California state agriculture official Jennifer Moffitt, who pledged to give farmers more leverage in dealing with meatpackers, was confirmed by the Senate on Wednesday as agriculture undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs. She was the first Biden nominee approved by the Senate for a sub-cabinet post at the USDA.
As undersecretary, Moffitt will be in charge of agricultural marketing efforts, from so-called checkoff programs and grain inspection to assuring fair competition in the marketplace, protecting U.S. crops and livestock from pests and diseases, and regulating genetically engineered crops.
During a Senate hearing last month, Moffitt cited President Biden’s executive order calling for federal agencies to promote competition. “Transparency is important, price discovery is important, regional processing capacity is important,” said Moffitt. “All of these things together are very important to create a fair and robust agricultural economy.”
Moffitt, now undersecretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, grew up on, and later managed, her family’s walnut farm in California. “Each day, I carry with me the experience of working on the farm,” she said of her perspective as a policymaker.
Two other nominees for undersecretary posts await a floor vote in the Senate: USDA climate adviser Robert Bonnie, to oversee farm production and conservation programs, and former New Mexico Rep. Xochitl Torres Small, to oversee rural development programs.