ABI Board Meeting Highlights NMPF’s Staff Work
August 4, 2020
The American Butter Institute’s (ABI) annual conference with the American Dairy Products Institute provide a chance for NMPF staff to detail how the dairy industry has met the challenges of COVID-19 through its efforts on legislation, trade and other industry shifts at the ABI’s Board of Directors meeting July 28.
“In the dairy industry, we work with both sides on a nonpartisan basis to continue to advance our issues,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF. “In a challenging time, we have been able to punch above our weight class and get a lot done in a time where others have not. That is our success.”
Mulhern summarized NMPF’s work to elevate the outcomes for dairy producers in a landscape dominated by responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. He also discussed what the industry can potentially expect after the upcoming presidential election, reaffirmed dairy’s inclusion in the dietary guidelines update and emphasized inclusive legislative work.
NMPF staff also covered trade, communications, and regulatory policy in separate presentations. Shawna Morris, vice president of trade policy spoke about how the global trade landscape affects U.S. dairy producers, while Alan Bjerga, senior vice president of communications, discussed the necessity of new messages in the new circumstances brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.