KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Leaders of the National Pork Board, United Soybean Board and National Corn Growers Association have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to coordinate research that will benefit all three organizations.
This sustainability research program will include the sharing of completed research, coordination on current and planned research and define ways to share and communicate results with each organization’s members.
“Most farmers are invested in multiple commodities and invested in more than one of our organizations, so it’s important that we are collaborating wherever we can,” said Lewis Bainbridge, USB chair and soybean and livestock farmer from South Dakota.
“We need to be supportive of one another, especially now when there’s more interest in what we’re doing to produce our commodities. We need to be looking at the big picture of how our commodities work together and take that a step further.”
An overarching goal of proactive, continuous improvement is a shared focus among pork, soybean and corn producers.
“Joining in the efforts of two other organizations, as a collective group we can more effectively spend producer dollars to achieve the goals we can all believe in and support,” said National Pork Board President Steve Rommereim, a pig farmer from Alcester, South Dakota.
Rommereim said sustainability is defined by the We Care ethical principles pork producers established over 10 years ago.
A task force of farmer representatives from each commodity group will be formed and will be responsible for managing and evaluating the activities outlined in the agreement.
Additionally, the task force will track progress and evaluate the value and impact of the MOU upon completion of all activities.
