USDA Rejects Women for Soybean Board

The United States — United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), under the Trump administration, rejected four women farmers nominated by their peers to the United Soybean Board, a rare intervention that has led to accusations of gender bias. This decision is viewed as part of Donald Trump's broader policy to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across the federal government. The USDA's actions reduced the number of women on the 77-member board to five, the lowest in at least a decade, despite women making up over a third of US farmers. Nominees like Sara Stelter, Susan Watkins, Carla Schultz, and Dawn Scheier were affected, with Watkins losing a position she had held for six years and was on track to chair. Former agriculture secretaries, including Tom Vilsack, noted that such White House intervention in board nominations was highly unusual. The Virginia Soybean Board appealed the decision regarding Watkins, but the USDA upheld its rejection, even suggesting political backing might be needed for future nominations, which is unprecedented for the non-political board.