Moving Agriculture Forward
Agriculture is our state’s most important industry. It puts food on our tables and generates more than $88 billion for our state’s economy. As chair of the Senate’s Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resources committee, I get a firsthand look at the legislation moving through the General Assembly aimed at strengthening our state’s agriculture industry. And recently, I received the opportunity to serve on another committee working to ensure our agriculture industry keeps moving forward.
Senate Bill 391, which I sponsored and was signed into law by the governor, creates the Joint Committee on Agriculture. Comprised of members from the Missouri House of Representatives and the Missouri Senate, as well as the directors of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Natural Resources, this committee has four main duties:
- studying the statewide economic impact of Missouri’s agricultural industry;
- studying the agricultural industry’s ongoing efforts to improve environmental stewardship while improving the economic sustainability of Missouri agriculture;
- studying ways to create incentives to encourage members of the agricultural industry to adopt best practices to scientifically address Missouri’s carbon footprint; and
- studying Missouri residents’ views on agricultural issues.
The committee met for the first time on Sept. 27. The committee’s research will likely take us all across the state to meet with farmers, consumers and other stakeholders in order to learn more about the important issues affecting agriculture. Ultimately, the committee will compile its findings in a report and submit it to the General Assembly by Jan. 15, 2021.
The committee has just started its work, and I look forward to diving into the issues that matter most to our farmers. As I said earlier, agriculture is our state’s most important industry, but it’s only through careful stewardship and foresight that we will keep it that way. The future promises challenges, but also innovative solutions if we look hard enough. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House and Senate, as well as other officials and the public, to put forward bold ideas that keep our agriculture industry moving forward.
Please feel free to contact my office at (573) 751-2076. For information about my committee assignments or sponsored legislation, please visit my official Missouri Senate website at senate.mo.gov/Bernskoetter.