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Executive Order Assigns Agricultural Task Force

Whitehouse.gov

President Donald Trump recently signed the Presidential Executive Order on Promoting Agriculture and Rural Prosperity in America. 

Brandon Willis, a professor of applied economics, said as part of the executive order, the president has set up a special task force to oversee agricultural policies in the United States. 

“He has the secretary of agriculture leading the task force,” Willis said. “It looks like he has most of the members, especially the key members of the cabinet. He’s charged them within 180 days with coming up with ideas - coming up with ideas to strengthen agriculture and strengthen rural America.”

Willis said the key thing for farmers is what happens in those next 180 days. Are these proposals really going to improve profitability and quality of life for rural America?

“The task force is supposed to identify legislative, regulatory and policy changes that promote rural America and economic development, job growth, infrastructure improvements, technological innovation, energy security and quality of life,” Willis said.

Not only should farmers be paying attention to what kind of proposals the task force comes up with, but Willis said it is something consumers should be looking at as well.

“Back when we started with farm policy we started to create programs that provide a little bit of a safety net, about a third of the population farmed,” Willis said. “Today that is down to one percent. Certainly there is a bit of a disconnect between those who grow our food and the consumers.”

Willis said this disconnect makes it difficult because sometimes there is a lack of understanding as to why we have these programs for farmers. These policy changes could be positive or negative for farmers. Either way, he said consumers will feel those effects by the time their food gets to their plates.