Arkansas Hosts International Agricultural Attachés During NASDA Annual Meeting

Sep 24, 2025

Arkansas hosted a delegation of 33 international agricultural attachés from 24 countries this week in conjunction with the 2025 National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) Annual Meeting.

The attachés represented nations across the globe, including Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Czech Republic, the European Union, France, Guatemala, Indonesia, Ireland, Lithuania, Mexico, Myanmar, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam. Their visit highlighted Arkansas’s diverse agricultural production, research, and innovation while strengthening international agricultural trade relationships.

“Arkansas is one of the top farming states and the nation’s leading rice producer,” said Governor Sanders. “Meeting with some of the best and brightest agricultural leaders from around the world was an opportunity to share ideas, strengthen trade, and highlight the role Arkansas farmers play in feeding the world. It’s conversations like these that help farmers enter new markets, help countries reduce dependence on China, and ensure Arkansas agriculture remains a global leader.”

Source : arkansas.gov

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.