April 10, 2025

USDEC organized a Capitol Hill “fly-in” directly after its Annual Membership Meeting in early April. Twelve members of the USDEC Operating Committee remained in Washington, D.C., for meetings with congressional representatives and administration officials. Participants included USDEC Chair Becky Nyman and Vice Chair Alex Peterson; and DMI Chair Marilyn Hershey.

Accompanied by USDEC President and CEO Krysta Harden, Chief Operating Officer Martha Scott Poindexter and the USDEC Trade Policy team (Jaime Castaneda, Shawna Morris and Tony Rice), the group highlighted U.S. dairy trade priorities to several lawmakers, staff and agency representatives. 

The packed agenda included meetings with:

• U.S. Trade Representative officials, including Dr. Julie Callahan, assistant USTR for Agricultural Affairs and Commodity Policy, and Marshall Stallings, director for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement.

• USDA officials, including Jason Hafemeister, acting deputy under secretary; Daniel Whitley, Foreign Agricultural Service administrator, and Courtney Knupp, senior trade advisor to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins.

• Meetings with a variety of House and Senate offices, as well as Committee staff for the Senate Committees on Finance and Agriculture and the House Ways & Means and Agriculture Committees.

Shown in the photo are some of the delegation members, including Chad Vincent, Alex Peterson, Krysta Harden, Marilyn Hershey and Martin Bates, with House Agriculture Committee staff. 

March 21, 2025

A USDEC delegation, consisting of U.S. dairy farmers and USDEC staff, strengthened relationships in Guatemala during a productive week in March. 

Attendees gained valuable insights into the Guatemalan market during a presentation by USDA Foreign Agricultural Service Counselor Marcela Rondon. They also met with U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala Tobin Bradley, who highlighted how his team is working with the Guatemalan government and the country’s president to improve infrastructure, including ports and railways. 

The above photo is from the meeting with Ambassador Bradley. Pictured, left to right, are Wisconsin dairy farmer Gail Klinkner, California dairy farmer Rebecca Nyman, Missouri dairy farmer Alex Peterson, Ambassador Bradley, USDEC President and CEO Krysta Harden, Pennsylvania dairy farmer Marilyn Hershey and New York dairy farmer Sheila Marshman.

Another significant event was the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Guatemalan Dairy Development Association (ASODEL) to strengthen ties between the U.S. and Guatemalan dairy industries as they advocate for free and fair trade policies and promote greater dairy consumption.

February 10, 2025

A USDEC delegation traveled to Kenya in early February to meet with U.S. and Kenyan government representatives, dairy producers and processors, dairy organizations and experts on the African market to establish and strengthen relationships and learn more about potential opportunities for U.S. dairy.

The delegation emphasized USDEC’s interest in collaborating with Kenya on issues affecting global dairy production, consumption and trade, and the U.S. dairy industry’s desire to partner with the country’s dairy and food manufacturing sectors, working together to mutually grow and expand overall dairy consumption in Kenya.

In the photo above, USDEC Senior VP of Strategic Insights Rick Ortman, standing at right, leads a session on U.S. dairy opportunities in Sub-Saharan Africa, based on market research. 

November 22, 2024

USDEC President and CEO Krysta Harden and Dairy Management Inc. Chair Marilyn Hershey co-led the U.S. dairy delegation to this year’s UN Climate Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan. 

This year’s conference, which ran from Nov. 11-22, welcomed representatives from 197 countries and the EU. It marked the fourth straight year that USDEC has been deeply involved in the global gathering and the second year that the meeting featured a dedicated agriculture thematic day.   

The U.S. dairy delegation participated in more than a dozen panels and events convened with international institutions, non-governmental organizations and country representatives. USDEC hosted or co-hosted five sessions.

Pictured above with Harden (third from left) and Hershey (second from left) are USDEC Senior Vice President of Sustainability and Multilateral Affairs Nick Gardner and USDEC Vice President of Environmental Affairs Kelly Sheridan. 

October 28, 2024

Strong representation by U.S. dairy farmers, USDEC and National Milk Producers Federation highlighted this year’s International Dairy Federation World Dairy Summit. The annual global dairy event brings together a broad cross-section of dairy industry stakeholders, creating a platform for dairy farmers, processing companies, dairy researchers, dairy organizations and others to share success stories and discuss the challenges facing the sector.

This year’s focus was to strengthen attendees’ resolve to find increasingly sustainable solutions to meet growing demand, a goal embodied by the theme: “Proudly committed to a sustainable world.”

The U.S. delegation repeatedly made the point, echoed by others in attendance, that successful sustainability initiatives must both benefit the environment and be financially viable for dairy farmers.

