Overview
Co-hosted by the Sweetener Users Association and the International Dairy Foods Association, the International Sweetener Colloquium provides a unique opportunity for key players from all sectors to discuss the most pressing issues facing the global sweetener industry.
In light of on-going developments with COVID-19, the 2021 International Sweetener Colloquium will be a fully online, virtual experience. We believe this is the safest approach for the well-being of our audience and we are excited that a virtual event makes it possible to broaden the learning opportunities and engagement with the industry at this time. Attendees will be given the opportunity to participate in content-rich sessions with presentations from a wide range of speakers, addressing the latest challenges and opportunities facing the industry. Topics will cover everything from government regulation and market outlooks to the political landscape and economic forecast.
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Agenda
| March 2, 2021 | Event | Speaker | Location |
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| 11:00am - 11:05am | Welcome | ||
| 11:05am - 12:15pm |
Session I – International & North American Sweetener Market Outlook
After an unprecedented year in the North American sugar market because of weather-reduced production in 2019-2020, the current marketing year looks to be much more “normal.” But then there is COVID-19, which continues to be disruptive to both domestic and international demand. Globally, COVID-19 resulted in record high sugar production in Brazil as demand for ethanol dived. Learn about the factors shaping this year’s sweetener markets along with supply, demand and pricing forecasts from experts in the combined International and North American Sweetener Market Outlook session.<br><i>Moderator</i>: <b>Ron Sterk</b>, Senior Editor, Markets, Sosland Publishing <br><i>Speakers</i>: <b>Frank Jenkins</b>, President, JSG Commodities <br><b>James Liddiard</b>, Senior Vice President, Agrilion Commodity Advisors <br><b>Craig Ruffolo</b>, Vice President – Commodity Specialist, McKeany-Flavell Company
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| 12:15pm - 12:45pm |
Session II – Brexit! What Are the Implications for the European Sugar Market
The UK voted to leave the EU in 2016, but a deal on the terms of the new trading arrangement between the UK and the EU was not reached until just a week before January 1, 2021. While the UK has now left the ‘regulatory orbit’ of the EU, many aspects of the trading relationship between the UK and the EU remain the same – with some important differences. Brexit adds a new dynamic to Europe’s sugar markets, which are still adjusting to a market environment without production quotas on beet sugar. There are implications for how Europe will trade with the world market as well as for sugar producers and consumers within the UK and EU.
<br><i>Moderator</i>: <b>Paul Steed</b>,Senior Global Price Risk Lead - Sugar, Mars Wrigley Confectionery US, LLC <br><i>Speaker</i>: <b>Toby Cohen</b>, Vice President, Market Analysis, ASR Group
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| 12:45pm - 1:00pm | Break | ||
| 1:00pm - 2:00pm |
Session III – Added Sugars, Alternative Sweeteners, Front of Pack Labeling & Product Reformulation – What’s Next?
