Sugar Producer

28 Sugar Producer NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 FROM THE ASGA Luther Markwart | EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT What a Year! Where our industry stands as 2020 draws to a close As we close out the year, it is a time of reflection, anticipation and, of course, thanksgiving. Little did we know what would lie ahead when we welcomed 2020. So, let's take a look back at all that has happened this year. Devastated by a disastrous 2019 harvest, industry leaders and key legislators obtained $285 million in disaster aid to rescue growers. Mission accomplished in record time! Our crop was undervalued for the crop insurance price election, but values increased through collaboration with USDA. Victory! Pandemic-induced food hoarding was met by company employees filling high retail demands. Awesome! Private-public collaboration ensured crop inputs were delivered for the spring planting. Success! The review of the Mexican suspension agreements were completed, and they are in place for another five years. Fantastic! In March, our office closed in Washington, we pivoted to telework and continued to work effectively. We've held about 100 fundraisers with members of Congress and candidates, a brisk pace even by normal standards. Amazing! Political conventions and campaigning were held virtually for the first time in our nation's history. Wow! We have a great crop headed into harvest, which is so desperately needed. Thank you! These reflections represent a lot of hard work by a lot of individuals. The dedication and creativity of every grower, cooperative employee, organization staff, government employee and members of Congress is laudable. The challenges we face year in and year out are met with incredible people who collaboratively carry out their responsibilities with passion to make the whole system work. We give thanks to each of you and your families, and to our incredible staff and colleagues who rise to each occasion to solve problems. We are currently analyzing draft dietary guidelines that substantially reduce sugar consumption, and which are not based on science. There are also efforts by the U.S. trade representative to give Brazil, who subsidizes and dumps sugar, more access to our market. We have been blessed by ASGA director of government affairs Zack Clark, who has done a fantastic job working with Congress to address these problems. He has also painstakingly worked on a new tool to help our grower-leaders work even more efficiently and effectively during their annual fly-in visits to Capitol Hill as we prepare for the next farm bill. We are intervening in a lawsuit on biotech labeling. The lawsuit, filed in California, would force refined products, such as beet sugar, to be labeled as biotech food even when DNA or protein is not present. This would cause huge price distortions like our industry's experience in 2016 due to Vermont's biotech labeling law. Legal challenges and legislative proposals to ban various pesticides continue to threaten safe and effective tools for producers. Scott Herndon, our vice president and general counsel, is engaged and providing important leadership on these issues. Scott leads the D.C.-agriculture community seeking to provide voluntary, incentive-based opportunities for farmers to monetize conservation practices to combat climate change. Like it or not, Congress and the administration are focused on this issue. Scott has been on the cutting edge of this work, which is important to you for all your commodities. Congressional work to combat COVID-19 is far from over. The House-

• Cover