Processed Foods Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee

The Processed Foods Agricultural Technical 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 an Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee and five other 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, 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

2011 appointees include:

• Robert Anderson, Sustainable Strategies, LLC
• Robert Bauer, Association of Food Industries
• Alison Bodor, National Confectioners Association
• James Finkle, Constellation Brands Inc.
• Robert Garfield, Food Marketing Institute
• Ann Grappin, Yum! Restaurants
• Timothy Hamilton, Food Export Association of the Midwest/Northeast U.S.A.
• Elizabeth Hill, Ocean Spray International Services, Inc.
• Jerry Hingle, Southern United States Trade Association
• Shawn Jarosz, Trade Moves, LLC
• Sudip Jhaveri, Starbucks Coffee Company
• Carolyn Kitchen, Land O’ Lakes, Inc.
• Christine LoCascio, Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S.
• Kasey Moctezuma, Quality Assurance International
• Carlos Pena, Pepperidge Farm, Inc.
• Rebecca Rasdall, ConAgra Foods, Inc.
• Peggy Rochette, Grocery Manufacturers Association
• Ronald Tanner, National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, Inc.
• Peter Thornton, North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Articles and resources

SourceWatch Resources

• Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee
• 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
• Sweeteners and Sweetener Products Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee
• Tobacco, Cotton and Peanuts Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee