ASA Comments On Signing Of Trade Promotion Authority Into Law

Jul 01, 2015

Trade promotion authority (TPA) will soon help create and strengthen international trade agreements, opening valuable markets and providing an advantage for U.S. farmers.

President Barack Obama signed TPA into law on Monday, June 29, 2015.

Soybeans represent the nation's most important agricultural export and international trade plays a crucial role in the industry, as well as the many benefits trade yields for the country.

TPA was a key priority for the American Soybean Association (ASA) in the 114th Congress. The bill gives the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) the ability to get the best deal possible, and it provides Congress the oversight it needs to ensure every agreement will work for American farmers.

TPA is critical for soybean farmers because new trade agreements expand market access as we look to maintain our position at the vanguard of world agricultural trade.

In addition, new trade agreements will expand livestock product exports, which are also important for U.S. soybean farmers.

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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.