President-elect Joe Biden announced on Tuesday that he would nominate Tom Vilsack to be his Secretary of Agriculture, a move that has been welcomed by the United Fresh Produce Association.
Vilsack previously served as US Department of Agriculture (USDA) secretary under the Obama administration for eight years.
During his tenure at USDA he worked with United Fresh on a number of issues including the prioritisation of good nutrition, aid to produce farmers and the supply chain and ensuring that USDA worked with other federal agencies to harmonise their efforts to address issues relating to trade, food safety and immigration.
“United Fresh is pleased to see secretary Vilsack return to USDA,' said United Fresh CEO Tom Stenzel. “Under his steady leadership we worked together to further the gains of the industry and broaden access to fresh fruits and vegetables, particularly for children.
'There is no shortage of issues to work on over the next four years – from trade to climate change,' Stenzel continued. 'Given the Covid-19 pandemic, it is vital that we have experienced leaders who can hit the ground running to ensure that there is a seamless transition from the Trump administration to the Biden administration, including making sure that the supply chain is utilised to address the immense and immediate food insecurity needs being faced around the country – and there is no one more familiar with how to make USDA work for the American people than Tom Vilsack.”
