The outlook is good for global agricultural producers and agricultural trade, according to Curtis Jones, the global director of economic analysis for Bunge Global Agribusiness, who spoke on Oct. 21 to the attendees of Export Exchange 2014 in Seattle, Washington, USA.

Keynote Address Outlook for Agricultural Exports 

Delivering the keynote address, Jones said a rising population and rapidly growing incomes in the emerging economies will continue to support robust demand for feed grains and other agricultural products.

He noted that growth in agricultural imports will continue to be led by countries in Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. Demand growth in these regions is structural, as many countries face significant land, water and other resource constraints in expanding their own food production. At the same time, countries in this region boast some of the world’s fastest rates of economic growth.

“Growth in U.S. agriculture depends on exports. The world’s fastest growing economies are abroad, and 95 percent of the world’s population lives outside our borders,” said Ron Gray, USGC chairman. “U.S. agricultural exports are supporting economic progress and better lives for people around the world. We are excited to have had our customers from all over the globe in Seattle, and we are here to learn how to serve them better.”

For U.S. producers, suppliers and agribusiness – and their international customers – world agricultural trade has both a noble purpose, feeding the world and a practical payback, ensuring the future profitability of their businesses and communities. 

As a share of total U.S. production, U.S. coarse grain exports have increased by more than 70 percent since 1960, when the Council first opened its doors, according to United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service’s (FAS) figures.