Food safety involves everybody in the food chain.
Mike Johanns

Fortunately, when it comes to meat and poultry, I have the really wonderful situation of having producers and processors that produce and process a very high-quality product.
Mike Johanns

Growing up on a dairy farm, you certainly learn discipline and a commitment to purpose.
Mike Johanns

I ended up being the governor of a very ag state, Nebraska.
Mike Johanns

I meet with people in the industry on an ongoing basis.
Mike Johanns

I never would have believed as a candidate for the U.S. Senate that the U.S. government could buy GM without a hearing, with no vote, yes or no. There are billions and billions of dollars at stake here.
Mike Johanns

In 75 foreign countries, we have a presence in the USDA.
Mike Johanns

In beef trade issues, we base our decisions upon science.
Mike Johanns

In this day and age when we do so much business in foreign trade, we need the ability to identify trace an animal very quickly, identifying where it came from - where it has been, and where it is at today.
Mike Johanns

My goal with the Canadian border is the same goal I have for Japan and Korea.
Mike Johanns


On the professional side, those 18 years on the farm instilled my love for agriculture.
Mike Johanns

One of the things that I always say about bioterrorism, whether it's ourselves at the federal level, folks at the state level, or folks in the private industry, we've done many great things, especially since 9/11.
Mike Johanns

Our job is to ensure that meat and poultry products are safe, wholesome, accurately labeled for the benefit of the American consumers, and to make sure that they are in compliance with all federal laws.
Mike Johanns

People enjoy our meat and our poultry, as I do as a consumer.
Mike Johanns

Producers are so much better-educated in issues related to terrorism.
Mike Johanns

Science is the international language, so when we are able to convince countries that good decision-making for human health and animal health is based upon science, that's a real success story for us.
Mike Johanns

The big producer is going to figure out how to deal with whatever the rules are, but the little guy who is running a few hundred units or maybe feeding 1,500 cattle a year, how will they ever comply with these requirements?
Mike Johanns

The goal is to normalize trade relations based on sound science and consumer protection.
Mike Johanns

The industry is becoming very ready for animal identification.
Mike Johanns

The meat and poultry industries are outstanding industries, and it's going to be a very natural fit for me.
Mike Johanns