Wednesday, March 22, 2017
Ahead of Thursday’s confirmation hearing for Sonny Perdue as Agriculture Secretary, Doug Hertzler, Senior Policy Analyst at ActionAid USA, said:
“Big agribusiness will be breaking out the bubbly in anticipation of Sonny Perdue’s confirmation as Agriculture Secretary. But their victory would be a disaster for the millions of local family farmers across the country.
“Perdue is no friend of the family farmer. He made his fortune dealing in grain and chemical fertilizers, and will favor big factory farms that focus on quantity, not quality, with no regard for the impact their chemical-fueled model is having on local people and the environment.
“At the Department of Agriculture, Perdue will lead the Trump administration’s attacks on laws and regulations that keep us safe. He will prioritize profit over people and the planet, showing support for the dirty biofuels industry that is converting large areas of farm and grasslands in the U.S. into single crop plantations growing food as fuel for our cars and trucks.
“His reputation as an anti-immigrant governor means he’s set to back Trump’s policies that attack the workers who produce much of the food crops consumed in the United States. Large-scale highly mechanized farms for biofuels and export commodities will be favored over the family farms that sustain local businesses and create local jobs.
“ActionAid works with local farmers in 45 countries around the world to reduce poverty and hunger. We stand with women farmers as they claim their rights to land, and support local communities as they adapt the way they farm to the changing climate. We know that investing in local food production and protecting community land rights is vital for guaranteeing the livelihoods of farmers here in the U.S. and around the world. That’s why we’ll continue to resist the Trump administration’s attacks on our environment, as well as policies that replace local family farmers with large factory farms.”
ENDS
