Task Force Recommends Promotion Program Changes

December 16, 1999

A USDA task force has issued a report calling for greater oversight of agricultural commodity research and promotion programs, the so-called "checkoff" programs. Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman quickly endorsed all 21 recommendations, some of which must be established through congressional action.

Among the recommendations is one to require a "super majority" in the referendum to establish a program and simple majorities to continue programs. That would take congressional action, as would another recommendation to force all boards to have voting representation by one or more public or consumer members.

Glickman formed the task force in November 1998. It reviewed operations and oversight of the boards, focusing on issues that have created dissent within some of the industry groups or have been the target of public concern. Glickman said he will work to enact all 21 of the recommendations, many of which will be included in a set of oversight guidelines to be published in Friday's (Dec. 17) Federal Register. The guidelines will be open to public comment for 90 days.

Other recommendations include holding mandatory continuance referenda for each program at least once every five years; encouraging boards to consider diversity as a factor in nominations; requiring boards to use generally accepted government auditing standards; requiring boards to use competitive bidding whenever possible; requiring boards to draft written policies subject to USDA approval on travel and expense reimbursement, and placing more emphasis on training and orientation of board members, particularly on how to avoid the misuse of board funds to influence government legislation or policy and conflicts of interest.

The task force's full report is available on the Internet at