In response to President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of former Governor of Georgia Sonny Perdue for Secretary of Agriculture, Oxfam America president Raymond C. Offenheiser made the following statement:
“As the Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue would take the helm of the Department at an important moment. Critical challenges face the food and nutrition communities and a new Farm Bill will be shaped in the coming months. He has the opportunity and responsibility to make US agriculture more sustainable and he will need to focus the agencies resources on reducing hunger and improving nutrition here at home and around the world.
“The USDA has a variety of responsibilities toward workers in our food system here at home. This includes assessing the needs of workers in produce fields, in slaughterhouses, in dairy barns, and more. It’s vital that the new Secretary commit to the health and well-being of these workers, for their sake and the sake of consumers.”
“If confirmed, we hope Governor Perdue will work to create a fair farm safety net that addresses inequality in rural America and bolsters economic opportunities for millions of smallholder farmers globally.
“The Department of Agriculture plays an important role in contributing to poverty alleviation and generating strong agricultural economies globally through its contributions to the Global Food Security Strategy. It’s important he continues to build cooperative relationships with key agriculture allies abroad and the US Agency for International Development to fully address the critical issues at hand in agriculture.
“We also hope he will build on the current Administration’s work, including Feed the Future, and continue to push for strong reforms and policies to improve the way US international food assistance works.”
