Federal depts. seek ag reps

Nov 02, 2020

Spots are open on the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

Two federal departments are accepting applications from members of the ag sector to join an industry committee.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) are looking for people to serve on the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee (APAC).

The APAC is comprised of farmers and representatives from different food and farming organizations.

“We work hard to have diverse membership in each of the committees when we look at the different sectors of agriculture that they’ve worked in, have relationships in, and also covering diverse geographic locations within the United States,” Ken Isley, administrator of the Foreign Agricultural Service, said in a July interview with the USDA.

The USDA also has technical committees that offer advice and information about specific commodities and products.

The APAC’s role is to engage with federal leaders on trade matters.

The committee will advise and make recommendations “concerning the trade policy of the United States and the matters arising in the administration of such policy,” the group’s charter says.

In addition, the committee advises on negotiating objectives before the U.S. enters into a trade agreement.

Committee members serve four-year terms, hold frequent conference calls and typically meet in Washington, D.C., twice per year.

Farms.com has contacted the USDA and current committee members for details about how the group works and past trade deals it has provided input on.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.