There’s a new administration, new dietary guidelines and an unfinished nutrition policy agenda at the Food and Drug Administration. From added sugars to warning labels on food packages, our expert panelists assess the outlook and the impact on food demand.<br><i>Moderator</i>: <b>Randy Green</b>, Principal, Watson Green LLC<br><i>Speakers</i>: <b>Beth Johnson</b>, Principal and CEO, Food Directions LLC<br><b>Andrew Ohmes</b>, Manager, Global High Intensity Sweetener Product Line, Cargill<br><b>Joe Scimeca</b>, Senior Vice President, Regulatory & Scientific Affairs, International Dairy Foods Association
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| March 3, 2021 | Event | Speaker | Location |
| 11:00am - 11:30am |
Session IV – Keynote Address with USDA’s Jason Hafemeister
Trade creates growth opportunities for U.S. agriculture. Acting Deputy Under-Secretary Jason Hafemeister, a well-respected USDA professional with 25 years’ experience at the Department and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative will talk about why that’s true using his own experiences opening markets for U.S. producers, agribusiness and food companies. <br><i>Moderator</i>: <b>Perry Cerminara</b>, Chairman, Sweetener Users Association & Director, Commodity Sourcing, The Hershey Company <br><i>Introducer</i>: <b>Greg Brecht</b>, Vice President Sales, Starches, Sweeteners and Texturizers, Cargill<br><i>Speaker</i>: <b>Jason Hafemeister</b>, Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Trade & Foreign Agricultural Affairs, U.S. Department of Agriculture<br>
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| 11:30am - 12:30pm |
Session V – Sugar Program Administration & Trade Policy Landscape in 2021
Both USDA and USTR administer the sugar program, and their responsibilities are critical to supplying the U.S. market throughout each marketing year. In this session, you will hear first-hand from key officials who will not only discuss their roles, but also provide insights into the challenges that they face in implementing a balanced sugar policy. The Biden Administration will have new trade policy priorities, so don’t miss the opportunity to be informed with an overview of the latest trade developments and outlook for this year.<br><i>Moderator</i>: <b>Rick Pasco</b>, President, Sweetener Users Association<br><i>Speakers</i>: <b>Barb Fecso</b>, Branch Chief, Commodity Analysis, Farm Service Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture <br><b>Erin Nicholson</b>, Director, Agricultural Affairs, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative<br><b>Lori Tortora</b>, Senior Policy Advisor, Import Programs, Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
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| 12:30pm - 12:45pm | Break | ||
| 12:45pm - 1:30pm |
Session VI – Financial Markets & The Economy in the Face of Unprecedented Circumstances
While Congressional stimulus packages over the last year may have been enough to defend against a serious recession, additional fiscal relief may be needed in the first quarter of 2021. Looking ahead, bipartisan fiscal stimulus to date offers little predictive value for bipartisan cooperation we should expect with President Biden in the White House. To assess how historic U.S. stimulus, COVID-19 developments, trade with China, inflationary pressures and other factors will impact commodity markets and the economy in 2021, be sure to join this session.<br><i>Moderator</i>: <b>Thomas Call</b>, Commodity Market Analyst, Barry Callebaut<br><i>Speaker</i>: <b>Tom Joyce</b>, Managing Director & Capital Markets Strategist, MUFG Securities Americas Inc.
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| 1:30pm - 2:00pm |
Session VII – The Agriculture Committees Agenda
As the new 117th Congress settles in to begin its work with the new Administration, leadership changes are occurring in both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees as well. This is particularly significant, since the long process of assembling the 2023 Farm Bill could begin this year in the committees with a thorough review of current commodity programs and examination of policy proposals to change them for the future. With both committees under new leadership, this session is your opportunity to get a glimpse into the committees’ focus in a year before work begins on crafting the next farm bill.
<br><i>Commentator</i>: <b>Bill O’Conner</b>, Agriculture Policy Expert, Watkinson Miller PLLC<br><i>Speakers</i>: <b>The Honorable David Scott (D-GA)</b>, Chairman, House Committee on Agriculture<br><b>The Honorable John Boozman (R-AR)</b>, Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry<br>
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Perry Cerminara
Mr. Cerminara is currently the Director of Commodities Sourcing at The Hershey Company. He is located in Hershey, PA. He has been with The Hershey Company for 28 years and has held several positions within the organization during that time. He is currently the Director of Commodities Sourcing, responsible for sugar and sweetener procurement. He is the Chairman of the Sweetener User’s Association and has been a member of that organization since 2003. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from The Ohio State University, a Master of Science from the University of Cincinnati and a Master of Business Administration from the Pennsylvania State University. He lives in Lebanon, PA with his wife and two children.
