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The American Soybean
Association (ASA) hosted an ASA Action Partnership
Stakeholders Meeting and Summit in Colorado Springs at the
end of August. The purpose of the meeting was to explore
increased collaboration between ASA and soybean industry
stakeholders on key issues affecting U.S. soybean growers.
ASA President Alan Kemper, Chairman Rob Joslin, First Vice
President Steve Wellman and CEO Steve Censky each provided
comments to open the meeting.
Areas discussed included ag-related
regulatory actions and overreach; biotech acceptance and new
traits; transportation and infrastructure; international
trade expansion; domestic aquaculture and livestock;
grassroots action and developing effective leaders. The
group talked about goals, timetables and potential
strategies to collaborate in these areas.
On Aug. 24, Cornelius
"Corny" Gallagher, Agribusiness Executive of
Global Commercial Banking from Bank of America Merrill Lynch
presented "The Outlook for the Global & U.S.
Economies, the Challenges of Feeding a Hungry World."
This morning, Richard N. Morrison from Salmon, Lewis &
Weldon, PLC presented "Water Politics, Economics, and
Science: Future Impacts for U.S. Agriculture."
"There has been great
dialogue and input from the banking, seed, equipment and
crop protection sectors, as well as state soybean
associations," said ASA Executive Director of Member
and Industry Relations Bill Schuermann. "The
presentations by Corny Gallagher and Richard Morrison
provided great insight and food for thought on the
challenges and opportunities facing agriculture."
Also participating in this
new soy industry partnership are ASA Executive Committee
members and Washington staff; representatives from John
Deere, FMC Corporation, Dow AgroSciences, Bayer CropScience,
CoBank, Syngenta, Monsanto, Archer Daniels Midland, Co.,
Pioneer, a DuPont Business, and the United Soybean Board;
and farmer-leaders and staff from the state soybean
associations and Qualified State Soybean Boards of
Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa and Tennessee.
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