Wheat groups urge negotiators to successfully complete NAFTA

Jan 25, 2018

Organizations from Canada, Mexico and the U.S. have sent a joint letter to trade negotiators

By Diego Flammini
News Reporter
Farms.com

Wheat organizations from all NAFTA member countries are encouraging trade negotiators to finalize a successful trade agreement.

Cereals Canada and Western Canadian Wheat Growers, along with the American Bakers Association, National Association of Wheat Growers, North American Millers’ Association and U.S. Wheat Associates, have written a joint letter addressed to the three federal trade ministers.

Mexico’s Cámara Nacional de la Industria Molinera de Trigo (National Chamber of Wheat Industry) also signed the letter.

The document outlines some of the benefits the continent’s wheat industry has enjoyed since the implementation of NAFTA’s.

Cam Dahl

“The key critical message is that NAFTA has been beneficial to agriculture in all three countries,” Cam Dahl, president of Cereals Canada, told Farms.com today. “Farmers in Canada, the United States and Mexico are better off and they will be harmed if the agreement falls apart.”

Mexico imported 3.3 million of U.S. wheat and almost 20 per cent of Mexico’s total wheat imports came from Canada, according to the letter. Canada and the United States supply more than 60 per cent of wheat for the Mexican milling and baking industries.

The groups released the letter one day after Canada announced its intentions to sign the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Canada exported more than 14 million metric tonnes of wheat in the 2016-2017 crop year, according to the Canadian Grain Commission.

Entering the TPP agreement is an important step in ensuring Canada’s wheat farmers have export opportunities should NAFTA come to an end, Dahl said.

“Canada … ships wheat to over 100 countries around the world. TPP is critically important for us as a trading nation. Securing markets like Japan are also important,” he said.

Members of the TPP have indicated the deal could be finalized by early March.

Video: Women in Ag. The Promotion of Female Farmers through Social Media | Madalyn Thayer | TEDxBGSU

Less than 1% of Americans are farmers. The majority of those farmers are men. Many people have minimal experience with farms and agriculture. High schools are getting rid of their FFA programs and many colleges, including BGSU, do not have agricultural programs or classes. There is a new social media phenomenon where women are making content based on their farming endeavors and gaining lots of traction. Education is the one of the most important parts of agriculture, because the more people know the more they will emphasize with farmers and create policy that benefits everybody. Female farmers have taken to social media sharing their experience in the agricultural world. These women are breaking stereotypes and educating everyday citizens about farming which is extremely important for the future of agriculture. Madalyn is 19 years old and will be gradated with her bachelors degree in communication on December 2024. She lives on a farm and have spent lots of time working in agriculture. She has her own farmers market and love learning about all subjects, especially agriculture. She was on the BGSU Firelands Student government from 2021-2023 as a CCP Ambassador and was awarded the 3&1 communication excellency award in April of 2024. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.