Posted for Emma Marris

Tom Vilsack, former governor of Iowa, had an appointment on Capitol Hill this morning: a two and a half hour confirmation hearing. He’s Obama’s pick for secretary of agriculture.

Vilsack is a fairly uncontroversial nominee for most Americans, but he has riled up many opponents of genetically modified foods for being a friend to biotech. As governor, he hoped to position Iowa as a leader in agricultural biotechnology research, wooing New Zealand biotechs to set up shop in the state and funnelling state money towards biotechnology efforts at Iowa universities.

In fact, the Biotechnology Industry Organization named him governor of the year in 2001, in part for putting together a now-defunct group called the Governors’ Biotechnology Partnership “to increase public understanding and support for the benefits of agricultural biotechnology”. Among others, the Organic Consumers Association opposes him. (There is also a support site.)

Proceedings were, to put it mildly, non-confrontational. Tom Harkin, head of the Senate Agriculture Committee where the hearing was held, is also from Iowa and is a pal of Vilsack’s. “I just couldn’t be more proud,” he said “to contemplate you being secretary of agriculture.”

Vilsack promised to get to work implementing the many provisions of the recently passed farm bill, which include several of interest to scientists: a reorganization of research at the Department of Agriculture and authorization of spending on such research topics as honey bee colony collapse disorder, bioenergy and bioterrorism. He vowed to “support” and “celebrate” organic farming. He talked about working with the new secretary of Health and Human services head Tom Daschle to improve the health of Americans by getting fresh and local fruits and vegetables available for school lunch and other forms of federal food aid. He called for “accelerating research and development on a variety of second and third-generation feedstocks” for biofuels.

Vilsack has been a booster of corn ethanol in Iowa, but he says the country must transition to cellulosic ethanol. And he advocated research on reducing the carbon footprint of agriculture, and suggested that this work and the work of setting aside and rehabilitating land under the Conservation Stewardship Program can create jobs in depopulating rural areas.

Harkin took the opportunity to take a pot-shot at those who frown on farm subsidies. After the recent massive bailouts to business, he said, “I don’t want the Wall Street Journal preaching to me anymore about our little subsidies that we give to our farmers”.

Vilsack will likely be confirmed next Tuesday.

Image: via wikipedia