The advocacy group Food Policy Action is weighing in on the presidential election for the very first time. Politico’s Morning Agriculture Report says the group is endorsing Hillary Clinton for president, saying she has a record of supporting food policies that increase access to healthy foods, supports fair labor conditions for farm workers, and supports more sustainable agriculture practices. The group says, “Unlike Clinton, Republican nominee Donald Trump has been on record supporting policies that would hurt our food system, including his objections to consumer transparency, his objections to vital safety net programs for seniors and families, as well as his plans to dissolve the Food and Drug Administration.”
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting news service.
From: Food Policy Action
Food Policy Action Announces 2016 Endorsements
Food group endorses Clinton-Kaine Presidential ticket and 12 candidates in top Congressional races
Food Policy Action, an organization dedicated to educating the public about the votes their elected leaders take on critically important food issues, endorsed candidates in twelve of the most competitive Congressional races in the country as well as in the Presidential race.
For the first time, FPA is weighing in on the most important political race in the country and supporting Hillary Clinton for President.
FPA endorses Hillary Clinton for her strong record supporting good food policies including maintaining a strong safety net for America’s most vulnerable, promoting water and land conservation and sustainable farming, increasing access to healthy food, upholding strong worker rights and fair wages, funding enhanced food safety inspections, and providing more consumer transparency. Unlike Secretary Clinton, Donald Trump has been on the record in support of food policies that would be harmful to our food system – specifically, his opposition to consumer transparency, his objections to vital sa fety net programs for America’s seniors and families, and his uninformed plan to dissolve the FDA.
“The Clinton-Kaine ticket is the better choice to make our food and agriculture system more balanced, healthy and sustainable,” said Tom Colicchio, co-founder of Food Policy Action, chef, and food advocate. “Food is political, and it matters in this election. We all feel the impact of the food system’s successes and its failures up and down the food chain. Our out of balance food system is truly failing the American public, and we need a strong leader in the White House who will prioritize fixing our food system. We urge all voters who care about good food policy to support Hillary Clinton for president and help get out the vote this year.”
FPA continues to hold Congress accountable for their votes on food and agriculture. For the first time, FPA is endorsing candidates in 12 of the most competitive races in the country, with a goal of electing more and better food leaders across the country. FPA is committed to helping Congress have more effective leaders on food and agriculture issues to drive more bipartisan solutions and market signals that can move the dial forward for good food policies.
FPA supports the following candidates in the most competitive races with failing food policy incumbents:
1. Illinois: FPA endorses challenger Rep. Tammy Duckworth over incumbent Sen. Mark Kirk (FPA 2015 Score 40%)
2. Missouri: FPA endorses challenger Jason Kander over incumbent Sen. Roy Blunt (FPA Score 40%)
3. North Carolina: FPA endorses challenger Deborah Ross over incumbent Sen. Richard Burr (FPA 2015 Score 40%)
4. Ohio: FPA endorses challenger Ted Strickland over incumbent Sen. Rob Portman (FPA Score 40%)
5. Pennsylvania: FPA endorses challenger Katie McGinty over incumbent Sen. Pat Toomey (FPA 2015 Score 40%)
6. Wisconsin: FPA endorses challenger Russ Feingold over incumbent Sen. Ron Johnson (FPA 2015 Score 40%)
7. CA-10: FPA endorses challenger Michael Eggman over incumbent Rep. Jeff Denham (FPA 2015 Score 20%)
8. CA-21: FPA endorses challenger Emilio Huerta over incumbent Rep. David Valadao (FPA 2015 Score 18%)
9. IA-01: FPA endorses challenger Monica Vernon over incumbent Rep. Rod Blum (FPA 2015 Score: 18%)
10. IL-10: FPA endorses challenger Brad Schneider over incumbent Rep. Bob Dold (FPA 2015 Score 30%)
11. NJ-05: FPA endorses challenger Josh Gottheimer over incumbent Rep. Scott Garrett (FPA 2015 Score: 30%)
12. NY-01: FPA endorses challenger Anna Throne-Holst over incumbent Rep. Lee Zeldin (FPA 2015 Score 50%)
“Expanding our involvement in elections across the country is an essential strategy to strengthen our political prowess and empower voters to vote with their forks at the polls,” said Ken Cook, Food Policy Action’s cofounder and board chairman. “By letting voters in these competitive districts know that these incumbents are serving them rotten food policies and that there are more and better options out there, we’re making the good food movement relevant to the voter constituency. FPA knows food only wins when good food candidates do. We will keep doing all that we can to elect better food leaders in Congress because we know that will ultimately lead to better food policy that the American public deserves.”