“The rest of the world is running a race, and they’re running to win,� said U.S. Grains Council Chairman Wendell Shauman. “And so are we.�

Addressing the Council’s 2012 International Marketing Conference (IMC) in Panama City, Panama, Shauman emphasized that 95 percent of the world’s population now lives outside the United States and that the global middle class is driving food demand. Noting that corn last summer topped $10 a bushel in China, Shauman celebrated the historic opportunity presented to U.S. producers by this new global demand – but at the same time, he acknowledged that producers around the world perceive the same opportunity and are ramping up production to compete for market share.

Shauman outlined the Council’s global vision for competing in a dynamic new market environment. The Council late last year adopted a new strategic plan designed to support more aggressive engagement in trade policy issues. The Council has also embraced a new strategic communications initiative and is repositioning its global assets to stay ahead of emerging markets around the world. With 25-30 percent of U.S. farm receipts being generated by imports, and with China emerging as the top international customer for U.S. agriculture, Shauman pledged that the Council would continue to work aggressively to maintain U.S. leadership in global exports of feed grains.

Shauman’s focus was matched by the nearly 300 attendees – an all-time attendance record – at the 2012 IMC. Representing state checkoff organizations and U.S. agribusinesses, the conference attendees focused their efforts on A-Team meetings that reviewed the Council’s progress and set goals for future action. Each year, the A-Team reports from the meeting become a key element in developing the Council’s Unified Export Strategy for the coming year.