From the Georgia Department of Agriculture:
Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black is excited for the opportunity to keep Georgia growing thanks to being elected to his second term as the leader of the state’s No. 1 industry.Contributing more than $77 billion to the state’s economy, agriculture is indeed Georgia’s first and most important industry. In his second term, Black is looking forward to continuing his record of conservative leadership in Georgia’s Department of Agriculture with a focus on safe food, strong farms and responsible government.
From the farm to the table, it is job number one for the Department of Agriculture to ensure the safety of our food supply. This requires extensive training, a thorough risk inspection process and effective communication and outreach to consumers. During his first term as Commissioner of Agriculture, Black streamlined these areas of focus to reduce risk and ensure food safety. Safe food will continue to be the top priority as Commissioner Black enters his next term with an emphasis on improved technology, reduced risk, increased training, and extended community outreach.
One of Commissioner Black’s most notable achievements during his first term was the rejuvenation of the Georgia Grown program, once again being recognized as the state brand for quality agricultural products. With the goal of creating a cohesive community where producers, processors, suppliers, distributors, retailers, agritourism and consumers can grow and thrive, this marketing and economic development program is heading toward nearly 1,000 business memberships. Over the next four years, there will continue to be an expansion of Georgia Grown initiatives, increased agricultural trade across the US and globally and additional focus on business development that will keep our farms the strong and secure foundation that our state’s economy continues to rely upon.
Over the past four years, the Georgia Department of Agriculture, like every business and family budget across America has been tasked with accomplishing more with less. In his first term as Commissioner, Black improved the agencies’ fiscal responsibility and performance, improved career path opportunities for employees, and made great strides in the areas of safety, quality, growth and innovation, all while operating with 100 fewer funded positions than four years ago. Commissioner Black looks forward to continuing this momentum throughout the next four years to keep Georgia growing.