More than 250 U.S. Grains Council (USGC) delegates from across the United States began meetings Monday in Heredia, Costa Rica, to assess programs and develop marketing strategies for the upcoming year.
The 12th International Marketing Conference and 55th Annual Membership Meeting, as the gathering is known, is a once-a-year opportunity to assemble as a group to discuss the Council’s boots-on-the-ground efforts directly with the Council’s international staff.
In addition, the USGC Advisory Teams (A-Teams), which provide guidance and set priorities for the Council’s international operations, and commodity-specific stakeholders are meeting to review global strategies and compare notes about the global grain trade.
“The purpose of the winter annual meeting is to bring the Council’s stakeholders and global staff together under one roof,” said USGC Chairman Ron Gray. “Work at this meeting will help us provide for more transparent markets around the world, allowing both producers and end-users to maximize market opportunities.”
Attendees will also learn about agriculture and trade in the host country, with agricultural site visits to Costa Rican farms and agribusinesses scheduled for Tuesday.
“Costa Rica offers a diverse set of agricultural interests for USGC delegates to experience,” Gray said. “Settings for these tours range from a dairy to a craft brewery to a sugar cane distillery to a coffee plantation.”
The Council’s winter annual meeting will conclude Wednesday with business meetings by the USGC Board of Delegates and Board of Directors.
More about the meeting is available online at http://grains.org/news-and-events/events/12th-international-marketing-conference-55th-annual-membership-meeting or on social media using the hashtag #grains15.