Jason Hafemeister, trade counsel at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will deliver the keynote address at the International Sweetener Colloquium to provide an insider’s look into USDA’s latest trade policy and actions that affect food companies and sweetener users. As trade counsel, Hafemeister advises Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney on agricultural trade policy.
“Hafemeister understands the issues facing the U.S. sweetener sector and, as a counsel to USDA’s top leaders, is uniquely qualified to provide the latest insights into the administration’s agricultural trade agenda,” said Beth Hughes, IDFA director of international affairs. “We’re looking forward to hearing more on what we can expect from USDA on sugar and trade policy in the months ahead, because that information is invaluable to the IDFA members that use sweeteners in their products.”
Hafemeister previously served as lead U.S. agriculture negotiator for the World Trade Organization’s Doha Round of negotiations, which aimed to lower trade barriers and increase global trade. He has also held several policy leadership roles at USDA prior to his current position.
The International Sweetener Colloquium will be held Feb. 11-14 in Orlando.
Trends, Issues and Opportunities
For more than 35 years, the International Sweetener Colloquium has gathered key players from all sectors of the global sweetener industry to provide a dynamic look at the policies, politics and public perceptions that are driving today’s sweetener industry.
Co-hosted by IDFA and the Sweetener Users Association, the event will be held at the Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes in Orlando. The event will offer in-depth analyses of international, U.S. and Mexican sweetener markets, as well as discussions on the trends, issues and opportunities facing the industry today.
For more information, contact Melissa Lembke, IDFA manager of meetings and educational services, at mlembke@idfa.org.