Session I – International & North American Sweetener Market Outlook
Moderator: Ron Sterk, Senior Editor, Markets, Sosland Publishing
Speakers: Frank Jenkins, President, JSG Commodities
James Liddiard, Senior Vice President, Agrilion Commodity Advisors
Craig Ruffolo, Vice President – Commodity Specialist, McKeany-Flavell Company
Frank Jenkins
Frank Jenkins, president of Jenkins Sugar Group, has over 20 years of experience as a broker and consultant focusing mainly on the US/NAFTA sugar markets. Prior to founding Jenkins Sugar Group in 1993, he worked on the sugar desk of ED&F Man in New York from 1983 to 1986, and served as vice president in Merrill Lynch Private Client Group in New York from 1986 to 1993. Frank was honored to serve as president of the Sugar Club of New York and has been a featured speaker at numerous industry and USDA sponsored forums.
James Liddiard
James Liddiard is a Senior Vice President at Agrilion Commodity Advisers LLC. Liddiard is a commodity risk consultant and adviser specializing in the sugar and ethanol markets.
Craig Ruffolo
Since joining McKeany-Flavell in 1995, Craig has developed expertise in several categories—including sugar, corn sweeteners, alternative sweeteners, coffee, honey, and edible oils—and he assists domestic and multinational clients through market analysis, ingredient resource management, and buyer education. An acknowledged industry expert, Craig makes frequent national and international speaking engagements to discuss the sweeteners industry, including at ASA, Sosland, and F.O. Licht market conferences. Craig’s study on the potential ramifications to the U.S. sugar market if government supports to growers were changed or eliminated was presented to Congress.
Ron Sterk
Ron Sterk is senior editor, markets, for Food Business News and Milling & Baking News, and is editor of the Sosland Sweetener Report. Prior to joining Sosland Publishing Company in 2003, he was involved in market coverage and management for several years for the real-time news services. He has a bachelor’s degree in agricultural journalism with a focus in agronomy from Iowa State University and a master’s degree in business from Rockhurst University in Kansas City.
Session II – Brexit! What Are the Implications for the European Sugar Market
Moderator: Paul Steed,Senior Global Price Risk Lead - Sugar, Mars Wrigley Confectionery US, LLC
Speaker: Toby Cohen, Vice President, Market Analysis, ASR Group
Paul Steed
Paul Steed’s sugar background spans physical trading, speculative position management and industrial sourcing.
Paul joined Mars Chocolate in 2011. In 2015 he was named to the North America Senior Leadership Team. And in 2016, he was made Head of North American Sugar for both Mars and Wrigley (pre-integration).
In November of 2017, Paul assumed the newly-created position of Sr. Global Price Risk Lead, Sugar for Mars Wrigley Confectionary to drive sugar hedging strategies in all business units.
Paul is a past President of the Sugar Club (and current Vice President) and current member of the Board of the Sugar User’s Association. He also serves on the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Sweeteners and Sweetener Products providing technical advice on agricultural trade issues to the Secretary of Agriculture and the United States Trade Representative. Paul is an active member of the Intercontinental Exchange’s No. 16 Sugar Contract Committee.
He lives in Connecticut with his wife Martina and a menagerie of cats, dogs and horses.
Toby Cohen
Toby Cohen is Vice President Market Research at ASR Group. ASR is the largest vertically integrated cane sugar refiner in the world. Toby has over 24 years of experience in commodity markets. He started work as a futures broker in 1990 and then moved into physical trading. In 1997 he was posted to Singapore where he experienced the impact of the Asian financial crisis on commodity markets. On his return to London in 1999 he became actively involved with Brazil before moving from trading to analysis in 2002. As Head of Analysis he sought to bridge the commercial needs of the physical business with economic disciplines.
He was appointed to the board of Czarnikow Group in 2006 later becoming head of Czarnikow’s advisory business. He joined ASR in October 2014.
Session III – Added Sugars, Alternative Sweeteners, Front of Pack Labeling & Product Reformulation – What’s Next?
