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America's Farmer in Chief
(Wednesday, May 7, 2003 -- CropChoice news) -- This article appeared in the January 2003 issue of California Journal.
Shortly before she left Washington last month to spend the Christmas
break at her home in Modesto, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ann M.
Veneman spoke with California Journal Editor David Lesher. The
discussion covered a range of topics important to California, starting
with the recent announcement of an international Conference on
Agriculture Science Technology to be held in Sacramento June 23-25. More
than 180 nations have been invited. Veneman, who was raised on a
California farm and served as the state's agriculture chief under former
Governor Pete Wilson, also spoke about her recent experience with breast
cancer, which she disclosed last September. And she provided brief
updates about homeland security issues, the state of California farms
and an ambitious U.S. trade proposal anl}ounced last summer that aims to
reduce the global average for agricultural tariffs from 62 percent to
about 15 percent, slightly more than the current U.S. level.
Q: What is the agriculture technology conference your department is
planning to hold in Sacramento this June?
A: If you take a look at my speech ... from the World Food Summit [in
Rome last June], one of the things that I - said there was that the U.S.
would hold a major technology conference for [foreign] ministers of
agriculture and science and technology to look at the promise of
technology for agriculture, particularly, not exclusively, with a focus
on and how we might assist the deveoping world with some of their needs.
Things like new kinds of biotechnology crops that might help drought
resistance, that could be an area. ... We plan to hold a trade show
along with it. One of the reasons that my staff recommended that we
choose Sacramento is the.. proximity to a lot of innovative agriculture,
both through UC Davis and some of the technology companies that are
doing work in that area [as well as] the diversity of agriculture in
California
Q: And the goal or the ambition is to address global hunger?
A: It is not the sole objective. It is to create a greater
understanding of the role of technology in agriculture and the promise
for some of these new technologies and how hey may impact agriculture.
But there is a focus on the hungriest areas - how we can adapt new
technologies to particular areas of the world where people are very
hungry.
Q: Have there been conferences like this before?
A: No, this is a brand new concept. ... So we're going to try to bring
a lot of the developing countries into it. We are looking at it as a
major initiative.
Q: What do you mean in terms of agriculture technology? Is that seeds
and pesticide and fertilizer or is it machinery?
A: It's technology in terms of everything from information technology -
we are doing a lot with mapping and geographic information systems and
satellite technology to biotechnology and new crops. [It's] the ability
to address things like Vitamin A enriched rice. (That] is a
biotechnology that could help the developing world. ... There are a lot
of new technologies that allow you to look at genetic makeup and come up
with better crop varieties the developing world that will help in
certain areas. There is just so much technology that is impacting
agriculture today. Another kind of technology... [involves] one of the
biggest issues going to face agriculture globally [and] one that we've
faced in California for a number of years - and that is water quantity.
There are so many technologies on irrigation and water conservation and
that kind of thing.
Q: Regarding homeland security, how will that issue and the new
government department for homeland security affect the Department of
Agriculture?
Q: Will this safety function remain under the Department of
Agriculture or will it move to the new Homeland Security Department?
A: Part of our inspection force will move to the Department of Homeland
Security. The part on the border. When these you [enter the country and]
check your box on your customs card that asks, 'Do you have any plants
or food that you are bringing in? The agriculture inspectors who talk to
you if you do those are the people that are moving to the Department of
Homeland Security from our department. But we will continue to have a
very strong role in overseeing the integrity of the animal and plant
health and food safety.
A: We've been very involved in homeland security. [In 2001], you could
see what happened with foot and mouth - disease. Not long after we came
into office you saw all of devastating pictures [of dead cattle] from
England. And when you think about homeland security and possible threats
to food and agriculture, one of the most serious concerns is something
like foot and mouth disease, a very fast spreading disease that could be
intentionally introduced into our livestock populations and potentially
have a huge economic impact. Now foot and mouth is not a food safety
issue per se. ... We're looking at all areas of the food
system [and] what should farmers be watching for. A lot of farmers now,
if you look at these big dairies we have in California, they're much
more careful about who comes on their farms. ... Then on the processing
side, you know many of these processing plants are using more in-plant
cameras to look at what's going on, make sure nothing is going awry. But
we've dealt with tampering in the food system, and we've dealt with food
safety recalls and that kind of thing. I have confidence that throughout
the food system, we are able to react pretty quickly. I don't see a huge
widespread food safety introduction of some sort that we wouldn't catch
pretty well in the system that we have.
Q: Regarding trade, last July you outlined an ambitious proposal to the
World Trade Organization intended to level the playing field for world
farmers. What's at stake for farmers, particularly in California?
A: Obviously, California grows a tremendous number of crops, many of
which are dependent on the export market. More access means more markets
and more marketing opportunities. A lot of this is getting more access
to markets by lowering tariffs and reducing market barriers around the
world. That's good for California. And California has a particular
advantage in that it's so close to the Pacific
Rim; it's sort of the gateway to the Pacific Rim and a lot ofthe very
strong export markets. We are continuing to find both of our North
American partners are very strong export markets for U.S. agricultural
products. So I think Cali- of fornia is well positioned to take ad-
vantage of new market opportunities abroad.
Q: There are some concerns, of course, about free trade being a "two a
way street" in which some of the same crops grown in California could be
pro duced cheaper else where. Are you confident that the open markets
would be a gain for U.S. farmers?
A: The thing is, our market is already so open compared to many
other"markets. The average tariff on food and agricultural products in
the U.S. is about 12 percent. Around the world it is 62 percent. So if
we can bring that average tariff around the world down, who is going to
benefit? We are, from the access we are going to have around the world.
Others already have a lot of access to this market because we have a
relatively open market.
Q: Another concern is that major food producers now operating here
will go overseas If they can find fewer
regulations, cheaper labor and other cost savlngs
A: There is more of a globalization of the food companies. I've talked
to people who are doing business in both California and Mexico, for
example, or California and know, Latin America. And even though the
labor may be a little cheaper, the infrastructure is so much less
developed t hat the cost of producing and getting [the food] to market
IS not that much different. ...I also know a lot of Californians. . .
that are growing In Chile so they can have year-round product to satisfy
the markets they've developed. ... So it's it's a complement to
what's being done here.
Q: California farmers are facing a lot of pressure today from labor
issues, land costs, water availability and other issues. How do you
think they are doing?
A: Water availability is a tremendous issue and the cost the of water.
But one of the things we are seeing in California
as water and land become more expenslve, certain crops are going out of
production and higher value crops are coming In. For example, you are
seeing a huge Increase especially in Southern California, a huge
increase in the nursery flowers. Very high value. There are more and
more niche markets that are developing. There are ... small acreage
farmers that are selling either directly to farmers markets or they're
selling directly to restaurants. What you see is a real diversity of
people looking at different opportunities and while some of the
traditional agriculture may be making a shift, so is some of the niche
marketing. People in California and agriculture are very innovative.
Sometimes we tend to lump everyone together as one kind agriculture, and
there are so many different kinds of agriculture in California.
Q: How is your health?
A: I'm doing pretty well. I went through all of my [radiation]
treatments and I finished [Dec. 4]. And I mean, I've come through this
reasonably well. I went through this with every expectation that it was
just something I had to get through. I mean the radiation kind of
brought me down little bit. I got kind of tired, but I never missed any
work. Of course I haven't traveled because I was going every day. But
it's kind of nice to be home for a while.
Q. What's next.
A: I have follow-up doctor appointments for them to see how I'm doing,
but I'm pretty much done. | |
