US State Department Foreign Service Institute Presentation

On July 26 Gary will address a class of U.S. foreign service personnel enrolled in a Biotechnology and Global Challenges course.  U.S. State Department economic officers and USDA FAS staff are included in the training class meant to bring officers up to speed on biotechnology issues. A further agenda and Gary’s presentation will be available soon.

IGTC Meetings and Outreach – July 13-22 – Rome and Geneva

On July 13-22 Gary will join IGTC Secretariat Katy Lee in Rome and Geneva for a series of IGTC bilateral meetings and events with members, corporate stakeholders, and inter-governmental organizations. As part of this trip, Gary and Katy will attend the IPPC’s ePhyto Industry Advisory Group meeting at the FAO in Rome on July 18. A finalized agenda for the balance of their trip will be available soon.

IGTC and ISF Meetings – April 24-27 – Nyon, Switzerland

On April 24-27 NAEGA volunteer Randy Gordon will travel to Nyon, Switzerland to join an International Grain Trade Coalition (IGTC) team at a meeting with the International Seed Federation (ISF) Secretariat. During this meeting with the ISF, Mr. Gordon will join IGTC Secretariat Katy Lee and other IGTC members to represent IGTC positions on plant breeding innovation, including new technologies like genome editing.

A copy of the notice to post for this travel can be found here.

IGTC Strategy Session and IGC Meeting – June 17-20 – London, UK

On June 18-20 a robust representation from IGTC Members and Corporate Stakeholders is expected in London to participate in a IGTC Strategy Session and attend a meeting of the International Grains Council. A preliminary schedule can be found here.

Please contact the IGTC secretariat if you would like more information and are interested in participating.

MRL Workshop – February 26-27 – Geneva, Switzerland

On February 24-28 Matt Lantz, NAEGA contractor for Bryant Christie, Inc., will travel to Geneva, Switzerland to participate in an MRL Workshop on February 26-27. The workshop will include participation from importing and exporting governments, inter-governmental organizations, and industry. Mr. Lantz will represent IGTC policy files on MRLs at all meeting and events.

CHS Top Customer Meeting – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – February 26-28

On Wednesday, February 28 Gary will travel to Ft. Lauderdale, FL to address CHS’s Top Customer Meeting. During the meeting Gary will participate in a General Session discussion on The View from Washington, D.C.: Trends, Challenges and Opportunities. A copy of the agenda can be found here.

IGC MCC – March 5-8 – London, UK

On March 5-8 Gary will join Katy Lee, Secretariat of the International Grain Trade Coalition, on a mission to London, UK to participate in the International Grains Council’s Market Conditions Committee meeting. While in London, Gary and Katy will also meet with IGTC corporate stakeholders, discuss IGTC 2018 planning, recruitment and governance, and meet with the International Maritime Organization.

IPPC Commission on Phytosanitary Measures – April 16-20 – Rome, Italy

On April 16-20 Katy Lee, Secretariat of the International Grain Trade Coalition, will travel to Rome, Italy to participate in the IPPC Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM). During this meeting the IGTC will act as an observer at the annual CPM event, considered the “parliament” of the 183 contracting governments to the IPPC. The agenda of the CPM includes issues of highest importance to the IGTC, including:

• The role of the grain trade in global food security and economic development;
• The status of the draft International Standard on Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) for grain;
• Discussions among IPPC contracting parties on “Conceptual challenges in commodity standard development”;
• The IPPC Ephyto Solution and tprogress of the worldwide pilot project on IPPC ePhytos;

During the meeting the IGTC will also hold individual meetings with the leaders of the CPM, countries sitting on the Standards Committee and IPPC staff. A notice to post for this travel is available here.

IPPC Global Symposium on e-Phyto – Kuala Lumpur – January 21-26

On January 21-26 IGTC Secretariat Katy Lee will travel to Kala Lumpur, Malaysia for the 3^rd IPPC Global Symposium on e-Phyto. The Symposium is titled “e-Phyto and Trade Facilitation” and will be attended by representatives of global bodies such as the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). Katy is scheduled to speak on behalf of IGTC for 30 minutes. In addition to the Symposium, Katy will be provided information by governments regarding national and regional priorities with a focus on Sri Lanka, Samoa, Ghana, New Zealand, Netherlands, Kenya, Malaysia and Japan.

A notice to post will be available soon.

CMC State of the Industry and IGTC Stakeholder Meetings – Miami – January 28-30

On January 28-30 IGTC Secretariat Katy Lee will travel to Miami, FL to attend the Commodity Markets Council’s State of the Industry 2018 conference and host the NAEGA Board of Directors at a IGTC Breakfast on January 30. Katy will also attend the NAEGA Board of Directors meeting and brief NAEGA Board Members on IGTC policies and activities.