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With one-third of U.S. farm products being sold to other countries, trade has proven to be one of the biggest areas of concern for agriculture. And Ohio Farm Bureau was on top of the game with its trade focus during 2004.

Even before the start of this calendar year, OFBF officials were focused on the rules that govern how countries exchange goods during World Trade Organization talks in Cancun, Mexico, during the fall of 2003. Even though WTO talks stalled then, OFBF’s commitment to trade took on a clearer focus.

A commitment to free trade was demonstrated throughout the Farm Bureau organization with AFBF support of bilateral free trade agreements with Australia, Central America, Morocco and the Dominican Republic. But after the Dominican Republic joined in the Central American Free Trade Agreement, that country has attempted to impose an extra tariff on soda containing high fructose corn syrup, a derivative of corn. AFBF has been vocal in its dissatisfaction with the Dominican Republic’s alteration of an agreement that had already been approved by the respective countries and has threatened to pull support of the trade pact if the Dominican Republic sticks with its tariff plan.

In July, OFBF worked with Indiana and Illinois Farm Bureaus to present "American Agricultural Trade Competitiveness: A Leadership Opportunity." Nearly 150 Farm Bureau leaders learned about the importance of agricultural trade to the United States farm economy and about the opportunities available in developing countries to help build markets for U.S. products.

OFBF Agricultural Ecology Vice President Constance Jackson said the tri-state meeting was designed to "reach out to Farm Bureau leaders to demonstrate why trade is so important to American agriculture."

She added: "This is such a huge and important issue for agriculture. We have to pursue a unified effort and balance the interests of all of agriculture, of all Farm Bureau members."