Farm Bill 2008: PAC Contributor Definitions

Political Action Committee Contributor Definitions

Crop Production and Basic Processing:
Crop growers and processors make up the largest source of campaign contributions in the agribusiness sector, mostly due to those from the sugar industry. This category also includes producers of fruit, vegetables, cotton, grain, soybeans, honey, rice, and peanuts. Tobacco has its own contribution category.

Agricultural Services/Products:
Industries belonging to this category include feed suppliers, pet food manufacturers, veterinarians, farm machinery dealers and manufacturers, florists, farm cooperatives, and agricultural chemical companies. Top contributors in the industry included the Farm Credit Council, the American Veterinarian Medical Association, Deere & Company, and Monsanto Company.

Dairy Products:
Dairy cooperatives are a main source of political donations coming from this industry, which also includes manufacturers and dealers of ice cream, cheese, and other dairy products. Top federal contributors from the industry in 2006 were the Dairy Farmers of America and Dean Foods.

Food Processing and Sales:
This category consists of food manufacturers and retail food stores. Food manufacturers make most of the food products on the shelves in supermarkets, from canned goods to sliced bread. Also included in this category are meat processors and manufacturers, which produce hot dogs, sausages, and other packaged meat (ranchers and other producers of livestock and chicken are profiled separately). Food wholesalers that supply food to retail stores are included in this category. Safeway Inc., PepsiCo Inc. and the Food Marketing Institute were the industry’s top federal contributors in 2006.

Forestry and Forest Products:
The forestry industry includes timber companies, sawmills, and pulp and paper mills but not retail lumberyards. Weyerhaeuser Co., International Paper, and the Hardwood Federation were top industry contributors in 2006.

Livestock:
Within this classification fall cattle ranchers, sheep and wool producers, feedlots and related livestock services, and horse breeders. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is one of the livestock industry’s top contributors to federal candidates.

Poultry and Eggs:
Poultry and egg farmers make up this category with the National Chicken Council as a top contributor within the industry.

Tobacco:
Altria, formerly known as Philip Morris and owner of more than half the market share of tobacco products, and Reynolds American are the top contributors in this crop category.

*These definitions are drawn from the Web site of the Center for Responsive Politics: www.opensecrets.org.