Providing expert strategic advice at the crossroads of food, agriculture, and public policy is a passion for the Hatamiya Group.
Agriculture has a key role in the economy of California, is an important part of our national well-being, and reaches markets worldwide.
Lon was among the third generation of Hatamiyas to work in the family farming business, growing peaches, prunes, walnuts and almonds in the Sacramento Valley.
He learned discipline, hard work, and respect for the land, the environment, and our natural resources. Hatamiya knows the issues that face rural areas and agricultural interests, in particular.
In his appointed positions at the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) he led the departments that were responsible for the domestic and foreign marketing of the nation’s vast agricultural production.
Firsthand international experience, business know how, and practical experience at USDA and the family farm combine for a winning strategy for success.
Lon’s Agricultural and Food Policy Background
From 1997 to 1999, Hatamiya served as Administrator of the Foreign Agricultural Service at the USDA, where he administered a worldwide agency of nearly 1,000 employees, including over 200 Foreign Service officers, and a budget of over $7 billion that fosters the growth of exports of American agricultural, fish, and forest products.
He was responsible for USDA’s obligations in international trade agreements, negotiations, and trade policy development and oversaw reporting of global agricultural production and trade and administered various export development and assistance programs, including the Market Access Program, Foreign Market Development Program, Emerging Markets Program, GSM-102 and -103 export credit programs, and Public Law 480 Title I. As Adminsistrator, he also coordinated USDA’s role in international food aid programs, such as Food for Progress, and provided linkages to worldwide technologies and resources that can benefit U.S. agriculture.
For over four years prior to serving at the Foreign Agricultural Service, Hatamiya also served as Administrator of the Agricultural Marketing Service at USDA, where he oversaw over 50 federal programs including dairy and fruit and vegetable marketing orders; various commodity research and promotion programs; grading and inspection of numerous commodities, including meat, poultry, dairy, tobacco, cotton, and fruits and vegetables; collection and dissemination of market price and supply information; commodity procurement for school lunch and other federal feeding programs; pesticide data collection and recordkeeping; development of conventional and organic standards; and agricultural direct marketing and transportation.
He worked closely with members of Congress to preserve the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act, which protects growers from unfair trade practices, and he developed and implemented the Agency’s first strategic plan to improve customer service and expand agricultural exports as well as promote diversity and the quality of work life. He initiated work to eliminate 2,164 pages of federal regulations, the largest reduction in the federal government. In this process, he was awarded three “Hammer Awards” from Vice President Gore’s National Performance Review in recognition of increased management efficiency and cost-savings within a government program. During his time at AMS, Hatamiya also served as Chair of the USDA Task Force on Farmers’ Markets, as member of the USDA/Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (“HACU”) Leadership Board, and as an advisor to the Asian Pacific American Network in Agriculture (“APANA”).
More recently, Hatamiya has examined the agricultural infrastructure of the northern Central Valley counties of Yolo, Sacramento, El Dorado, Placer, Yuba, and Sutter, to determine applicable long-term growth strategies. He has also examined the food system and future agricultural economic strategies for Contra Costa County, and most recently, in Ventura County. In addition, he also completed a ten-year road map for the Oregon food and beverage industry. Hatamiya has also surveyed the agricultural labor and training demands across California for Hartnell College and the California Community College system to assist in the development of applicable curriculum and long-term academic programs.
