Speakers at the U.S. Grains Council’s (USGC’s) 22nd International Marketing Conference and 65th Annual Membership Meeting in Austin, Texas updated attendees about domestic policy changes and their impact on trade, and featured a panel celebrating the United Nation’s (UN’s) upcoming International Year of the Woman Farmer. Tomorrow, speakers will cover rail logistics and how international markets are developing.
On Wednesday, USGC Chairwoman Verity Ulibarri began proceedings, and the audience received a welcome to Austin by Assistant Commissioner of the Texas Department of Agriculture Dan Hunter.
The Council then got down to the business of trade policy with a presentation from former U.S. Senator Norm Coleman who served on the Senate Agriculture Committee during his time in Washington and was a delegate to the UN’s 61st General Assembly.
The day continued with a panel of female farmer leaders including Jennie Schmidt, USGC At-Large Director from Maryland; Wendy Osborn, Ohio Corn and Wheat Director of Market Development from Ohio; and Ulibarri, USGC Chairwoman from New Mexico, who each shared perspectives of the industry and planning regarding next year’s celebration as the International Year of the Woman Farmer designated by the United Nations.
“I went on a mission last year hosted by the United Nations, U.S. State Department and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to start the work on celebrating the UN International Year of the Farmer,” Schmidt said.
“This mission focused on the type of technology that we use on the farm and how women farmers in Indonesia and Vietnam could potentially use some of the same concepts to increase efficiency and marketing in their countries. This mission made an impact on me where I connected with women farmers in those countries and realized that we have many similarities.”
Wednesday’s agenda concluded with an overview of the Council’s recent activities and outlook for the future from USGC President and CEO Ryan LeGrand.
“It’s a great big world out there and we have Council staff positioned in all the right places to take advantage of growing need for U.S. coarse grains and ethanol,” LeGrand said.
“In Washington, D.C., we have been busy and the outlook for our organization is intensely bright. Our work as a whole is growing by leaps and bounds, and we continue to push beyond what we thought was achievable just a few years ago.”
On Friday, USGC Director in Mexico Heidi Bringenberg will moderate a panel featuring Ken Ericksen, senior leader and strategic advisor to commodities, supply chain logistics and transportation for Polaris Analytics and Consulting and Eugenio Leal, director of marketing and sales in the Mexico market for Union Pacific Railroad, for an overview on rail logistics between the U.S. and Mexico.
A follow-up panel, moderated by Ulibarri, will include discussions on unique programs, opportunities and developments from USGC Regional Director in South Asia Reece Cannady, USGC Regional Director in Europe, the Middle East and Africa Ramy Taieb and USGC Regional Director for Southeast Asia and Oceania Caleb Wurth.
Council delegates will then review proposed bylaw changes and recognize members and staff who recently reached milestones of service to the organization for their accomplishments. Additionally, the Council’s Advisory Teams (A-Teams) will present the results of their discussions at the meeting and USGC President and CEO Ryan LeGrand will close the meeting.
View photos from the event on the Council’s social media here.
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.