USDEC Staff in Action
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Eucolait meeting culminates with new MOU
May 25, 2023
USDEC staff led by President and CEO Krysta Harden traveled to Warsaw, Poland, in late May for the annual Eucolait General Assembly. The purpose of the trip was twofold: Harden spoke at a May 25 panel presentation, “Who will satisfy the growing global demand for dairy?” and USDEC signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the European dairy trade organization to strengthen innovation and trade, share information and bolster the image of dairy.
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New collaboration on global climate, agriculture and trade discussions
April 20, 2023
On April 20, representatives from USDEC, National Milk Producers Federation, the Pan American Dairy Federation and the National Agricultural Organizations from Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile, Bolivia and Colombia adopted a set of joint principles aimed at advocating globally for science-based, forward-looking public policy on the issues of agriculture, climate and trade.
Under the agreement’s language, the groups will coordinate efforts on dairy, livestock and trade for global food systems and climate conferences. The organizations aim to work together and with their respective governments to play a role in shaping the discussion around agriculture’s role in a sustainable future.
Click arrow below for a news release on the agreement.
Click arrow below for a news release on the agreement.
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USDEC staff, Operating Committee highlight dairy priorities to policymakers in DC fly-in
March 30, 2023
USDEC organized a Capitol Hill “fly-in” following its Spring Membership Meeting in late March. USDEC President and CEO Krysta Harden, COO Martha Scott Poindexter and the USDEC Trade Policy team (Jaime Castaneda, Shawna Morris and Tony Rice), accompanied nine members of USDEC's Operating Committee as they met with officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Office of U.S. Trade Representative, several House members and others.
Click on the arrow below to learn more.
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Court ruling on "gruyere" caps big week in battle to preserve common food names
March 3, 2023
U.S. lawmakers and food industry representatives gathered March 1 on Capitol Hill for a bipartisan discussion on common food names in what turned out to be a landmark week in the battle to preserve U.S. food and beverage companies’ rights to use those names. Just two days later, a U.S. appeals court ruled the name “gruyere” is generic, blocking an attempt by Swiss and French consortiums to expropriate a common food name through a U.S. certification mark registration.
U.S. lawmakers and food industry representatives gathered March 1 on Capitol Hill for a bipartisan discussion on common food names in what turned out to be a landmark week in the battle to preserve U.S. food and beverage companies’ rights to use those names. Just two days later, a U.S. appeals court ruled the name “gruyere” is generic, blocking an attempt by Swiss and French consortiums to expropriate a common food name through a U.S. certification mark registration.
Learn more by clicking on arrow shown below.
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USDEC positions U.S. dairy sustainability story and trade with UN environment leaders
February 10, 2023
USDEC’s Sustainability and Multilateral Affairs team was in Nairobi, Kenya in early February engaging with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), U.S. government representatives, key UNEP member states and regional partners.
USDEC had multiple goals for the meetings: promote the critical role of U.S. dairy exports in sustainable food systems, support science-based policymaking and proactively mitigate potential UN-driven barriers to U.S. dairy exports.
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Four USA Cheese Specialist Certification Programs take place this month
January 19, 2023
The USA Cheese Specialist™ Certification Program (USA CSCP) is starting 2023 with a bang. About 75 culinary students, culinary professionals and importers kicked off training in Hong Kong and the Middle East in January.
USDEC created the USA CSCP to educate professionals across the foodservice and retail sectors about U.S. cheese quality, applications and the industry’s commitment to exports. The goal is straightforward: build awareness and heritage of U.S. cheese to create a generation of U.S. cheese advocates.
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Whey Protein Forum highlights dairy protein advantages for Korean thought leaders
November 15, 2022
USDEC has spent the last two years outlining the many facets of U.S. whey protein—functionality, versatility, nutritional benefits and manufacturing—to South Korean nutrition and thought leaders and media through the Whey Protein Forum.
In mid-November, USDEC Senior Vice President, Global Ingredients Marketing Vikki Nicholson-West tied all that information together into a single, clear package at the 6th Whey Protein Forum in Seoul, South Korea.
About 20 food and nutrition thought leaders, university professors and journalists attended the event. Feedback from attendees was quite positive, with many citing the presentation as easy to understand, persuasive and providing a complete picture of whey protein.
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U.S. Dairy Gathers Global Ag Leaders at UN Climate Change Conference (COP27)
November 12, 2022
A high-level delegation co-led by USDEC President & CEO Krysta Harden and Dairy Management Inc. Chair Marilyn Hershey showcased U.S. dairy’s key contributions to global climate and food security goals at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Egypt.
USDEC was a major contributor to the first-ever Sustainable Agriculture of the Americas Pavilion hosted by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), which convened panels that allowed producers, agriculture experts, academics, dairy industry leaders, supply chain partners, and senior government representatives to address COP27 negotiators and stakeholders.
To read the full news release, click below.
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Cheese diplomacy, policy engagement in EU
October 19, 2022
A delegation from USDEC visited Europe in mid-October to begin deepening engagement with the EU in pursuit of more predictable trading conditions and to foster continued growth in dairy consumption, sustainability and food security. USDEC also showcased the high quality of U.S. cheesemaking while conveying U.S. dairy’s sustainability leadership.
The delegation consisted of USDEC President and CEO Krysta Harden, Senior VP of Trade Policy Shawna Morris, Senior VP of Sustainability and Multilateral Affairs Nick Gardner, Senior VP of Global Cheese Marketing Angelique Hollister and Senior VP of Global Retail Programs Merle McNeil.
Click below to learn more.
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World Dairy Summit concludes with event hand-off to U.S.
