Farm Director, KC Sheperd, recently had the chance to visit with the Director of Trade Policy for the U.S. Grains Council, Andrew Brant, about the latest from the Grains Council and more.
According to Brant, the U.S. Grains Council works to promote corn, sorghum, barley, and ethanol around the world to increase exports for farmer members.
“Here at the U.S. Grains Council, we are more focused on the long-term,” Brant said. “The work we are doing and the programs we are executing around the world are designed to develop markets five to 15 years from now.”
Brant talked about some exciting opportunities looking ahead, including the opening of a U.S. Grains office in India last year.
“As far as I know, we are the first U.S. cooperator to have an office in India,” Brant said.
Africa and Southeast Asia are also areas of great opportunity, Brant said, where U.S. Grains is working to lay the groundwork for the future.
Regarding challenges in the industry, Brant said many times, decisions made by world leaders can impact farmers on the local level.
“We saw at the trade war, the impact that can have on commodity prices here in America,” Brant said.
Brant also talked about an upcoming challenge that could also be an opportunity.
“The House sustainability is integrated into the agricultural supply chain as far as which country’s products are deemed sustainable,” Brant said. “That movement is still, I would say, in its infancy as far as where it might get to.”
Brant said a solution to this could include a new product from the U.S. Grains Council called the Record of Sustainability can be attached to any export shipment of corn from the United States along with a corn sustainability insurance protocol that outlines most everything U.S. farmers do.
