Ron Sparks, Alabama’s former commissioner of agriculture and industries, says he is seriously considering another run for the office, citing concerns about the state of farming, food safety, land preservation and what he describes as a decline in services for Alabama producers.
Sparks, who served as agriculture commissioner for eight years between 2002 and 2010 before terming out and running for governor, said the idea of returning to the department was not something he initially planned.
He said encouragement from farmers and agricultural groups across the state, combined with what he sees as mounting challenges in the industry, led him to reconsider.
“I didn’t think I would ever make this decision again because I’ve had such a great career and certainly enjoyed my time at the Department of Ag, but under the situation that I feel like farmers are in today, I feel like maybe the time is right for me to look at going back,” said Sparks.
Among the issues Sparks pointed to is the elimination of what he said was once a law enforcement unit within the Department of Agriculture that focused on livestock and equipment theft. He said the unit played an important role in protecting farmers’ property and that its absence leaves producers more vulnerable.
“When you ride down a road and you look in a pasture, there’s a lot of money out there. People do steal animals, they do steal equipment, and we had that problem when I was there. I think it’s very unfortunate that we don’t have that law enforcement presence there anymore,” said Sparks.
Sparks also emphasized food safety and consumer protection as central reasons for his interest in the race. He cited his past efforts to stop certain foreign seafood imports and to enforce country-of-origin labeling, saying those policies were aimed at protecting both consumers and domestic producers.
Another major focus of Sparks’ comments was animal health infrastructure. He said when he took office, Alabama ranked near the bottom nationally in animal diagnostics, with outdated or inadequate facilities. His administration built three new animal diagnostic laboratories in Auburn, Elba and Boaz, moving the state “from the bottom to the top” in that area.
“We’re such a big state when it comes to agriculture — poultry, cattle, all of that — but we’re also very big when it comes to pets,” said Sparks. “So we need to have a very good diagnostic center.”
Sparks also said he wants to revive and expand land preservation efforts to protect agricultural land from development, arguing that food security depends on keeping farmland in production.
“I don’t even know that we’ve saved an acre of land in the last 15 years,” said Sparks. “We need to save some of this agricultural land across Alabama and make sure that that’s what it will always be. Once we get to where we can’t feed ourselves, we’re in trouble.”
Politically, Sparks stressed that he views the agriculture commissioner’s office as a nonpartisan role and said he has never made decisions in the job based on party affiliation. He noted that he worked closely with Republican Governor Bob Riley while serving as commissioner, and later joined Republican Governor Robert Bentley’s administration after losing the governor’s race.
“I’ve always done what I thought was right for the people of Alabama. I’m not going to switch parties just for the sake of thinking that’s the way I can get elected,” said Sparks.
He also highlighted his history of bipartisan support from agricultural groups, including past endorsements from the Alabama Farmers Federation and the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association, and said he would again rely on his record if he enters the race.
Sparks said he is still in the process of weighing the decision but is strongly considering entering the race and, if he does, plans to travel the state and speak directly with farmers, producers and consumers about their concerns.
“I care about agriculture, I care about consumers, and I love Alabama. That’s the reason I would be interested in going back,” said Sparks