Moderator: Randy Green, Principal, Watson Green LLC
Speakers: Beth Johnson, Principal and CEO, Food Directions LLC
Andrew Ohmes, Manager, Global High Intensity Sweetener Product Line, Cargill
Joe Scimeca, Senior Vice President, Regulatory & Scientific Affairs, International Dairy Foods Association
Beth Johnson
Elizabeth (Beth) Johnson, MS, RD, founded Food Directions LLC in February 2010. Johnson’s unique experience and skill set helps clients gain valuable insight into the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Capitol Hill. Johnson also has strong relationships with thought leaders at NGOs, food associations, and consumer groups, which help Food Directions gain a diverse perspective on food issues. Johnson is regularly tapped to speak at food related conferences and events.
Prior to starting Food Directions LLC, Johnson served as Executive Vice President for Public Affairs for the National Restaurant Association where she oversaw government affairs, public policy and communications for the organization. In 2008, Johnson was named Acting Under Secretary for Food Safety at USDA where she lead and oversaw the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), USDA’s public health agency that ensures the nation’s commercial meat, poultry, and certain egg products are safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged. In addition to her service as Acting Under Secretary for Food Safety, Johnson was deputy chief of staff and senior advisor for the Secretary of Agriculture at USDA, where she focused on agricultural trade, animal health, food safety and nutrition. She joined the department in 2002 after nearly four years at Fleishman-Hillard, Inc., where she was a vice president with clients in the food and agriculture arena. Her previous experiences include positions as a senior professional staff member at the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; a nutritionist at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; and a research dietitian at USDA. Johnson also worked at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association as associate director for food policy.
Johnson is a member of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), serves on the National Food Policy Conference Advisory Committee, Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) host committee, and on Dunkin Brands’ Nutrition Advisory Board and is a Food Cowboy Advisor. Johnson has been quoted in numerous media outlets including USA Today, HealthDay, Supermarket News, Food Navigator USA, AdWeek, Washington Times, Politico, and The Hill, among others.
Johnson holds a BS in Dietetics from Ball State University and an MS in Nutrition from the University of Maryland. Johnson lives in Maryland with her husband Bill and daughters Hanah and Sara.
Joseph Scimeca, PhD
Joseph Scimeca, PhD, leads IDFA’s Regulatory and Scientific Affairs team. Scimeca has extensive technical regulatory and scientific expertise that includes over 33 years of industry experience. In his position with IDFA, he provides strategic regulatory and scientific leadership for the dairy food and beverage industry covering a broad range of areas including product safety, quality, and labeling; nutrition and health policy; product identity standards; food defense; sustainability initiatives; Codex and other international standards; technical trade barriers; and emerging science and technologies affecting the dairy sector.
He comes to IDFA from Cargill Inc. where he worked for 16 years, serving most recently as Vice President of Global Regulatory & Scientific Affairs. For Cargill, Scimeca provided leadership for ensuring food, feed, and other consumer products were safe, protected against intentional acts of economic adulteration and bioterrorism, and in conformance with relevant food/feed regulations, standards, and internal policies. He managed a team of 30 regulatory professionals based in locations around the world that collaborated with their business partners in facilitating compliance against existing and emerging regulations. Previously, he held similar regulatory affairs roles with General Mills, Pillsbury, and Kraft.
Scimeca has a proven track record working with the FDA and USDA to lead the broad food industry in regulatory reform, with notable efforts in shaping and influencing FDA FSMA regulations, and with several foreign governments in their efforts to modernize food regulations, including China, Canada, India, EU, and Indonesia. Scimeca is skilled at building and leading private-public partnerships to advance food safety initiatives leading to improved public health.
He has and continues to chair or serve on numerous and varied technical committees for scientific, academic, and trade organizations, including the National Academy of Sciences, IUFoST, IFT, ILSI, and JIFSAN, among others. He has authored nearly 40 peer-reviewed scientific papers, monographs, and book chapters.
In his leisure time, he enjoys traveling with his wife and adult children, and finding time to run, backpack, and rock-climb. See LinkedIn Profile.