September 14, 2022
The countdown has begun for the 2023 International Dairy Federation (IDF) World Dairy Summit, hosted by the U.S.
During the gala dinner ceremony at this year’s Summit, the 2022 host country, India, handed off the symbolic host key to the US-IDF Organizing Committee Co-chairs Nick Gardner, USDEC Senior Vice President of Sustainability and Multilateral Affairs, center, and Shawna Morris, USDEC Senior Vice President of Trade Policy, second from right.
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USDEC holds first in-person workshop in Japan since pandemic
September 8, 2022
Given Japan’s vigilant approach to COVID-19 and elevated numbers of new case totals in recent weeks, USDEC was uncertain what kind of response its in-person interactive workshop in early September would generate. It was the first face-to-face ingredients workshop in Japan since the start of the pandemic.
The fact that the event attracted 27 representatives from food and beverage companies speaks to the high degree of interest in using U.S. whey and milk proteins as key ingredients in new product development efforts.
Download full article by clicking below.
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USDEC's Jonathan Gardner builds relationships in Indonesia
August 24, 2022
For two weeks in August, USDEC Senior Vice President, Market Access and Regulatory Affairs Jonathan Gardner, met with a series of officials in Southeast Asia to talk dairy.
The trip featured an Aug. 24 meeting between senior delegates from the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council (U.S.-ABC) and Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) at the Presidential Palace. Another highlight was meeting the U.S. ambassador to Indonesia (see photo at left).
Download a more detailed description of the meetings by clicking below.
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U.S. and Mexico dairy sectors recommit to binational cooperation
August 17, 2022
USDEC and the National Milk Producers Federation served as U.S. hosts and event organizers for the Binational Dairy Conference in mid-August, which brought together leading dairy representatives from the United States and Mexico.
The dairy leaders agreed to facilitate fair trade between the two nations, while working to expand dairy consumption, enhance dairy farm productivity and strengthen the reputation of milk and dairy products in both countries.
Click below to see a full list of mutually agreed-upon objectives from the conference.
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USDEC highlights U.S. dairy ingredients at workshop in Singapore
August 1, 2022
With COVID-19 restrictions eased, the U.S. Center for Dairy Excellence in Singapore is ramping up in-person activities. In July, food and beverage product development specialists gathered at the U.S. CDE for a 2.5-day workshop highlighting the innovation potential of U.S. dairy ingredients. “Our aim was to introduce the multi-faceted benefits of U.S. dairy ingredients to inspire food and beverage manufacturers in Southeast Asia to expand product lines with U.S. dairy proteins and permeate,” said USDEC's Kristi Saitama.
Click below to learn more.
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USDEC commends passage of Ocean Shipping Reform Act
June 16, 2022
USDEC CEO Krysta Harden attended the White House signing ceremony for the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, which sets in motion a series of new rules and regulations regarding ocean carrier practices.
The legislation was introduced in response to the vocal advocacy by NMPF, USDEC and other agricultural export and shipper organizations, as problems with effective ocean freight transportation worsened. USDEC is now urging speedy implementation by the Federal Maritime Commission.
For more details on the new law, click below.
Harden discusses role of dairy sustainability partnerships
June 8, 2022
At a sustainability conference sponsored by The Economist, USDEC President and CEO Krysta Harden discussed the key role public-private partnerships play in helping the U.S. dairy industry reach its environmental stewardship goals.
Those goals -- greenhouse gas neutrality, optimized water usage and improved water quality by 2050 -- “cannot be done on the backs of farmers,” she said. “They are willing. But they need partners.”
Click below to read the U.S. Dairy Exporter Blog story, “The need for more dairy sustainability partnerships.”
Mexico meetings seek to strengthen partnerships, boost consumption, facilitate trade
June 1, 2022
USDEC President and CEO Krysta Harden, Executive Vice President Jaime Castaneda and head of the Mexico office Rodrigo Fernandez held a series of meetings in Mexico with dairy and government leaders. The visits, which tied into World Milk Day celebrations, sought to strengthen partnerships in Mexico, reaffirm shared goals of the U.S. and Mexican dairy sectors, and facilitate smooth trade between the two nations.
Click below to see Twitter posts from the meetings.
U.S. Center for Dairy Excellence holds first live event, gears up for more
June 1, 2022
On June 1, the U.S. Center for Dairy Excellence hosted a workshop on U.S. permeate use in bakery applications, attracting 120 bakery and confectionery R&D staff and food formulators—in-person and online—from across Southeast Asia.
The workshop is one of a series of events planned for the U.S. CDE this year. The next two seminars are July 13-15 (Healthy Snacking) and August 24 (Protein Beverages).
Click below for article on the popularity of permeate.
Mission to Rome highlights U.S. dairy’s nutrition, environmental contributions to partners and UN decision-makers
May 25, 2022
USDEC President and CEO Krysta Harden headed a staff delegation to Rome to showcase U.S. dairy’s critical role in nutrition security and sustainable food systems.
In a series of meetings, the delegation spoke with Ambassador Cindy McCain, the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Agencies in Rome; representatives from several nations; senior officials from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and additional diplomats and decision-makers.
Click below for a news release detailing the visits.
USDEC staff, operating committee highlight dairy priorities to policymakers in DC fly-in
May 12, 2022
USDEC staff and nine members of the USDEC Operating Committee met with congressional representatives and administration officials to highlight U.S. dairy priorities.
USDEC President and CEO Krysta Harden, COO Martha Scott Poindexter, the USDEC Trade Policy team and Operating Committee members emphasized the significant role exports play in U.S. dairy supply chain and the U.S. economy, while also noting ways to enhance the ability of U.S. dairy suppliers to best compete around the globe.
Click below to see Twitter posts from the meetings.