Agriculture is a cornerstone of the work we do here at the Consumer Brands Association, and the starting point for many of the consumer-packaged goods (CPG) industry’s products. Most things on the grocery store shelf start as a seed in the dirt or an animal in a pasture. From obvious items like ketchup, canned goods, meats, ice cream and cheese, to not-so-obvious items like paper towels, natural soaps and even toothpaste, they can all trace their origins to materials provided by the earth. Agriculture is a dynamic policy space to navigate, spanning issues both related and further down the line from dirt. That’s why we are excited to welcome you to the first edition of “Talking Dirt with Riley”, a blog series dedicated to discussing the intersections between the CPG industry and the agriculture policy space.

Howdy! My name is Riley Cagle, and I specialize in agriculture issues here at Consumer Brands as a Manager of Federal Affairs. I am an advocate for the industry, and I usually spend my days “talking dirt” on Capitol Hill. A little about me, I grew up in both the Susquehanna Valley of Pennsylvania and Lula, Georgia. The Susquehanna Valley is home to the legendary Pennsylvania Farm Show which hosts the famous Farm Show Butter Sculpture (butter provided this year by CBA member Land O’ Lakes). Lula is where my family has a small farm that has hosted chickens, sheep and Scottish Highlander Cattle. I graduated from Penn State Harrisburg in 2020 with a B.S. in Public Policy and have been working in Washington D.C. since 2021. If you see a guy walking around the Consumer Brands offices in a cowboy hat, that’s me!

Much like the roots of our crops, agricultural policy stretches across a variety of areas you would never expect just by looking at the surface. Here are some of the major issues I’ll be keeping an eye on:

• Regenerative Agriculture
• Specialty Crop Production
• Natural Color Supply Chains and Sourcing
• Agriculture Research and Development

Each one of these topics impacts the CPG industry at some level and the 22.3 million jobs they support. Together, we’ll dive into these topics and more to discover how regulation and legislation on agriculture impact us all. We all have an interest in the agriculture policy space, whether you are a consumer or a CPG company – the entirety of the planet depends on farmers and the long hours that they put in to delivering the food that makes its way to your local grocery store and then kitchen table.

Growing up in a rural community, I deeply understand the value that farmers bring to our society, forever appreciative of the hard work that they put in to deliver safe, nutritious and affordable food in all its forms to American families. My father has a sign right next to the front door of his house, you see it every time you walk out the door, it says; “If you ate today, thank a farmer.”  I have read those words for more than 15 years, and I take them to heart. Agriculture and “talking dirt” isn’t just a policy area I was assigned, it’s my life’s work. I look forward to digging into these topics and sharing my passion about all our planet provides through this series.