In the photo above, left to right, are USDEC’s Kelly Sheridan, Krysta Harden, Nick Gardner, Martha Scott Poindexter and Janice Giddens at the USDEC cheese reception.

October 7, 2024

A reverse trade mission with Indonesia in early October, which USDEC helped organize, was funded and led by the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Seventeen representatives from the Indonesian government, farm sector, food manufacturing and universities visited U.S. dairy farms, dairy processors, the University of Wisconsin’s Center for Dairy Research and the World Dairy Expo.

USDEC is looking to assist Indonesia’s President-elect Prabowo Subianto’s campaign pledge to provide nutritious meals and milk to all Indonesian school children, pregnant mothers and young children. That support comes in two ways: 1) Providing educational outreach to Indonesia’s small-scale farmers by collaborating with leading academics and dairy cooperatives on a technical training program. 2) Supporting expanded local UHT milk production with greater milk powder exports from U.S. suppliers. 

In the photo, USDEC’s Jonathan Gardner, Shawna Morris and Vikki Nicholson-West  are shown with the Indonesian delegation, Wisconsin Ag Department and NASDA members at Hinchley’s Dairy Farm in Cambridge, Wis.

August 5, 2024

A contingent of U.S. dairy farmers and USDEC staff was in South America in late July/early August to explore market opportunities and expand connections in key markets in the region. Led by USDEC President and CEO Krysta Harden, the delegation included USDEC Chair Alex Peterson; Vice Chair Becky Nyman; DMI Chair Marilyn Hershey; Dairy Max board member Jim Deaton; and USDEC Arlington and South America staff.

The delegation held several meetings with potential dairy buyers (food manufacturers, foodservice operators and grocery retailers), dairy and food associations, and other key industry players to gain a greater understanding of buyers’ and consumers’ needs and expectations when it comes to U.S. dairy products. Meetings with government officials and regional food and agriculture groups sought to improve relations and find ways to better trade between the countries.  

In the photo above, the delegation is shown with officials from the Brazilian Association of Cheese Industries. 

June 28, 2024

USDEC President and CEO Krysta Harden joined USDEC Chair Alex Peterson, Vice Chair Becky Nyman, 15 USDEC members, and key staff in Beijing and Shanghai in late June on a business development mission in collaboration with USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. 

The visit to Beijing and Shanghai had two broad goals:

• Build and strengthen relationships between U.S. dairy suppliers and Chinese buyers.

• Promote U.S.-China agricultural trade relationships.

It sought to fulfill those goals by engaging—through a series of meetings and other events—with Chinese dairy importers, processors, dairy and business associations and USDEC’s partner Jiangnan University.  

It also included visits to retail establishments, including an upscale grocery store in Beijing. Shown in the photo above, from left, are Victor Sun, son of the store’s founder; Becky Nyman, USDEC Vice Chair and California dairy farmer; Martha Scott Poindexter, USDEC Chief Operating Officer; Alex Peterson, USDEC Chair and Missouri dairy farmer; Krysta Harden, USDEC President and CEO, and a store employee.

June 11, 2024

More than 180 Vietnamese food and beverage industry professionals attended USDEC’s Healthy Snacking Innovation Seminar in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in early June. 

Nutrition, consumer insights, and food and beverage application experts shared their knowledge and ideas for meeting Vietnamese consumers’ rising demand for convenient, tasty, and nourishing products by fortifying foods and beverages with U.S. dairy proteins and other ingredients.

“With greater attention on healthy eating, opportunities for products leveraging U.S. dairy ingredients continue to emerge,” said Keith Meyer, USDEC marketing director, Global Ingredients Marketing. 

May 13, 2024 

U.S. cheese made a splash at the recent Food & Hotel Asia (FHA) trade show in Singapore. With an estimated 60,000 attendees and more than 1,500 exhibitors, FHA is one of Asia’s largest food and beverage expos. Nine member companies exhibited in the USA Dairy Pavilion.

USDEC was there to promote U.S. cheese excellence and foster connections with potential buyers across all channels (importers/distributors, retailers, regional manufacturers, foodservice companies, culinary institutions and influential regional chefs).

Discussions highlighted the diverse range of U.S. cheeses and provided insights into the U.S. cheese industry and the USA Cheese Guild’s initiatives in driving awareness of U.S. cheese in Southeast Asia.

May 3, 2024

In late April-early May, a USDEC-led delegation held a series of meetings in Italy with UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) leaders, representatives from UN member states, and allied dairy groups. 

The mission had multiple goals, including: 

• Educate FAO staff, policymakers and thought leaders on U.S. dairy’s commitment to being a sustainable source of nutrition for the world and on the essential role trade plays in global nutrition security.

• Elevate the voice of U.S. dairy producers in global policy-setting platforms and create new farmer-focused global partnerships.

