The top Democrat on the House Appropriations subcommittee overseeing USDA and FDA will retire in 2016, said Roll Call, noting the district is solidly Democratic so there Farr’s departure will not affect control of the House. A former Peace Corps volunteer, Farr was elected to the House in 1993 in a special election. Roll Call described the 20th House District, which includes Salinas, Santa Cruz and Monterey, as ” the ‘salad bowl’ of California, a big agricultural center in the state. Farr was one of only 28 House Democrats who voted for fast-tracking Trade Promotion Authority earlier this year.”
The Global Foodbanking Network, an international nonprofit organization based in Chicago, has hired Lisa Moon as its chief executive effective Nov 30. Moon is vice president of global agriculture and food at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, a think tank active in food security issues. GFN says it works with 750 food banks in 34 countries to alleviate hunger and reduce food waste.