A Timely Look at U.S. Wheat in Food Aid
The United States sends more international food aid to those in need than any other country. U.S. food aid programs are managed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) or the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and include either commodity, cash or food voucher donations. U.S. wheat is typically the commodity utilized […]
An Eye on the United Nations Food System Summit
The United Nations (UN) is set for a major discussion on the world’s food system when it hosts the Food System Summit (FSS) in New York City on September 23. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Food Program and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) will jointly host the summit. On the agenda are […]
Gene Editing Innovations Present Many Benefits to Farmers and Their Customers
The world keeps changing rapidly through new technological advances such as gene editing. Agriculture, fortunately, benefits from many of these new technologies, helping feed more people on less land into the future. In addition, diets and consumer preferences are changing around the world. There is increased demand for animal protein (leading to more feed grain […]
U.S. Agricultural Organizations Ask for Positive Reforms at the World Trade Organization
U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) recently joined a coalition of several U.S. agricultural organizations calling on the Biden Administration to work toward reforms to the World Trade Organization (WTO) “that lead to a market opening agenda for agriculture and a better functioning institution.” USW signed the July 23, 2021, letter to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai […]
Expiring Trade Promotion Authority is a Problem for Wheat Trade
Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) is a key trade negotiation tool. TPA is due to expire in the U.S. in a month, posing serious challenges for ongoing negotiations important to wheat growers. TPA is commonly called “fast track authority” because of its provisions to speed Congressional approval of trade agreements that were negotiated and agreed to […]
Farmer Group Addresses the Challenge of Keeping Food in Food Aid
The United States donates more wheat than any other agricultural commodity as direct food aid or to help fund assistance to the world’s neediest people. Yet a mix of government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and regulations complicate the food aid donation process. To help navigate these waters, U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) established a Food Aid […]
USDA-FAS Announces Food for Progress Program Award of U.S. Wheat to Sudan
As part of its fiscal year 2021 Food for Progress Program, USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA-FAS) recently announced an award of 300,000 metric tons of U.S. hard red winter wheat to Sudan. The award is worth an estimated $120 million. As wheat is a dietary staple in many diets, U.S. wheat has a long history […]
Technology, Innovative Farming Practices Advance Wheat Farm Sustainability
Across the United States, farmers produce more and better quality wheat using innovative farming practices including fewer natural resources, including land. According to an American Farm Bureau Federation report, in 2018, farmers needed about 8 million fewer acres (3.24 million hectares) to produce the same amount of wheat as in 1990. The Biden Administration is […]
USW Report Details Value of Trade Promotion Authority, Free Trade Agreements
By Shelbi Knisley, USW Director of Trade Policy Last week, U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) submitted comments to the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) on the importance of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation to U.S. wheat producers. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) describes TPA this way: “Since 1974, Congress has enacted TPA […]
U.S. Wheat Associates Submits Comments on International Trade Barriers to USTR
By Shelbi Knisley, USW Director of Trade Policy Last week U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) submitted comments to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) for the annual National Trade Estimates (NTE) report. The NTE report allows U.S. industry organizations to highlight and comment on trade barriers impacting their trade opportunities to the U.S. […]
