Senator Reverend Warnock Takes Gavel of Critical Agriculture Subcommittee Overseeing Key Commodities, Federal Crop Insurance and Trade

Senator Warnock to chair the U.S. Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade
Key subcommittee oversees agriculture production, including commodity programs, crop insurance, commodity exchanges, agriculture trade, international food assistance and credit
Senator Warnock joins Congressmen Scott, Bishop as chair of key congressional committees overseeing federal agriculture policy 
Senator Warnock: “As a voice for Georgia in the United State Senate…I am looking forward to leading the subcommittee’s efforts to make sure producers growing our nation’s key commodities, like our cotton and peanut farmers, have a seat at the table.”

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) announced that he will chair an important subcommittee of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry with oversight of key Georgia commodities like peanuts and cotton, as well as other important federal crop insurance and trade programs that are critical to Georgia’s farmers and farming families. 

The U.S. Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade Senator Warnock will chair is responsible for regulating matters regarding production agriculture, including commodity programs, crop insurance, commodity exchanges, agriculture trade, international food assistance, and access to credit for farmers in Georgia and across the country. Along with Georgia’s own U.S. Representatives David Scott (D, GA-14th), chair of the House Agriculture Committee, and Sanford Bishop (D, GA-2nd), chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, this appointment will provide Senator Warnock significant scope and influence over federal agriculture policy.

“As a voice for Georgia in the United State Senate, I am proud of our state’s continued leadership and innovation at the forefront of our nation’s agriculture industry. I am looking forward to leading the subcommittee’s efforts to make sure producers growing our nation’s key commodities, like our cotton and peanut farmers, have a seat at the table,” Senator Warnock said upon his appointment.

As the nation’s primary producer of peanuts and second-place producer of cotton, specifically, in addition to playing a leading role in the production of other agriculture commodities, the purview of the Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade is especially relevant to Georgia’s agricultural economy: the most recent Ag Snapshot from the University of Georgia’s Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development estimates that the farm gate value of Georgia’s agriculture production is over $13 billion, with row and forage crops accounting for $2.6 billion of that total. Additionally, the subcommittee is responsible for overseeing federal risk management programs as well as agricultural trade promotion efforts; Senator Warnock’s leadership on this subcommittee will ensure that Georgia’s farmers are provided the federal support necessary to recover from recent economic shocks to the agriculture sector and disruptions to well-established and emerging international trade relationships.

Senator Warnock continued: “Especially given the adverse impact of COVID-19 on the agricultural industry in Georgia and across the nation, as well as the worsening consequences of climate change, when it comes to ensuring the federal government is working for all farmers, there is no time to waste. I will work on the subcommittee to ensure that crop insurance and farm safety policies work equitably for all Georgia farmers; to rebuild our international partnerships and create new markets for Georgia products; and to expand access to credit for those who have historically struggled to gain access.”

The subcommittee also has jurisdiction over federal credit programs for farmers, an area in which Senator Warnock has already championed strengthened federal support for historically-disadvantaged farmers through his Emergency Relief for Farmers of Color Act, a $5 billion debt relief and assistance package that passed the Senate and was signed into law as part of the American Rescue Plan last week.

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Title and affiliation are provided for identification purposes only. A noted theologian and social justice advocate, Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock was elected to the United State Senate in 2021 and serves on the Senate Agriculture, Banking, and Commerce committees.

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