Guest Columns

What a difference a year makes!

Connie Tipton

Connie Tipton is president and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association. She contributes this column exclusively for Cheese Market News®.

On New Year’s Day I enjoy perusing The Washington Post’s list of “what’s in and what’s out.” It’s always interesting to see how things have changed in the span of a mere 12 months. But “Oh my gosh!”— as Sarah Palin might say — I just can’t wait for this year’s list.

Washington, D.C., surely will be at the top of the list for tectonic changes.

Obviously President Bush is soon to be “out” and President-elect Obama will be “in.” With this leadership change, the entire top management of every department of government will churn. In fact, here at IDFA, we’re busy meeting with transition teams and candidates for several key posts.

For one, we expect to be saying goodbye to Agriculture Secretary Ed Shafer and hello to former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack. It’s clear that Gov. Vilsack understands business as well as agriculture, and we have every reason to believe that he will be receptive to the concerns of dairy processors. But with so many Americans facing difficult times and worrying about finding jobs and keeping their homes, it’s likely that dairy-specific issues will be pretty far down the priority list for the new administration.

Now here’s an interesting twist. While Sen. Hillary Clinton is “out,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is “in.” That means we’ll have a new senator from New York, always a state with interest in dairy issues, as well as a new cabinet member with previous ties to dairy.

The leadership of several key committees also is shifting. For instance, in the top Republican slot on the U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Committee, Congressman Bob Goodlatte from Virginia is term-limited “out” and Congressman Frank Lucas of Oklahoma is “in.” In another shift, Congressman John Dingell from Michigan, a zealot for new food safety legislation, is “out” as chairman of the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee in the House. He was defeated in an intra-party challenge waged by fellow Democrat Henry Waxman, who is known as an ultra-liberal member. But Mr. Waxman seems less interested in food safety.

Other comings and goings in Congress certainly will be interesting for the dairy industry. Fifty-five new faces will be “in” for membership in the House of Representatives, which has a total of 435 members. The new House is currently split between 254 Democrats and 173 Republicans, but a few tight races still are pending.

At this writing, Republican Rep. Norm Coleman, is dangling by a four-vote margin in Minnesota’s re-election between the incumbent and former Saturday Night Live writer Al Franken. This is hard to believe, considering the millions of votes cast — and the final outcome could be pivotal for dairy as well.

Representing the state of Nebraska, former Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns joins the 100-member U.S. Senate along with only one other freshman Republican, Jim Risch of Idaho. Next month, they’ll enter the 111th Congress with six new Democrats: Kay Hagen of North Carolina, Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Mark Udall of Colorado, Tom Udall of New Mexico and Mark Warner from Virginia.

It’s no stretch, then, to say that Republicans are “out” and Democrats are “in.” And that’s likely a sign that more oversight, regulations and increased costs for businesses will be “in,” too, although those changes are bound to be a tougher sell given the economic situation.

Coming closer to home, the food industry is feeling the ins and outs of change as well. Fast food is “out” and slow food — sometimes shorthand for unprocessed or less processed food — is “in.” Knowing more about your food, where it’s from and how it’s made is “in” with a growing bunch of consumers, while just grabbing the cheapest, most convenient food-to-go is “out” with these shoppers.

No doubt these eating trends can — and will — influence several important events on the dairy horizon. Two that come to mind are the updates to the official Dietary Guidelines for 2010 and the Child Nutrition Act, which is set to be considered and reauthorized by Congress in 2009.

And eating out is just that — “out” — while dining at home is increasingly “in.” That dynamic may bode well for dairy, possibly helping to drive more purchases of our products at the store. Consumers are looking for convenience and nutrition, as well as overall value. They want it all!

If all this change makes your head spin, you’re not alone. But look on the bright side: People still are going to eat. There are some entire industries that are “out” in this economy. Let’s work together to make sure dairy stays “in” for a long, long time!

CMN

The views expressed by CMN’s guest columnists are their own opinions and do not necessarily reflect those of Cheese Market News®.

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