Equity commission will root out systemic racism in USDA programs, says Vilsack
At the same time USDA announced its first-ever senior adviser for racial equity, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said on Monday that an equity commission would “identify and root out any systemic racism that may exist” in USDA programs.
Climate mitigation ‘designed by farmers for farmers’
Farmers and ranchers will have a voice in writing the Biden administration’s plan for alleviating climate change, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Monday — “a system that is designed by farmers for farmers.” A spokesman said the USDA will reach out to the agricultural sector “in the coming weeks” for ideas.
Today’s Quick Hits
Farmworker vaccine woes: California is putting an insurance company in charge of coronavirus vaccinations, leaving community organizers and health officials worried that farmworkers will be neglected just weeks before the harvest season crowds them into fields and packing sheds in the Central Valley. (Los Angeles Times)
Farmers shun Biden: Three-fourths of respondents in a straw poll of the ag sector said they strongly disapproved of President Biden’s job performance, nearly the opposite of a poll a year ago in which 83 percent approved of then-President Trump’s performance. (Farm Journal)
Prop. 12 appeal: The meat industry asked the Supreme Court to rule on California’s voter-approved Proposition 12, that outlaws so-called sow crates, on grounds it unconstitutionally sets standards for pork production in other states. (North American Meat Institute)
High on hemp: Taking advantage of the 2018 farm bill’s legalization of industrial hemp, entrepreneurs across the country are extracting the chemical compound Delta-8-THC and selling it as a legal alternative to marijuana. (New York Times)
