DeShawn L. Blanding is a senior Washington representative for the Food and Environment program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. In his role, he advocates to administration officials, Congress, and their staff to build a food and farming system that is healthy, sustainable, and just.
Before joining UCS, Blanding was a senior policy analyst for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture, leading on issues related to civil rights, racial justice, and historically underserved farmers, local/regional food systems, agricultural credit, organic agriculture, urban agriculture, specialty crops, 1890 Land-Grant Institutions, and rural health and economic development. Previously, he led policy advocacy for the Rural Coalition and worked for the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Blanding earned his MA degree in public policy (philosophy and social policy) from The George Washington University and a BS in agricultural and environmental systems from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical (A&T) State University.