Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee

Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee "provides advice and information to the [United States] secretary of Agriculture and the U.S. trade representative on negotiating objectives, positions and other matters related to the development, implementation and administration of U.S. agricultural trade policy." The administration also maintains six Agricultural Technical Advisory Committees (ATACs) that advise on various areas of agriculture: Animals and Animal Products, Fruits and Vegetables, Grains, Feed, Oilseeds and Planting Seeds, Processed Foods, Sweeteners and Sweetener Products, and Tobacco, Cotton and Peanuts. "Congress established the advisory committee system in 1974 to ensure a private-sector voice in establishing agricultural trade policy objectives to reflect U.S. commercial and economic interests. The Agriculture Department and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative jointly manage the committees."

Industry Influence and Lobbying
According to the Hagstrom Report:


 * "The [2011 appointees] list appears to include a broader range of geography and interests than have been on the committees in the past, but also contains the names of many well-known Washington agriculture leaders.


 * "None of them are registered lobbyists, according to two sources who were appointed to the committee and a USTR source. The Obama administration has had strict rules forbidding the appointment of lobbyists to most administration posts, and applied those rules to these committees. One appointee told The Hagstrom Report that he had to deregister as a lobbyist. (emphasis added)


 * "“Now I have to watch out that my interaction with Congress doesn’t exceed 20 percent of my work time,” he added.


 * "Other sources said many of the Washington appointees had risen so high in their organizations that they no longer lobby personally." (emphasis added)

2011 Appointees

 * Laura Batcha, Organic Trade Association
 * Jon Caspers, Pig Farmer
 * Nancy Cook, Pet Food Institute
 * Marsha Echols, World Food Law Institute
 * Audrae Erickson, Corn Refiners Association
 * Hezekiah Gibson, United Farmers USA, Inc.
 * Thomas Hammer, National Oilseed Processors Association
 * Shannon Herzfeld, Archer Daniels Midland
 * Leonard Johnson, National Farmers Union
 * Peter Kappelman, Meadow Brook Dairy Farms
 * Alan Kemper, Kemper Farms
 * Robert Koch, The Wine Institute
 * Robert Litterer, Litterer Farmers
 * Rik Miller, DuPont Crop Protection
 * Brenda Morris, Morris Farms
 * Daniel Moss, Moss Farms Partnership
 * Gary Murphy, U.S. Rice Producers Association
 * Thomas Nassif, Western Growers Association
 * Forrest Roberts, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
 * Christian Schlect, Northwest Horticultural Council
 * Philip Seng, U.S. Meat Export Federation
 * Michael Stuart, Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association
 * James Sumner, USA Poultry & Egg Export Council
 * Alan Tracy, U.S. Wheat Associates
 * Larry Wooten, North Carolina Farm Bureau
 * Michael Wootton, Sunkist Growers
 * Van Yeutter, Cargill

SourceWatch Resources

 * Animals and Animal Products Agricultural Trade Advisory Committee
 * Fruits and Vegetables Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee
 * Grains, Feed, Oilseeds and Planting Seeds Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee
 * Processed Foods Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee
 * Sweeteners and Sweetener Products Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee
 * Tobacco, Cotton and Peanuts Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee