The Sugar Beat

What do the Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, the top Republican on the Senate Agriculture Committee, the Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, and America’s top agricultural trade negotiator have in common?

They’ll all be addressing the International Sweetener Symposium, which is just weeks away and will be held the first week of August in Vail, Colorado.

With the 2012 Farm Bill just around the corner, trade negotiations ongoing, and massive movements in the commodity market, all eyes will be on this annual meeting hosted by the American Sugar Alliance.

And the list of individuals scheduled to address the conference are certain to turn heads.  Scheduled speakers include:

• James Miller, Under Secretary (Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services, USDA)
• Islam Siddiqui, Chief Agricultural Negotiator (Office of the U.S. Trade Representative)
• Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND)
• Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)
• Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID)
• Congressman Collin Peterson (D-MN)
• Gregg Young, Assistant Deputy Administrator (Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA)
• Steve Haley, Leader, Sweeteners Team (Economic Research Service, USDA)
• Dan Colacicco, Director, Dairy and Sweeteners Analysis (Farm Service Agency, USDA)
• Elizabeth Ward, Minister Counsellor (Embassy of Australia)
• Paul Ryberg, President (International Sugar Trade Coalition)
• Juan Cortina, President and CEO (Grupo Azucarero Mexico SA; President, Mexican Chamber of Sugar and Alcohol Industries)
• Pedro Figueroa, Director of Consumer Goods & Specialty Sugars Division (ED&F Man Sugar Group)
• Frank Jenkins, President (Jenkins Sugar Group)
• Roger Johnson, President (National Farmers Union)
• Mary Kay Thatcher, Director of Public Policy (American Farm Bureau Federation)
• Todd Van Hoose, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs (CoBank)
• James Wiesemeyer, Vice President of Farm and Trade Policy (Informa Economics)
• David Berg, President and CEO (American Crystal Sugar Company)
• Brian O’Malley, President and CEO (Domino Foods)
• Jim McDonough, Director of Procurement (Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc.)
• Joseph Gardella, CEO (Sweetener Supply Corporation)

If you’re still not sure whether or not you should attend, check out some of the headlines that came out of last year’s meeting:

• New Study: Fleeing Candy Companies See Cheaper Labor and Benefits, Not Sugar
• Mexican Wildcard Makes USDA Job Harder
• USDA: No TRQ Increase Right Now
• Sen. Crapo: Mexican Sugar Issues Must Be Addressed
• Top Ag Committee Republican Doubts Fair Doha Conclusion
• Sugar Sales Growing, Sugar Supplies Stable

See you in Vail!