Randy Green
Randy Green, a principal at Watson Green LLC, has seen food and agriculture policy from all sides, having served in both the executive and legislative branches of government and in the private sector. Over his career he has been closely involved in the development of five multi-year farm bills, as well as major legislation and regulations affecting derivatives, food safety, animal health and human nutrition.
Randy came to Washington in the 1980s to work for former Representative Charles Stenholm (D-Tex.) and later served former Senator Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) on the staff of the Senate Agriculture Committee. With the exception of two years as a deputy under secretary of agriculture, Randy served on the agriculture committee staff continuously from 1989 to 1999. The last two years he was chief of staff.
In 1999 Randy entered the private sector to represent agricultural and food industry clients. Earlier in his career, he managed government relations for the American Soybean Association and was director of the Wheat Export Trade Education Center.
In 2013, Randy and Lisa Watson formed Watson Green LLC, a firm centered on food and agriculture policy and public affairs.
Andrew Ohmes
Andrew is responsible for delivering high-quality stevia products to the global market, which includes leading the commercial strategy and team, building customer relationships and working closely with sales and marketing teams to grow the business. Before taking his current role, Andrew served as Commercial and Supply Chain Manger for the High Intensity Sweetener business. Prior to that, he was the Senior Process Chemist for Cargill’s natural vitamin E facility. He holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from St. Ambrose University and Bachelor’s Degrees in Biochemistry and Chemical Science from Kansas State University.
Currently, he serves as the President of the International Stevia Council and the Past Board Chair for the Calorie Control Council. Andrew holds several patents globally for the production and purification of stevia.
Session IV – Keynote Address with USDA’s Jason Hafemeister
Moderator: Perry Cerminara, Chairman, Sweetener Users Association & Director, Commodity Sourcing, The Hershey Company
Introducer: Greg Brecht, Vice President Sales, Starches, Sweeteners and Texturizers, Cargill
Speaker: Jason Hafemeister, Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Trade & Foreign Agricultural Affairs, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Jason Hafemeister
Jason Hafemeister is the Acting Deputy Under Secretary for and Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs. Prior to his current position, he was the Trade Counsel to the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). In this role, he advised the Secretary and the Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs on agricultural trade policy.
He has been involved in agricultural farm and trade policy for over 25 years, including almost 20 at USDA and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Jason grew up on California’s scenic central coast. He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley, a master’s degree from the University of California at San Diego, and a law degree from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He is married with two small children. Before that, he used to enjoy reading and sport.
Perry Cerminara
Mr. Cerminara is currently the Director of Commodities Sourcing at The Hershey Company. He is located in Hershey, PA. He has been with The Hershey Company for 28 years and has held several positions within the organization during that time. He is currently the Director of Commodities Sourcing, responsible for sugar and sweetener procurement. He is the Chairman of the Sweetener User’s Association and has been a member of that organization since 2003. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from The Ohio State University, a Master of Science from the University of Cincinnati and a Master of Business Administration from the Pennsylvania State University. He lives in Lebanon, PA with his wife and two children.
Session V – Sugar Program Administration & Trade Policy Landscape in 2021
Moderator: Rick Pasco, President, Sweetener Users Association
Speakers: Barb Fecso, Branch Chief, Commodity Analysis, Farm Service Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Erin Nicholson, Director, Agricultural Affairs, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
Lori Tortora, Senior Policy Advisor, Import Programs, Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Rick Pasco
Rick Pasco is a partner at Watkinson Miller PLLC where he is legal counsel and lobbyist for a number of agribusiness clients in the food, agricultural, trade and environmental arenas. He has more than 30 years of experience working in agriculture and food-related legislative and regulatory matters. Mr. Pasco specializes in advising and representing trade associations and companies on government policies and programs. In this capacity, he serves as President of the Sweetener Users Association and Vice President of the Sugar Club.
