October 21, 2021
By NASDA CEO Ted McKinney
For the last three decades, the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) has collaborated at the Tri-National Agricultural Accord for policies that ensure the prosperity of agriculture, now and in the future.
Really, that’s the work we at NASDA do all year. At the Accord, we specifically focus on the international market opportunities and challenges to agricultural trade.
The 30th Accord will be held October 25-27 in Arlington, Virginia. This long-standing commitment between senior state and provincial agriculture officials of Canada, Mexico and the United States is the primary opportunity for state agriculture departments to iron out the details on agricultural trade with our largest trading partners.
So, what will the topics of discussion be? It ranges every year, but scheduled topics include:
- Strengthening North American agricultural trade through education
- Combatting the threat of African Swine Fever
- Opportunities for improving climate resiliency through agricultural trade
- The importance of cyber security within the food supply chain
- Sharing perspectives on the United Nations Food System Summit.
In addition, with the recently-entered United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), there are significant opportunities for expanded trade in agricultural products throughout the North American market. But these trade agreements require constant vigilance to secure these potential benefits.
This is what makes the Accord so vital. It provides an opportunity for NASDA to sit at the center of trade discussions and ensure the interests of farmers and ranchers across the country are represented and secured. NASDA members are able to amplify the concerns of American agriculture to ensure farmers, ranchers, food companies and rural residents receive the full benefits of international trade.
You can follow the conversations we’ll have at the Accord by following NASDA on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook with #AgTradeAccord21.
