Welcome Mr. President

What Barack Obama's election will most likely mean for the food world? Farmers will survive and prosper. And we are talking about small farmers. His initiatives include establishing a new program to identify the next generation of farmers and ranchers, development of the needed skills and a tax incentive to bring new farmers into agriculture and help them afford their first farm. Obama and Biden have both pledged their support of family farmers and their right to fair access to markets and transparency in prices of larger farms. Organic farming gets a boost with funds to help defray the costs of certification and a reform of crop insurance that eliminates the penalty for organic farming. A war on E.coli with new food safety regulations for factory farms. Country of Origin Labeling support which is likely to force expansion to more foods, and an effort to make all foods traceable. Renewable energy tax credits - over $150 billion over the next decade to encourage development, which is sure to make our supermarkets and manufacturing plants more cost efficient; and includes incentives for farmers to conduct sustainable agriculture. The end of tax breaks for companies that have transferred U.S. jobs overseas Additional funds for education, including nutrition and fitness programs and school lunch funding. A new USDA and FDA. We should expect a major overhaul in their processes and hopefully a renewed effort to recruit the best and the brightest. Technology comes to the food world, finally. Obama has shown his technology side with extraordinary web based campaigning and social networking; look for the same to manifest in traceability, nutrition and all things food. Our economy and the cost of fuel are without a doubt two of the biggest drivers of the food world, and while no one person can reverse the current economic situation, we can only hope and support that the new administration will put into action the change and promises our industry needs to grow and prosper.

What Barack Obama's election will most likely mean for the food world?

• Farmers will survive and prosper. And we are talking about small farmers. His initiatives include establishing a new program to identify the next generation of farmers and ranchers, development of the needed skills and a tax incentive to bring new farmers into agriculture and help them afford their first farm. Obama and Biden have both pledged their support of family farmers and their right to fair access to markets and transparency in prices of larger farms.
• Organic farming gets a boost with funds to help defray the costs of certification and a reform of crop insurance that eliminates the penalty for organic farming.
• A war on E.coli with new food safety regulations for factory farms.
• Country of Origin Labeling support which is likely to force expansion to more foods, and an effort to make all foods traceable.
• Renewable energy tax credits - over $150 billion over the next decade to encourage development, which is sure to make our supermarkets and manufacturing plants more cost efficient; and includes incentives for farmers to conduct sustainable agriculture.
• The end of tax breaks for companies that have transferred U.S. jobs overseas
• Additional funds for education, including nutrition and fitness programs and school lunch funding.
• A new USDA and FDA. We should expect a major overhaul in their processes and hopefully a renewed effort to recruit the best and the brightest.
• Technology comes to the food world, finally. Obama has shown his technology side with extraordinary web based campaigning and social networking; look for the same to manifest in traceability, nutrition and all things food.

Our economy and the cost of fuel are without a doubt two of the biggest drivers of the food world, and while no one person can reverse the current economic situation, we can only hope and support that the new administration will put into action the change and promises our industry needs to grow and prosper.