United States President Donald Trump has named his new agriculture secretary, former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue.
The nomination, announced the day before Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration, has been widely welcomed by American farm groups. He’s been strongly endorsed by the American Farm Bureau Federation, which has praised his deep ties to agriculture.
“I’ve worked with him in the past and that was a good experience and we’re looking forward to working with each other,” farm bureau president Zippy Duvall said of Perdue’s nomination. “I know how much he appreciates agriculture and I think it’s a great choice.”
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Perdue, a former Democrat turned Republican, is said to be a bit of a hero among American farmers thanks in part to his famous prayer vigil for rain during the 2007 drought.
But what does Perdue’s nomination mean for Canada?
For one thing, Perdue and Canadian Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay may have a fair bit in common.
Both have farming backgrounds. Perdue was born and raised on a family farm in Perry, Georgia, and has a doctorate in veterinarian medicine from the University of Georgia.
He built the first grain elevator in Houston County (where Perry is located) and is the brains behind several small-scale agriculture and transport businesses, including Houston Fertilizer and Grain, and Agrowstar, two fertilizer and seed supply companies.
MacAulay is a former seed potato and dairy farmer from rural Prince Edward Island — agricultural experience MacAulay routinely raises in conversation at the many farm receptions and social events he attends across the country.
Neither man is a stranger to the world of politics. MacAulay, who was elected in 1988, is the longest serving member of parliament in P.E.I. history. Among cabinet ministers he has the second-longest tenure in Parliament.
Perdue ran for the Georgia State Senate in 1990 before resigning to run for governor in 2001. He was elected governor in 2003, a position he held until 2011.
On the policy front, Perdue is said to be a strong proponent of free trade, particularly for agriculture — a position that will be welcomed by Canadian farm groups. Canada and the U.S. share a $47 billion trading relationship in agriculture, with Canada being the top export destination for agricultural goods and services for 29 American states.
Perdue has repeatedly travelled overseas to promote agricultural goods and sectors from across the U.S. He is a founding member of Perdue Partners, a global trade firm that helps company’s tap into new markets. The consulting firm was launched after Perdue’s second term as governor.
MacAulay also advocates for freer agriculture trade. Since his appointment in 2015, MacAulay has worked with export dependent agriculture sectors, such as beef, pork and grain to resolve trade disputes, including reopening the Mexican beef market and Argentina’s pork market.
At the cabinet table, MacAulay is a big supporter of the Canada-European Union trade deal (CETA) and has held several meetings with his Chinese counterpart Han Changfu as Ottawa forges ahead with its plan to launch formal trade deal talks with the Asian super power.
It’s unclear how Perdue’s pro-trade views will fit within a Trump administration, which on Jan. 23 issued its first order of business, which was to sign an executive order calling for the U.S. withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership proposed trade agreement.
When it comes to climate change, MacAulay and Perdue appear to differ significantly.
MacAulay has repeatedly backed Ottawa’s plan to develop a national climate change strategy, while Perdue has questioned the science behind climate change.
MacAulay said Jan. 22 that he has not spoken with Perdue about his nomination but he expects to reach out to him soon.
