On January 8, 2015, twenty-five companies, farm and commodity groups announ
ced the formation of a new agriculture coalition, The U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba. The coalition is seeking an immediate repeal of the 1966 law that enacted permanent sanctions on Cuba after Fidel Castro’s communist regime seized power. The sanctions have been in place for 54 years.
Today’s announcement comes after the Obama Administration announced on December 17 that the U.S. would relax travel and economic restrictions on Cuba and re-open embassies with preliminary discussions on normalizing diplomatic relations beginning early this year.
Numerous bi-partisan and bi-cameral members of the U.S. Congress attended today’s launch. Kansas Senator Jerry Moran (R) said, “Kansans have enough common sense to know that after trying something for 54 years and its not working its time to try something else. When we don’t sell agricultural commodities and manufacturing goods, when we don’t trade with Cuba, it’s not that they’re not getting agricultural commodities or manufacturing goods, it’s just that they’re buying from someone else.”
U.S. Representative Sam Farr (D-CA) told the large audience, “I’m very excited about what is happening. I think in history this is going to be one of the great modern events in America. We have for the first time torn down our iron wall.”
Other speakers included:
The Honorable Tom Vilsack, U.S. Secretary Agriculture
The Honorable Jay Nixon, Governor of Missouri
The Honorable Amy Klobuchar, U.S. Senate
The Honorable Kevin Cramer, U.S. House of Representatives
The Honorable Rodney Davis, U.S. House of Representatives
The coalition is led by Devry Boughner Vorwerk, Director of International Business Relations at Cargill Inc.
Coalition members include:
American Farm Bureau Federation
American Soybean Association
Cargill, Incorporated
Chicago Foods International
CoBank
Corn Refiners Association
Illinois Cuba Working Group
Illinois Soybean Growers
Illinois Farm Bureau
International Dairy Foods Association
National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
National Association of Wheat Growers
National Milk Producers Federation
National Barley Growers AssociationNational Chicken Council
National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
National Farmers Union
National Grain and Feed Association
National Oilseed Processors Association
National Turkey Federation
North American Export Grain Association
North American Meat Institute
Soyfoods Association of North America
United Soybean Export Council
US Canola Association
US Dry Bean Council
US Wheat Associates
USA Rice Federation
US Dairy Export Council
At Cansler Consulting we understand that in Washington, D.C. change is the only constant. Advocacy in Washington is also changing and we are at the forefront using new technologies and data to help us focus on strategies that improve our client's return on investment. Our core lobbying strategies are driven by the value at stake from federal legislative & regulatory actions. Leading studies indicate that today's business value impacted by government and regulatory action, or inaction can reach as high as 30 percent of earnings for most companies.
With as much as one-third of earnings at stake, it is imperative that companies, industries and organizations engage in government relations.
If you need effective representation from a bipartisan, entrepreneurial government relations firm contact Cansler Consulting. We are certified by the National Institute of Lobbying and Ethics and have decades of experience assisting clients in issue areas including Agriculture, Budget & Appropriations, Food Safety, Transportation & Infrastructure, International Trade and Energy. Through our relationships established in Washington, D.C. and throughout the U.S. for over two decades we can help you the legislative and regulatory processes on Capitol Hill and inside federal agencies. You can contact us at
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