Yesterday, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity that will “ensure the informed exercise of regulatory authority that impacts agriculture and rural communities.” Newly confirmed USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue will chair the task force, which will “examine current barriers to economic prosperity in rural America and how innovation and technology may contribute to long-term, sustainable rural development,” according to a USDA press release.
More specifically, USDA says: “The panel will attempt to strengthen federalism by working with state agencies charged with implementing economic development, agricultural and environmental programs, while also emphasizing regulatory flexibility for farms and small businesses. With a dependence on sound science, task force members will examine crop protection tools used by farmers and also address concerns regarding labor needed for livestock and year-round agricultural jobs. Additionally, the group will focus on tax policies that allow family farms to remain intact, while also protecting against federal takeover of state-adjudicated water rights, permitting and licensing, and conservation requirements beyond what is provided in law. Finally, members will look to improve food safety and the implementation of food safety laws, but also recognize the unique nature of farming and the diverse business structures of farms.”
While in the past “people in agriculture feared disease and drought as the greatest threats to their livelihoods and their mission of feeding America and the world” according to Perdue, “too often now it is the government -- through interference and regulation -- that poses the most existential threat to American farming. We aim to put a stop to that.”
The task force will collect input from stakeholders and the ag community and issue a report with recommendations for legislative or administrative actions within 180 days.