• Strengthen and grow relationships with international dairy industry leaders who recognize the importance of trade, animal-sourced foods, and science, innovation and technology to increase production of nutrient-dense foods while simultaneously decreasing the use of natural resources.

March 1, 2024

USDEC made sure that U.S. dairy’s voice was heard and the U.S. dairy industry’s environmental advances were understood and appreciated at the Sixth UN Environment Assembly in late February.

USDEC President and CEO Krysta Harden; Senior Vice President, Sustainability and Multilateral Affairs Nick Gardner; and Vice President, Environmental Affairs Kelly Sheridan spoke loudly and clearly throughout the conference, highlighting the role of dairy and trade in delivering sustainable nutrition to the world.

Click the arrow below to hear remarks from Harden. 

February 16, 2024

USDEC Senior Vice President of Market Access and Regulatory Affairs Jonathan Gardner, USDEC Southeast Asia office chief Dali Ghazalay and representatives from the New Mexico Department of Agriculture and New Mexico State University were recently in Indonesia on a fact-finding mission to learn more about how the U.S. dairy sector might be able to work with the local industry to help it address challenges to production and consumption growth.  

It follows previous USDEC engagement in Indonesia in recent years with government officials and farmers, including a 2023 mission organized by the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. USDEC President and CEO Krysta Harden participated in that mission.

October 20, 2023

USDEC staffers played key roles at the International Dairy Federation World Dairy Summit in mid-October, where global dairy leaders gathered to learn from one another, share expertise and gain new perspectives. 

Speakers and audience members openly acknowledged the many challenges facing dairy—including farm economics; greenhouse gas emissions; water use; measuring, quantifying and standardizing sustainability activities; anti-dairy disinformation; competition from plant- and lab-based products; and others. But at the same time, they expressed belief that dairy’s inherent and unique nutritional proposition and accelerating efforts to improve and communicate dairy’s sustainability credentials attest to the global dairy sector’s healthy future.

More than 1,240 dairy leaders from 55 countries registered for the event in Chicago. Click arrow below to learn more. 

September 27, 2023

Leaders of USDEC and Dairy Management Inc. traveled to Mexico and Costa Rica to strengthen USDEC’s partnerships in Latin America and continue building a robust and mutually beneficial relationship to help grow the dairy sectors in both countries.  

They also visited retail outlets and trade shows to learn more about market opportunities for U.S. dairy exports. 

In Costa Rica, USDEC and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture renewed a partnership to promote and harmonize science-based standards related to food and agriculture.

In the photo above, USDEC President and CEO Krysta Harden, left, visits with Elizabeth Rodriguez of Bluegrass Ingredients at the Food Tech Summit & Expo in Mexico City. Shown next to Harden, left to right, are Rodrigo Fernandez, director of USDEC’s Mexico Office; Martha Scott Poindexter, USDEC Chief Operating Officer, and Alex Peterson, USDEC Interim Chair.

August 10, 2023

USDEC President and CEO Krysta Harden was in Indonesia in early August, building relationships and addressing issues important to U.S. dairy exporters as part of a trade mission led by the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture.   

The coalition met with various government officials including Indonesia's Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Industry (which addresses trade-related issues), as well as with the U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia. Harden and the NASDA team held a number of other meetings with private sector actors in Indonesia as well. Those engagements included a Chef's Table Luncheon and California Cheese Tasting Event hosted by the California Milk Advisory Board’s in-country team.  

The trip provided Harden the opportunity to elevate the thorny issue of Indonesia's protracted dairy facility registration process, which impedes U.S. dairy exports by taking up to three years or more for facility registration applications to fully move through the approval and listing process. It was also a valuable chance to connect with key players involved in USDEC’s trade policy efforts to reduce tariffs in that market through USDEC’s MFN tariff cut initiative project and to cultivate relationships in a top 10 market for U.S. dairy exports. 

July 19, 2023

Angélique Hollister, Senior Vice President of Global Cheese Marketing at USDEC, has been honored by the Guilde Internationale des Fromagers – a prestigious international cheese society – with the esteemed title of “Garde et Juré,” protector of the craft of cheesemaking.  

The recognition bolsters the growing awareness and reputation of U.S. cheeses worldwide.

Click on arrow below to learn more. 

June 8, 2023

In early June, seven U.S. dairy farmers, the CEO of a state checkoff group and a U.S. dairy journalist accompanied USDEC President and CEO Krysta Harden and USDEC Arlington and Southeast Asia staff on a series of activities and meetings with Southeast Asian importers, customers and processors, and USDEC members and partners—with the U.S. Center for Dairy Excellence at the heart of the mission.

Click on the arrow below for a travelogue with social media postings from the week. 

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. 

April 20, 2023

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. 

February 10, 2023

January 19, 2023

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.