In just 40 years the earth’s 6.8 billion people will grow past 9 billion, increasingly urbanized and yet needing to be fed with no more land or water than we have today. The policies set and appropriations made by Congress will make a fundamental difference in the United States’ role and effectiveness in responding to this challenge.

Leadership on the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry is crucial to ensuring that the nation is prepared. Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow is an excellent choice to chair that committee. She represents a state where agri-food represents a $ 71.3 billion annual economic impact and comprises the second-largest economic sector. Agriculture accounts for almost 20 percent of Michigan’s economic engine and employs a quarter of its workforce.

Importantly, Michigan is the second most diverse agriculture state in the nation - behind only California. It leads in tart cherry, black bean and blueberry production and has strong soybean, corn, sugar beet, apple and nursery production. Dairy and animal food producers also have a stable and strong presence.

Sen. Stabenow has been an ardent and steadfast advocate for agriculture, not only in Michigan but across the nation. Through the years she has worked on numerous pieces of legislation related to issues critical to specialty crop programs, including research, competitiveness grants, trade assistance, commodity purchases for nutrition programs and pest and disease issues.
She has secured important purchases for commodity groups including pork, cherries, apples, asparagus and blueberries.

Her leadership on the Senate agriculture and finance committees helped bring about a foresighted new focus on agricultural research, specialty crops, development of renewable fuels and critical land, habitat and water conservation efforts.

Her strong role in crafting the 2008 Farm Bill broadened its perspective beyond traditional production crops, which in our view will more fully assure the supply of high-nutrition food in the coming years. The most recent proposals in this area were awarded to projects in 19 states, benefitting farmers across the country.

Sen. Stabenow is a champion for leveraging investment in research and outreach – much of it undertaken at land-grant institutions, including Michigan State University. These expand agriculture’s positive impact far beyond its primary stakeholders.

Understanding the needs of agriculture producers and the workings of the nation’s food system from farm to fork, Sen. Stabenow’s experience equips her well to lead the shaping of the next farm bill and cement America’s position as a global food leader.

We applaud her selection as chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry and fully expect her to have a positive and lasting impact in advancing America’s diverse agriculture sector and, indeed, world food security.

Lou Anna K. Simon
President, Michigan State University

Jeffrey Armstrong
Dean, Michigan State University
College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World.