Hoping for New Opportunities as Castro Steps Down in Cuba
By Ben Conner, USW Vice President of Policy Cuban President Raúl Castro stepped down this week, closing a six-decade chapter in Cuban history with a Castro leading the communist island nation. During Raúl Castro’s tenure, Cuba’s government has very slowly transitioned to authorize some private sector activity and taken modest steps towards improving relations with the […]
Importance of International Trade and Agriculture to North Dakota
By Neal Fisher, Administrator, North Dakota Wheat Commission; Reprinted from “Dakota Gold” [Editor’s Note: While Mr. Fisher’s article focuses on North Dakota’s agricultural products, the key points are relevant to every state that produces wheat for export.] International trade and those affected by it have become a prominent main street topic in recent weeks as the […]
How Trade Affects U.S. Farmers
Excerpts from “How Does Trade Affect Me?,” the March 13, 2018, blog entry in “Big Sky Farm Her. Navigating Life as a Montana Farmer” by Michelle Erickson-Jones. Trade has become an area I am increasingly interested in studying as well as advocating for. In order to advocate for trade, a notoriously complex, slow moving, and […]
Full USTR Team Finally in Place
By Ben Conner, USW Vice President of Policy After more than a year, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) finally has its full leadership team in place as Deputy USTR Jeffrey Gerrish was sworn in this week to join Deputy USTRs Dennis Shea and C. J. Mahoney, Chief Agricultural Negotiator Gregg Doud, and […]
U.S. Wheat Trade: A Farmer’s Perspective
By Gary Baily, Washington Grain Commission Chairman, USW Director and a wheat farmer from St. John, Wash. As Washington Grain Commissioners, trade has consumed a great deal of our time this past year. Relationships with our international partners are critical to the survival of our trade with countries such as Japan. Most of us have […]
An Appeal to Protect International Food Assistance
By Elizabeth Westendorf, USW Assistant Director of Policy On Feb. 12, President Trump unveiled a FY2019 budget proposal that included several areas of support for agriculture. It was disappointing, however, to see that the proposal eliminates federal funding for Food for Peace, the most effective U.S. emergency food assistance program helping populations in need around […]
USW Participating in Wheat Education Event on Capitol Hill
Between record low commodity prices, extreme natural disasters and unfair trade practices in the global marketplace, wheat growers across the country have experienced a multitude of challenges the past couple of years. To educate the Administration, Members of Congress and their staff on just how expansive and important the entire wheat value chain is to […]
U.S. Wheat Farmers Also Need FTAs in Africa
According to the United Nations, over a quarter of the world’s population will live in Africa by 2050. That will be something like 2.5 billion people. With less than 4 percent of the world’s wheat production, Africa will require significant imports to feed its growing population. A major factor in in ensuring a predictable, stable […]
Glimmer of Hope in the EU on Plant Breeding Innovations
By Elizabeth Westendorf, USW Assistant Director of Policy Last week, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) published a legal opinion from its Advocate General that gene editing techniques like CRISPR-Cas9 should not be included in the EU’s regulation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). While the ECJ is not required to follow this legal opinion, in […]
The Year Ahead in Trade Policy
By Ben Conner, USW Director of Policy U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) prioritizes trade policies that support reducing the cost of getting wheat from U.S. farmers to their customers around the world. A time-tested method for doing that is through trade negotiations and agreements. USW will be looking for a more forward-looking trade negotiating agenda from […]