Photo credit: U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council.
The U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC) recently participated in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) High-Level Public-Private Dialogue on Food Security in Dalian, China, joining nearly 150 representatives from APEC member economies to discuss regional food security and agricultural trade.
The event brought together representatives from government agencies, industry associations, research institutions and international organizations. A thematic forum focused on the development of the grain industry and opportunities for regional food security cooperation.
USGBC Director in China Manuel Sanchez, USGBC Program Manager Ellie Yan and National Sorghum Producers and United Sorghum Checkoff Program CEO Tim Lust attended the event to emphasize the importance of global agricultural connectivity in strengthening food security.
Lust delivered a presentation highlighting the role of public-private partnerships, particularly industry organizations that connect growers, exporters and end-user markets. He also emphasized the importance of trade in moving grain from surplus to deficit regions and strengthening regional and global supply chain resilience.
For U.S. sorghum producers, the discussions provided opportunities to better understand customer needs, strengthen relationships and identify potential markets. Cooperation between government and industry can help establish reliable trade relationships that benefit growers and customers.
While in Dalian, the delegation visited Sam's Club to observe consumer trends, quality requirements and pricing for imported agricultural products. The team also toured a cornfield in the Dalian area and met with local farmers to discuss planting practices and agricultural technology.
The delegation separately met with officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and its Foreign Agricultural Service to discuss China's economic conditions, agricultural trade policies and market trends.
Throughout the mission, the team also met with key customers to discuss China's sorghum imports, customer priorities, U.S. sorghum production, harvest progress and inventories.
According to Sanchez, the visits provided insight into China's economic climate, grain import market and feedstuff trade, along with opportunities to discuss procurement planning directly with customers. The exchanges are expected to help the U.S. grain industry better understand evolving Chinese market demand and support stable bilateral trade.
USGBC expressed appreciation to Chinese authorities for their support and coordination during the visit and emphasized its interest in expanding industry cooperation through continued dialogue.
Source: U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council, "Council Attends APEC Food Security Dialogue; Engages Public, Private Stakeholders"