Rena Childers

Opinion contributor

China just announced it will no longer accept agricultural goods from the United States. The announcement was made following President Donald Trump’s decision to levy a 10% tariff on $300 billion worth of Chinese goods.

China is one of the largest purchasers of American agricultural goods, so its decision has the potential to devastate farms across the country, including right here in Kentucky. China imports more soybeans from the U.S. than any other crop, purchasing more than 60% of American soybean exports. In Kentucky, soybean sales account for nearly a billion dollars in annual revenue.

As China continues to accept fewer tonnes of soybeans each month in response to Trump’s trade war, farmers will increasingly require more assistance to maintain their livelihoods. When questioned about international trade, Ryan Quarles claimed, “that’s what (farmers) want: trade over aid.” Yet weekly reports suggest the U.S.’s relationship with China, its largest trading partner, is quickly and irreversibly deteriorating. The future viability of the U.S. soybean industry is at stake, and Kentucky’s current commissioner of agriculture continues to remain silent.

At first glance, Quarles seems like a strong candidate for agriculture commissioner. He is the incumbent, having taken office in 2015, and holds degrees from the University of Kentucky and Harvard in economics, diplomacy and law. This impressive combination of professional degrees has not, however, translated into sound policy-making. Quarles isn’t for Kentucky farmers, he’s for Ryan Quarles.

Since Quarles announced his campaign for re-election, he has yet to present any new or innovative policy suggestions. He continues to boast that his administration single-handedly expanded hemp markets in our state but fails to mention any safeguards he instituted to protect farmers against exploitation and market oversaturation — as we watched happen with tobacco across our commonwealth.

Ryan Quarles:As agriculture commissioner, I fight for farmers and families

In 1982, Kentucky farmers were producing 589 million pounds of tobacco every year. In 2004, President George W. Bush ended a Depression-era program that established tobacco-quotas. As the restrictions were lifted, farmers became vulnerable to competition from larger agricultural companies. In the face of competition, 70% of Kentucky tobacco farmers, primarily those owning small farms, were forced out of the industry. Our elected officials ignored their constituent farmers in favor of profitable corporations.

Quarles has done little to ensure this doesn’t happen to hemp farmers. He has championed legislation that reinforces high production costs, fewer marketing options and unfair business practices favoring companies like Monsanto and Syngenta (two multinational corporations that have made sizable donations to Quarles’ campaign). Aside from clear corporate influence, Quarles has supported laws and enacted policies that harm farmers, rather than help them.

Farmers are making 50% less than they did in 2013. More than 50% of farmers in Kentucky are making a revenue of less than $10,000 a year. Those who produce our food are going hungry. Quarles’ opponent, Robert Conway, wants to save family farms, expand access to capital grants and loans, protect our state against corporate influence, and ensure every Kentucky farmer benefits from the resurging hemp industry.

Robert Conway:As agricultural commissioner, I'd push for medical marijuana

WATCH:Robert Conway's speech at the 2019 Fancy Farm Picnic

We must vote for a candidate who will put our farmers first and reinvigorate our local farms. Kentucky needs an agriculture commissioner who will fight for the interests of small farmers and protect against an onslaught of attacks from corporate America. Quarles is not that candidate.

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Rena Childers is from Lexington and is a senior in college studying international relations and comparative politics. She spent the summer interning with the Kentucky Democratic Party, focusing her research on agricultural and farming policy in the state.