U.S. Grains Council (USGC) Advisory Team (A-Team) applications are now available for the 2021- 2023 term. The deadline to apply is April 30.
Council members who serve on A-Teams provide Council staff and its Board of Directors insight and guidance on issue-specific topics.
“A-Teams allow members to take a deep dive into specific aspects of the Council’s work and offer substantive ideas as it plans its trajectory on trade issues,” said USGC President and CEO Ryan LeGrand. “These teams are invaluable to the Council as they embody its overarching trade strategy while also being both rewarding and educational for the members themselves.”
Input from A-Team members and the Council’s international staff creates the structure of the Council’s Unified Export Strategy (UES), the long-term planning document used to apply for USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA’s FAS) funds, including from the Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) program.
The Council has seven A-Teams, each highlighting a specific area of the Council’s global programming organized by region and topic. They include Asia, Ethanol, Innovation and Sustainability, Middle East/Africa/South Asia, Trade Policy, Value-Added and Western Hemisphere. Members serve two-year terms.
The incoming USGC chairman will make and announce A-Team appointments before the USGC Board of Delegates meeting in July, and the new A-Team members will begin their terms Aug. 6.
First-time A-Team applicants who have questions or A-Team members unsure if their term ends this year should contact Maria Murphy, USGC Manager of Industry Relations, at mmurphy@grains.org with “A-Teams” in the subject line.
About The U.S. Grains Council
The U.S. Grains Council develops export markets for U.S. barley, corn, sorghum and related products including distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and ethanol. With full-time presence in 28 locations, the Council operates programs in more than 50 countries and the European Union. The Council believes exports are vital to global economic development and to U.S. agriculture’s profitability. Detailed information about the Council and its programs is online at www.grains.org.