Trump Signs Executive Order on Agriculture

On April 25, 2017, President Trump signed an executive order titled, “Promoting Agriculture and Rural Prosperity in America.”

The order establishes an Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity, which will be supported and funded by the Department of Agriculture.  (To read the full text of the Executive Order, click here.)

The Task Force will comprise 22 members representing the chairs and directors of a wide spectrum of government agencies, and will be chaired by Sonny Perdue, newly-confirmed Secretary of Agriculture.

The stated purpose of the Task Force will be to identify changes in policy, regulations, and law that will promote rural American agriculture. Some areas identified for study are increased educational opportunity in rural communities, regionalization of economic development programs, access to reliable workforce, preservation of family farms, improvement of science-based food safety regulations and policies, encouraging exports of agricultural products, advancement of renewable energy in the rural landscape, and expanding access to grazing, timber harvesting, mining, and recreation on public lands.

The Task Force will be open to recommendations for legislative, regulatory, and policy changes from stakeholders, and will produce a report of their findings within 180 days from the date of signing.

We will be briefing members on news of the progress of the Task Force over the next six months.

Bob Haefner and Tara Sad
CSG/ERC Agriculture and Rural Affairs Policy Advisors