Forums

What the Midterm Elections Mean for Food and Agriculture

With the votes tallied from the Nov. 6, 2018 mid-term elections, attention turned to how the new lineup of federal and state leaders will govern. The possibilities are extensive, with at least 38 seats changing party as Democrats took control of the House, and four incumbents losing seats as the Republicans widened their majority in the Senate. In addition, Democrats flipped at least seven of the 36 governorships up for election, and voters in several states decided key initiatives and referendums.

The Farm Foundation Forum on Nov. 14, 2018, featured a panel of the nation’s leading policy, business and agricultural journalists offering their perspectives on what the outcome of the Nov. 6 midterm elections will mean for the nation’s food and agriculture sector over the next two years. The panel featured:

• Sara Wyant, President, Agri-Pulse Communication, who will serve as anchor for the discussion
• Chris Clayton, Agricultural Policy Editor, DTN/Progressive Farmer
• Helena Bottemiller Evich, Reporter, Politico
• Teaganne Finn, Congressional Reporter, Bloomberg Government
• Jerry Hagstrom, The Hagstrom Report & The National Journal

Farm Foundation organizes these public forums to engage a full range of stakeholders in informed dialogue on food, agricultural and rural policies. Participants examine current policies, explore and analyze alternative policy proposals, and give voice to new proposals. Speakers provide brief topic summaries, with the majority of time devoted to discussion. The opinions and views expressed at Farm Foundation Forums are solely those of the speakers, and do not represent those of Farm Foundation.

The Forums fit the Farm Foundation mission as an agricultural policy institute cultivating dynamic non-partisan collaboration to meet society’s needs for food, fiber, feed and energy. Since 1933 we have connected leaders in farming, business, academia, organizations and government through proactive, rigorous debate and objective issue analysis. The Forums, which have been ongoing since February 2006, are opportunities to identify evolving issues, explore options to address those issues, and understand the potential consequences of those options.