Mike Johanns

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

The world is really figuring BSE out, and that's positive.

The president has been a true friend of the ag industry, because he continues to invest large amounts of money at a time when savings is really the goal of the federal government to deal with the deficit.

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

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.

We asked ourselves and the world to base decisions on good science, and I really believe the United States can be the leader in delivering that message to our international trading partners.