# Jennifer Moffitt

Jennifer Lester Moffitt (born 1980) is an American organic farmer and government official from California who served as Under Secretary of Agriculture for Marketing and Regulatory Programs at the United States Department of Agriculture in the Biden administration; she was the first woman to hold this position. Moffitt previously served as the Undersecretary at the California Department of Food and Agriculture. She is currently a Senior Fellow at American Farmland Trust.

## Early life and education

Moffitt grew up on her family's organic farm in Winters, California. She was active in 4-H and the National FFA Organization, raising market lambs and earning a State FFA degree. Moffitt graduated from Brown University and is also an alumna of the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation.

## Career

After college, Moffitt worked at American Farmland Trust. From 2005-2015, she worked for her family's organic walnut farm and processing operation, leading sales and marketing efforts and serving as the farm's Managing Director. During her tenure, the farm was recognized with the Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Award for their sustainable farming and management practices.
In 2011, Governor Jerry Brown appointed Moffitt to serve on the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board. In 2015, Governor Brown appointed Moffitt to serve as Deputy Secretary for Policy at the California Department of Food and Agriculture; she was promoted to Undersecretary in 2018. In 2019, she was reappointed to serve as Undersecretary by Governor Gavin Newsom.
On April 27, 2021, President Joe Biden announced Moffitt to be his nominee to be the Under Secretary of Agriculture for Marketing and Regulatory Programs. Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture Karen Ross endorsed the nomination. On April 28, 2021, Moffit's nomination was sent to the Senate. On July 26, 2021, her nomination was reported favorably out of committee. On August 11, 2021, Moffitt was confirmed by the Senate by voice vote.

### U.S. Department of Agriculture

As Under Secretary, Moffitt provided leadership for the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), working to build a more reliable, resilient, and equitable food system by strengthening agricultural markets and ensuring the health and welfare of animals and plants. During her tenure, she oversaw the implementation of USDA’s Food Systems Transformation Initiative, Competition Initiative, and Organic Transition Initiative. In 2023, Moffitt led the U.S. delegation to the U.N. Food Systems Summit in Rome and represented USDA at the inaugural Africa Climate Summit and the African Food Systems Summit. In 2024, Moffit led the U.S. delegation to the World Organisation for Animal Health General Assembly to celebrate the organization's 100th anniversary.
In recognition of her work at USDA, Moffitt received the 2024 Organic Champion Award from the Organic Trade Association and a 2024 IDFA Leadership Award from the International Dairy Foods Association. She was also inducted into the Winters Joint Unified School District Hall of Fame.

### American Farmland Trust

In 2025, it was announced that Moffitt would be returning to American Farmland Trust as a Senior Fellow where her work will focus on enhancing the vitality of rural America by supporting farmers and ranchers in building diverse, profitable, and resilient farming operations now and into the future.

## Personal life

Moffitt is the daughter of Russ and Kathy Lester and has four sisters. She is married to Gregory Moffitt, an educator and former school principal. Moffitt currently lives in Washington, DC with her husband and their teenage daughter.