So much for change . . .

Last week, Tom Vilsack, a Democratic governor of Iowa, was nominated by Mr. Obama as Secretary of Agriculture. Although other nominations, such as that of Stephen Chu as Energy Secretary, are commendable and a harbinger of great progress to come, choosing Mr. Vilsack was a terrible decision that raises questions about Mr. Obama's commitment to true progress.

The success of Mr. Vilsack is inextricably tied to the agribusiness lobby. Rumored to frequently travel on the Monsanto corporate jet, Mr. Vilsack has an unhealthy relationship with the ethanol, agribusiness, and seed biotech industries. Recepient of the Biotechnology Industry Organization's Governor of the Year award in 2001, Mr. Vilsack founded the Governors' Biotechnology Partnership to advocate for genetically modified crops. In 2007, he briefly worked for a law firm that represents agribusiness giants Cargill and Conagra (there is no revolving door in politics!!!!).

From a public health and environmental perspective, these three industries are disasters. 

Monsanto is a company whose directive totally disregards responsible practices. After numerous studies demonstrating one of its products, r-BST, a bovine growth hormone administered to milk cows to increase yield and profit, link to cancer, Monsanto has used highly unethical methods to prevent its regulation, such as forcing Fox News to censor a report on r-BST by threat of removing all advertising with News Corp and censoring of its own safety reports.  Monsanto has also engaged in the intimidation and bankrupting of farmers who have "misused" Monsanto GM seeds by forcing them to sign strict contracts ensuring monopoly.

Cargill and Conagra employ monocultures, pesticides, and inorganic fertilizers (the latter two derived from petroleum) to maximize yield and profit while consequently devastating biodiversity, water ways, wildlife, soil health, the climate, and family farm communities (small farms are bought up and aggregated in order to concentrate production). Processed food (the cause of our public health crisis–Type II diabetes, obesity, etc.) is a result of agribusiness minimizing nutrition and ingredient wholesomeness in order to maximize profit.

Mr. Vilsack is also an ardent supporter of biofuels, such as corn- and soy-based ethanol fuels, which are not energy efficient and have led to high food prices around the world.

I could carry on all day about why Mr. Vilsack is not the right choice for Ag. Secretary. Quite simply, though, any person so closely tied to industries so dependent on lack of regulation and excessive subsidies–both determined by Dept. of Agirculture–is not a choice for change. Mr. Obama disappoints.