselves available to me to meet in your office before today's hearing. They raised this
01:00
issue and a number of other priorities you have on behalf of Vermont agricultural producers.
01:06
In my experience with the AMS National Organic Program, you have absolutely the most committed,
01:15
informed career officials working to implement that program consistent with the National Organic
01:22
Food Production Act that this committee and the Senate passed, I think, in 1990.
01:28
There are challenges at times, in my recollection, with the agency working with different certifiers,
01:34
especially certifiers that are overseas, certifying product coming into the U.S.
01:41
I don't know that there's an answer to all of those challenges, but I would say in the 18 Farm Bill,
01:46
this committee and the Congress passed the Organic Safety Act. I've got the acronym wrong. I apologize.
01:56
But it basically mandated the department would update and modernize their ability to protect the
02:02
integrity of the organic seal. And there were ways to do that, both with partnerships with CBP and DHS,
02:10
and also modernizing technology and resources the agency could use to better pierce that veil
02:18
in certifiers overseas to ensure products that were coming in were consistent with the same level
02:26
of attention and practices that our producers execute.
02:30
Thank you. Mr. Hutchins, welcome.
02:35
You know, you have been a champion of acknowledging just the hardship that wild weather
02:43
is imposing on a lot of our producers.
02:47
And, you know, we had floods in Vermont in 23 and 24, July, the same day in July, 23 and 24.
02:55
And you've previously told this committee that USDA is fully committed to supporting research that ensures
03:03
U.S. producers will be able to adapt to a changing climate.
03:07
That's welcome news because our farmers think any information we can get will help us.
03:15
And one of the things I wanted to ask is how can the research, education, and economics mission at USDA
03:22
help make rural communities and farmers more resilient?
03:27
Senator, thank you for the question.
03:29
As I alluded to earlier, I believe that we have a great opportunity in front of us
03:34
with regard to the science that leads to the technology that will allow us to develop crops and animals
03:41
to be more resilient to heat, to be more resilient to drought, whatever the case may be.
03:47
We need to be able to utilize those tools.
03:49
So you'll maintain that.
03:51
You'll do all you can to help there.
03:53
Farmers have been dealing with weather year in and year out since farming.
03:57
And so that will always continue.
04:00
And the good news is we will have the tools.
04:02
We do have the tools now to allow them to succeed.
04:04
I'm almost out of time.
04:05
So I just want to move on to one other question.
04:07
There was a lot of support in Vermont for the local foods and schools program
04:11
and the local food purchasing assistance programs.
04:14
I was very disappointed that those programs were canceled a few months ago.
04:20
So if you're confirmed, can you work with us to help restart programs like that?
04:27
They've been shown to strengthen local food supply chains.
04:30
That's a big deal for us.
04:33
Thank you for that question, Senator.
04:35
This is another issue your staff raised when I had a chance to meet with them.
04:40
I understand your concern and frustration.
04:45
I heard a number of different offices and staff raise those same questions.
04:51
Not being at the department and not privy to the internal briefings or assessments
04:55
on what programs or needs are being met or should be met,
04:59
I don't know if I can speak to that directly.
05:02
But what I would say is under the Ag Marketing Service Agency,
05:07
this committee and the Senate have directed that agency through different farm bills
05:13
and other authorities to facilitate local agricultural marketing production
05:18
and connecting some of that local food resiliency system.
05:23
So I don't know that it would be carbon copy to what you're hearing or looking at under the LFAP,
05:31
but there are existing programs where AMS may be able to meet some of those similar needs
05:37
that Congress has already mandated the agency undertake.
05:41
So if committed, I would continue to work with the agencies to ensure compliance with the law.
05:47
Okay, thank you.
05:48
I yield back, Mr. Chairman.
05:49
Thank you and thank you again to Mr. Hoskins and Dr. Hutchins for appearing before the committee.
Recommended
5:46
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