Dive Brief:
- Now that Donald Trump has become our nation’s 45th president, the global food industry feels international trade could become more restricted, according to a survey taken by Just Food.
- The publication's 2017 Confidence Survey revealed 42% of respondents believe Trump’s protectionist agenda will impact global trade for the worse, restricting it greatly.
- More than half of those surveyed don’t believe Trump will have any strong impact on their companies’ performance. A quarter believe he will negatively impact business. Only 14% think he will help.
Dive Insight:
Fears of negative impact on trade can easily be built out of President Trump's rhetoric. He has long opposed the North American Free Trade Agreement and had previously said the U.S. would walk away from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. Since his election, he has had an with an antagonistic relationship with China.
How the relationship with the food industry actually gets started has a lot to do with U.S. Department of Agriculture nominee Sonny Perdue, the former governor of Georgia. Perdue has a strong agricultural background, having grown up on a farm. He holds a doctorate in veterinary medicine. As governor, he helped shape a $74-billion agricultural sector, and he also was integral in launching trade partnerships. Since leaving public service, he's worked in the agribusiness sector.
Under Perdue’s leadership, Georgia adopted much stricter food-safety regulations after a deadly U.S. salmonella outbreak was traced to Georgia-made peanut butter and he transferred the state office that issues water permits for irrigation and other agricultural uses from Atlanta to south Georgia, so it would be closer to farmers.
Perdue, who was nominated late last week and the last member of Trump's Cabinet to be named, will need to undergo confirmation hearings. At these hearings, more specific plans and qualifications will become known.
Trump has yet to make any other significant moves concerning the food industry, not counting immigration plans that could affect farms. Based on his campaign, food issues don’t seem to be that high on his priority list.