Today, the U.S. Senate confirmed Robert Bonnie as Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
As Under Secretary, Bonnie will oversee the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Risk Management Agency and FPAC Business Center. He will also manage the USDA’s Climate Smart Agriculture and Forestry Partnership Program.
And various folks in agriculture welcome the news.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on the Nomination of Robert Bonnie to Serve as Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation
(WASHINGTON, April 16, 2021) — “I am grateful to President Biden for announcing his intent to nominate Robert Bonnie to serve as Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation with the Department of Agriculture. Robert currently serves as Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor for Climate at USDA. He led the USDA Transition Team for the President-Elect and Vice President-Elect. And he served in the Obama-Biden Administration as Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment as well as my Senior Advisor for the Environment and Climate. He is one of the nation’s foremost authorities and leaders on working lands approaches to conservation and incentive-based climate and conservation practices for farmers, ranchers, foresters and landowners. Under Robert’s steady hand, America’s farmers, ranchers, producers and landowners will see renewed focus on building and maintaining markets at home and abroad and preparing our food and agricultural community to lead the world in climate-smart agricultural practices. Robert will be committed to working with U.S. farmers and landowners to help feed Americans and the world and make climate smart practices work for them in a market-oriented way—a way that creates new streams of income, a cleaner energy future and a biobased manufacturing revolution.”
Background:
Prior to joining USDA, Bonnie was at Duke University, first as a Rubenstein Fellow and later as an Executive in Residence at the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions working on conservation and environmental issues in rural America. In 2020, he also worked with the Bipartisan Policy Center on its Farm and Forest Carbon Solutions Initiative.
Previously, Bonnie was vice president for land conservation for the Environmental Defense Fund where he focused on developing incentives to reward farmers, ranchers and forest owners for stewardship activities on private lands. At EDF, he helped develop the Safe Harbor program and other incentive-based approaches to endangered species conservation. Bonnie has master’s degrees in forestry and environmental management from Duke University. He grew up on a farm in Kentucky and now lives in Virginia.
To view President Biden’s announcement on his intent to nominate Robert Bonnie as Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation at USDA, you may read President Biden Announces His Intent to Nominate Eight Key Administration Leaders.
AFBF Congratulates Robert Bonnie on Nomination
(WASHINGTON, April 16, 2021) — American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on the nomination of Robert Bonnie as Under Secretary for Food Production and Conservation (FPAC).
“AFBF congratulates Robert Bonnie on his nomination as Under Secretary for Food Production and Conservation. Robert’s experience as Under Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment and as Senior Advisor to Secretary Vilsack at USDA has given him firsthand knowledge of the challenges facing America’s farmers and ranchers. We appreciate his outreach and engagement with Farm Bureau during his tenure with the Biden administration and we are hopeful he will remain fully engaged with farmers and ranchers in his new role.
“We look forward to the nomination process and we hope to build on our relationship with Robert to ensure farm, crop and conservation programs allow farmers and ranchers to continue putting food on tables across the country.”
NACD Applauds Confirmation of Robert Bonnie as FPAC Under Secretary
(WASHINGTON, April 16, 2021) — Today, the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) applauded the U.S. Senate’s confirmation of Robert Bonnie as Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
As Under Secretary, Bonnie will oversee the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Risk Management Agency and FPAC Business Center. In his role, he will also manage the USDA’s Climate Smart Agriculture and Forestry Partnership Program.
“NACD applauds the confirmation of Robert Bonnie as the FPAC Under Secretary. We are eager to work with him given his extensive knowledge and experience with USDA and climate-smart agriculture and forestry,” NACD President Michael Crowder said. “Bonnie understands the need for voluntary and locally-led conservation programs, and we are excited to work with him to continue bringing those programs to farmers, ranchers and landowners across the country.”
Robert Bonnie was raised on a farm in Kentucky and has dedicated his career to addressing climate change through agricultural and forestry-based solutions. Bonnie has served with USDA previously as Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment during the Obama Administration. He also led the USDA Transition Team for the Biden Administration and served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor for Climate at USDA. Prior to that role, he held positions as the Director of the Farm and Forests Carbon Solutions Initiative at the Bipartisan Policy Center and later Executive in Residence at Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions. Bonnie holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard College and a master’s degree in forestry and environmental management from Duke University.
“I am confident that Bonnie will continue to build on existing partnerships with NACD and the nation’s 3,000 locally-led conservation districts as a tool in implementing climate-smart agriculture and forestry programs,” Crowder said.
NCGA Congratulates Robert Bonnie on Senate Confirmation
(WASHINGTON, April 16, 2021) — The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) today congratulated Robert Bonnie for receiving Senate confirmation to serve as Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation with the Department of Agriculture. In response to the development, NCGA President Chris Edgington made the following statement:
“As production agriculture continues to face multiple challenges from climate to markets, Mr. Bonnie will play an important role in responding to farmer needs. Having previously served as the Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, he has experience working with a variety of stakeholders and overseeing important USDA agencies. These experiences, his commitment to bipartisanship, along with his ongoing work with farmers, ranchers, and conservationists, are all reasons NCGA looks forward to working with Robert Bonnie in his new role.”