The long, strange pandemic-ridden election season certainly looks different in 2020. But two things remain the same: Candidates are fielding questions from voters and media, and very few of those questions are about food and agriculture.
But Farm Progress editors want you to hear specifically from this year’s presidential candidates on the issues that are important to rural America. So, we posed the same 10 questions to the campaign teams for the Republican nominee, President Donald Trump, and the Democratic nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden.
The candidates’ exclusive responses are also available verbatim in the download at the end of the story.
The following questions were asked (click question to jump to answer):
- How would you prioritize U.S. food production to improve national security?
- What is the greatest threat to American agriculture today?
- What actions will you take to secure trade opportunities for U.S. farmers?
- What are your goals for the Renewable Fuel Standard?
- What food chain vulnerabilities were exposed during the pandemic, and how would you address them?
- What changes could improve federal health care policy for rural Americans?
- Do you anticipate continuing recent ad hoc assistance, including trade payments (Market Facilitation Program) and coronavirus payments (Coronavirus Food Assistance Program) into 2021?
- How do you plan to partner with farmers in addressing the changing climate?
- Farmers are concerned about balancing regulations. What regulations do you anticipate expanding or rolling back?
- In our surveys, farmers say the top priority for the election is “the way Washington operates.” If elected, how do you anticipate changing the way Washington operates?
Let's face it: If Biden wins, he'll do exactly what the National Farmers Union and the enviros tell him, and if they disagree he'll go with the enviros.
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