Presidential Candidates Outline Ag Platforms
Both Obama and Romney focus on energy and farm policy.
Compiled by staff
Published: Sep 25, 2012
Just a day after the Center for Rural Strategies released poll findings indicating a 14 point lead in rural swing states for Republican candidate Mitt Romney in the Presidential election, the American Farm Bureau has released the results of a questionnaire for both candidates that focused on agricultural campaign issues.
Both candidates went into detail about their positions on energy, environmental regulations, farm labor and more in the questionnaire, which is conducted annually by the Farm Bureau. This election, they found that energy issues and farm policy are the driving forces in the candidate's responses.
Both Obama and Romney focus on energy and farm policy. "Our rural communities, farmers and ranchers can increase our energy independence and boost the transition to a clean energy economy," Obama responded. "Last year, rural America produced enough renewable fuels like ethanol and biodiesel to meet roughly 8 percent of our needs, helping us increase our energy independence to its highest level in 20 years…and the new Renewable Fuel Standard helped boost biodiesel production to nearly 1 billion gallons in 2011, supporting 39,000 jobs."
Romney, too, supports the RFS and other agriculture-derived energies.
"I have a vision for an America that is an energy superpower, rapidly increasing our own production and partnering with our allies, Canada and Mexico, to achieve energy independence on this continent by 2020," said Romney. "The increased production of biofuels plays an important part in my plan to achieve energy independence. In order to support increased market penetration and competition among energy sources, I am in favor of maintaining the Renewable Fuel Standard."
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Tagged: Drought, Farm Bureau, farm policy, clean energy, livestock
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