Rollins confirmed as US agriculture secretary

Brooke Rollins has been confirmed as agriculture secretary following a 72-28 vote in the US senate.

She comes from a farming background in Texas and graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development and holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Texas School of Law.

Brooke Rollins is the founder and now past president and CEO of America First, a policy think tank that closely reflects the views of President Trump in prioritising the US in all aspects of Government policy.

She served in the Office of American Innovation in the first Trump administration and set up the organisation in 2021. It has a pro-import tariffs policy and advocates for a rolling back on climate change measures and withdrawal from the Paris Climate accord, a reversal of the previous administrations policy.

Wasteful spending

Rollins has embraced a widespread review of USDA policies an has terminated 78 contracts to a value of $132m that are deemed wasteful spending and is reviewing over 1,000 more.

Her appointment has been welcomed by farmers and industry representatives but there remains concern about the threat of reciprocal tariffs if the administration gives effect to its enthusiasm for tariffs on imports from trading partners.

Rollins is the 33rd secretary of agriculture and heads the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) which was first established by Abraham Lincoln in 1862. Its remit covers farming and agri food production and marketing and many aspects of US rural policy.