U.S. Senator Chris Coons of Delaware

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Agriculture

Agriculture

Agriculture

Standing up for Delaware’s hard-working farmers

Our nation has long been sustained by the hard work and spirit of its farmers. Delaware in particular has a long history as an agricultural state, and the quality of our produce, poultry, and dairy products are known regionally and globally. In fact, agriculture contributes $8 billion a year to Delaware's economy and accounts for 30,000 jobs in the state. Senator Coons is standing up for Delaware’s farmers and ensure that our state’s agricultural sector thrives in the years to come.

Senator Coons’ agriculture priorities include:

  • Reauthorizing the farm bill. Senator Coons believes we need a comprehensive approach to agriculture policy, and that requires reauthorizing the farm bill. He supported the Senate version of the farm bill, which passed by a broad bipartisan majority.  This legislation would protect the 16 million American jobs supported by agriculture and reduce our deficit by $23 billion, yet it has not yet passed the House.
  • Fighting for Delaware poultry. Senator Coons introduced and passed a bipartisan amendment to the farm bill to support the poultry industry in Delaware, which is especially critical to jobs and the economy in Kent and Sussex counties. Senator Coons’ amendment commissions a pair of studies on the feasibility of insurance programs to protect America’s poultry growers from catastrophic loss, such as disease outbreaks, and from bankruptcies of poultry integrators.
  • Expanding trade opportunities. As a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Coons is committed to expanding and opening new export markets for Delaware products around the world. The Senator is actively working with U.S. trade officials to address market barriers, including antidumping duties, tariffs, and non-scientific-based health bans that affect Delaware’s agricultural producers and companies.
  • Developing next generation biofuels. Senator Coons knows that biofuels can play in meeting economic, national security, and environmental goals. He is a leading advocate for advanced, next generation biofuels, including cellulosic ethanol, biodiesel, and drop-in fuels like bio-butanol, and is actively working to support the research, development, and deployment of these advanced biofuels in order to stand up this nascent industry.
  • Promoting conservation and farmland preservation. Senator Coons is a leading advocate for agricultural conservation and farmland preservation. He supports conservation programs authorized in the farm bill to help farmers and ranchers achieve their goals to be good stewards of that land. These programs support voluntary, cooperative efforts to protect water quality, conserve soil, enhance wildlife habitat, and protect farmland.
  • Helping farmers reduce pollution in the Chesapeake Bay. As a Chesapeake Bay watershed state, Senator Coons believe Delaware has a duty to help ensure that the bay is healthy for future generations. He is committed to working with his colleagues from neighboring states to assist farmers in implementing pollution reductions in accordance with federal Total Maximum Daily Load requirements in a way that does not overly burden our agricultural communities. Senator Coons believes that pollution reduction goals should be paired with increased funding so farmers can make the necessary investments in conservation practices to help them be good stewards of the land.

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