Ag Secretary Resigns Amid Farm Bill Brouhaha

USDA Secretary Mike Johanns resigned today, and President Bush appointed a longtime Department of Agriculture official with experience in farm policy as his replacement. It remains to be seen if Charles Conner, the acting secretary, will continue the same opposition to the House farm bill that Johanns did. The re-working of the farm bill is seen as a critical way to shape policy on a variety of important green issues -- from environmental conservation to renewable energy, organic and local farm promotion and nutrition.

While Democrats in the House claimed victory by increasing subsidies for specialty crops, like organic vegetables, many critics say Congress has so far failed to address fundamental problems with the farm subsidy system that promote bad nutrition, environmental degradation and waste. The Senate is still debating its version of the farm bill. One thing is certain: Conner's background as a president of the Corn Refiners Association suggests he will be a supporter of corn ethanol, an increasingly controversial alternative fuel.

Current subsidies have pleased farmers, who are planting more and more corn for fuel -- rather than food or feed -- which has driven up the cost of many staple foods. The boom in corn also fed a record-sized dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico, which receives fertilizer-polluted runoff from farms throughout the heartland. Conner has long political experience in the farm policy realm beyond that job, according to the Associated Press, so he should bring a broad range of background skills to the post. Johanns will run for Senate in his home state of Nebraska. Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel is stepping down.

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