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NMPF Talks Trade and Collaboration with EU

May 6, 2024

NMPF staff met with European Union government officials and agriculture groups on April 8 as part of the U.S.-EU Collaboration Platform on Agriculture. The forum was launched by Secretary Tom Vilsack and EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski in 2021 to strengthen the relationship between the two industries and discussing best practices to collaboratively address shared challenges.

The meeting kicked off with a series of panel discussions. NMPF executive vice president for trade policy and global affairs Shawna Morris spoke on a panel entitled “The Future of the Livestock Sector: Pressures and Opportunities.” Morris underscored the U.S. dairy sector’s long-standing leadership on animal care through NMPF’s FARM program and ongoing work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, led by the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy.

Given the European Union’s tendency to impose burdensome regulations on its trading partners, Morris emphasized the importance of incentive-based policies, as opposed to counter-productive, prescriptive rules, particularly around climate and consumer preferences.

Following the conference, Morris participated in a subsequent discussion with EU Agriculture Ministry officials at an event organized by the U.S. Food and Agriculture Dialogue for Trade at the European Union’s embassy.