Food and agriculture are getting short shrift in the presidential campaign, despite Iowa’s role as the starting point in the race for the White House, say the three co-chairs of the AGree food policy project. Iowa is a perennial leader in corn, soybeans, hogs and egg production. “We … are issuing a a presidential call to action to elevate food and agriculture as a national priority,” the co-chairs said in an essay appearing in the Des Moines Register. “Presidential leadership is critical as farmers face tremendous challenges associated with market volatility, natural disasters and pathogens. The right policies can directly improve the health of America’s farms, families, economy and the environment.”
Co-chairs Dan Glickman, Kathleen Merrigan and Emmy Simmons pointed to high obesity rates and the cost of treating diet-related chronic disease such as diabetes. “Improving Americans’ health and reducing health costs through food and nutrition must be a top priority,” they said. Nutrient run-off also needs attention and so does immigration reform. “We urge the presidential candidates to … address important topics that may not grab headlines but will influence caucus-goers and key votes. The health of our economy, people and economy depend on it.”
The AGree project was launched by a handful of foundations in 2011 in hopes of guiding the future of U.S. farm and food policy. Its leaders are old hands on the issues; Glickman was agriculture secretary during the Clinton administration, Merrigan was deputy agriculture secretary during President Obama’s first term, and Simmons is former assistant administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development.