For the first time, Food & Water Action is endorsing a presidential candidate, and we’re throwing our weight behind Vice President Kamala Harris.

We’re endorsing Vice President Harris because we know the stakes in this election — our food, water, climate, and democracy are on the line. We saw the destruction Trump wrought when he was president; we can’t let that happen again. 

The difference in this election couldn’t be more stark. Vice President Harris has a track record of concern and action for clean water and environmental justice. She has fought against corporate greed and consolidation. Meanwhile, Trump and his cronies will give free rein to large polluting corporations that are wrecking our environment and costing taxpayers. 

The Harris-Biden administration has made progress on food, water, and climate issues, but they have not gone nearly far enough, and there are some significant policies they have pursued that we fundamentally disagree with. Still, a President Harris — someone who has taken action on environmental issues and has shown herself to be responsive to community concerns — provides an avenue for future progress, while a President Trump will send us 180 degrees in the wrong direction.

Harris Would Open the Doors for Bold Climate Action

When it comes to the bold policies we need to save our climate future, we have a long way to go and Vice President Harris will need to be pushed. Organizing a broad climate constituency to get her elected and then hold her accountable is the best vehicle for bringing about transformational change. 

We know we can do this because we’ve seen that she takes climate change seriously and has taken steps to address it. As California Attorney General, Vice President Harris sued to stop offshore fracking, and she supports new taxes on fossil fuels companies. She’s helped lead the Administration into rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement. 

On the other hand, Trump is a climate denier, and he even downplayed his own administration’s research. At a time when every additional well drilled, pipeline built, and barrel exported risks irreversible damage to the planet, Trump would clear the way for Big Oil to trample on our chances of a livable future. His party’s “drill, baby, drill” platform will send us headlong over a climate cliff. 

Harris Would Help Deliver Clean Water for All

As a Senator, Vice President Harris authored the Water Justice Act, which, among other measures, would have dedicated billions to desperately needed water infrastructure improvements. In the Biden-Harris administration, she helped secure large increases in water infrastructure through the Inflation Reduction Act and worked to rein in PFAS pollution. 

While the funding for water infrastructure was far short of what we need to fully address the problem and many major problems remain, Vice President Harris’ record shows concern about these issues. 

A Harris presidency would provide the best avenue for securing an America where everyone has access to clean, affordable, public water. Meanwhile, Trump would gut regulations, sending us back decades and making it even easier for large corporations to pollute our water without consequence. 

His administration de-fanged the Environmental Protection Agency, which is key to regulating toxic chemicals and preventing harmful pollution. Under his watch, the agency weakened regulations and enforcement for toxic chemicals, and paved the way for new ones to enter the market.

Harris Would Continue Fighting Against Big Ag’s Power

Vice President Harris helped lead an agriculture policy that has — after decades — finally started to take on big agribusiness. She helped usher in a new era of antitrust enforcement and rulemaking to protect small farmers and helped crack down on price-gouging of consumers. Under her leadership, the Federal Trade Commission sued to block a mega-merger between grocery giants Kroger and Albertsons. 

These are important steps — but they are small steps in the grand scheme of what needs to be done to have a truly sustainable food system. Nevertheless, a Harris presidency provides the best avenue for getting there, and for using our collective power to push the changes that we need.

Trump’s Republican party doesn’t even mention rural America in their platform and the main thrust of his Presidency will be aimed at tearing down regulations and allowing larger corporations to increase their power and control over our food system.

The Trump administration approved three massive mergers for seed and agrochemical giants and greenlit faster inspections on hog lines and faster line speeds at poultry plants, endangering workers and food safety. A second Trump administration would trample farmers, families, and workers for the sake of corporate profits.

With a Harris Administration, We Can Organize — and Win

This election is about electing a president who will give us hope and the opportunity to advance transformational change to protect our food, water, and climate. 

With Trump, we will have little hope or opportunity. If re-elected, he will spend all his time and energy tearing down regulations, giving handouts to large corporations, and removing protections for our food, water, and climate. Our planet and our livable future can’t handle another Trump presidency — but Kamala Harris is the right candidate to stop him. 

While we know there is so much work ahead of us, a Harris presidency places us much further along that path. With Vice President Harris at the helm, we can build strong coalitions that move the needle, rein in corporate abuses of our food, water, and climate, and enact meaningful protections for people and the planet. Though electing Harris won’t guarantee bold action, it will give us the opportunity to move her on these issues. 

That’s why we’re going all in on Harris in these next few months. It’s up to us to fight with everything we have to ensure she remains in the White House come January. And then it’s up to us to continue fighting until she delivers the bold policies that will protect our shared food, water, climate, and future.