SALT LAKE CITY, UT — The U.S. Grains Council’s (USGC’s) 64th Annual Board of Delegates Meeting in Salt Lake City, UT, continued today with commodity sector meetings, panels regarding sorghum and barley market outlooks and the Council’s efforts to promote U.S. agriculture’s sustainability practices.
The day began with attendees splitting into sector meetings based on the industries they represent: agribusinesses, barley, corn, general farm organizations and sorghum.
The morning wrapped up with a general session that included a sorghum panel moderated by USGC Vice President Cary Sifferath; an update on the Council’s sustainable corn exports (SCE) platform from USGC Director of Global Sustainability Carlos Suárez; and the latest news on geopolitical factors affecting agricultural markets from Lloyd Day of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture.
“One of the big drivers that we are seeing today [in sustainability] is government regulations and you’ll see that it’s becoming a criteria for market access,” said Suárez. “Regulatory bodies are demanding more scrutiny of sustainability claims that a corporation makes on the package of the product or within their financial statements, and they want to have more visibility into their emissions that a particular company is saying that they have.”
The afternoon’s general session featured a panel on U.S. barley production and use applications moderated by USGC Senior Director of Global Strategies Kurt Shultz and a deep dive on market factors in Mexico from AGON Partner Kenneth Smith Ramos.
“You see that people want to buy from people and want a relationship,” said barley panelist Nathan Boll of the North Dakota Barley Council and USGC barley sector director. “You see what that does for trade, especially for barley. Seeing people working all over the globe and the dynamics of what it takes to make trade happen is mind-blowing.”
The meeting concludes tomorrow with elections for USGC officer, Advisory Team (A-Team) and sector leadership positions.
More from the meeting is available on social media using the hashtag, #Grains24, or through the website.
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.