USDA Transition Team Announced: Early this week the headquarters of President-elect Obama’s Transition Team announced the members of the Agriculture Transition Team:
Agriculture Transition Team Co-chairs:
Carole Jett – most recently served as deputy chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) at USDA where she also served as the agency’s Farm Bill Coordinator. Jett was the point person for implementation of the 2002 Farm Bill Conservation Title and was previously on staff for the House Agricultural Committee.
Bart Chilton – formerly deputy chief of staff for Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman and staffer for Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle. Most recently, Chilton was a commissioner for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission in 2007.
Agriculture Transition Team Members:
Douglas Jake Caldwell – Director of Agriculture, Trade, and Energy at the Center for American Progress. Formerly Trade and Environment project manager for the National Wildlife Federation
David Lazarus – former legislative assistant to Senator Richard Durbin (D-Illinois)
Mary McNeil – Director of Native American Programs at USDA during the Clinton administration; member of Nebraska’s Winnebago tribe
Karen Stuck – recently retired from her post as Assistant Administrator for International Affairs at USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)
Michael Taylor – research professor of health policy at the George Washington University; former Deputy Commissioner at the Food and Drug Administration; former Acting Undersecretary for Food Safety at USDA and administrator at FSIS; and Vice President for Public Policy at Monsanto
Dallas Tonsager – member of the Farm Credit Administration Board, former Executive Director of the South Dakota Value-Added Agriculture Development Center; USDA State Rural Development Director in South Dakota and past president of the South Dakota Farmers Union
Christopher Wood – Chief Operating Officer at Trout Unlimited, Senior Policy and Communications Advisor to Forest Service Chief Michael Dombeck during the Clinton Administration
oh no! Not one of Monsanto’s colleagues!
Just when I was beginning to try to get positive about our new President Elect, I find that a Monsanto insider is on the USDA team. What that means for the future of health and sustainable agriculture and for small farmers is unfathomable! I am an anthropology professor teaching Culture and Food. There is a world food crisis, which almost no one seems to be aware of – and U.S. policies (and Monsanto) have helped to create it. I am truly appalled at Obama’s disregard for the future of our planet. Food is really the number one priority for humans! And I might add safe food.