He has a wealth of experience working with Congress, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Trade Representative, the U.S. International Trade Commission, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. He has played a key role in implementing lobbying strategies and advancing agricultural program and trade reforms, as well as developing environmental guidelines, food labeling rules, and food safety/nutrition legislation. During the course of his private and public-sector career, he has been closely involved in six omnibus farm bills.
An important part of Mr. Pasco's work for trade associations is his counsel and advice to ensure that their political action committees (PACs) are in full compliance with federal elections laws and regulations administered by the Federal Election Commission. He is the firm's expert on these issues. Mr. Pasco is uniquely qualified to bring his broad experience to bear in helping solve the problems of clients in the private sector.
Mr. Pasco is a member of the bars of the District of Columbia, Colorado and Nebraska. He received a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington, and earned a M.S. degree in Agricultural Economics and a J.D. degree from the University of Nebraska.
Barb Fecso
Barbara Fecso is the Branch Chief of the Commodity Analysis Branch, Economic and Policy Analysis Division, Farm Production and Conservation Business Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture. She is responsible for overseeing the administration of the domestic sugar, dairy, livestock, cotton, peanuts, grains and oilseeds programs. Barbara provides guidance to the Secretary of Agriculture in the formulation and implementation of national policies and procedures, as well as economic and budgetary impact analysis of those programs.
Barbara has almost twenty-five years of government service in USDA with an emphasis on program analysis, operations and budgetary analysis. She initially spent five years with the Natural Resource Conservation Service as a program analyst for conservation technical assistance, watershed and animal waste management programs. She then spent two years as a wheat and pulse crop analyst at the Farm Service Agency before shifting to sugar. She was named Director of FSA’s Dairy and Sweeteners Analysis branch in 2014 and played a critical role in the negotiation of the current sugar trade agreement with Mexico. In October 2018, she was named Branch Chief under USDA’s reorganization.
Barbara received a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University at West Lafayette, Indiana in 1994. She was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois and lived for almost twenty years in central Illinois. She has three children and now resides in Arlington, Virginia with her husband.
Lori Tortora
Lori Tortora is the Senior Policy Advisor for Import Programs at the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Ms. Tortora’s portfolio includes both the dairy and sugar programs. Prior to this position, she worked as a Senior Trade Advisor in the Multilateral Affairs Division at the Foreign Agricultural Service.
Ms. Tortora joined the FAS in 2008, during her tenure with FAS she has covered a variety of trade policy issues including those related to sanitary and phytosanitary and technical barriers to U.S. agricultural exports. She has worked in numerous trade negotiations including the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (sanitary and phyto-sanitary issues, technical barriers to trade and good regulatory practices) and the USMCA (good regulatory practices). Ms. Tortora has also as extensive experience in working with international organizations such as the World Trade Organization, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, Codex Alimentarius, etc.
Before joining the FAS, Ms. Tortora worked for the Columbus McKinnon Corporation in export sales and worked as a contractor for the U.S Military in Kitzingen, Germany. She has a Bachelor of Arts in German Language and Literature and speaks German fluently.
Erin Nicholson
Erin Hubbard Nicholson serves as a Director for Agricultural Affairs in the Agricultural Affairs Office of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). In this role, she works on a range of issues concerning U.S. agricultural trade, including sugar trade, with a focus on promoting the interests of U.S. farmers, ranchers, and food manufacturers. She is also the lead USTR representative for the World Trade Organization (WTO) Committee on Agriculture and represents USTR in WTO agricultural negotiations. Before coming to USTR, from 2008 to 2018, Erin served as a Deputy Director and International Economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service. From 2003 to 2008, Erin worked at the Bureau of Labor Statistics as an Economist, executing several steps of production leading to publications of U.S. import and export price index data. Erin graduated summa cum laude from Boston University with bachelor degrees in International Relations and Economics. She also has a masters degree in Applied Economics from Johns Hopkins University.
Session VI – Financial Markets & The Economy in the Face of Unprecedented Circumstances
Moderator: Thomas Call, Commodity Market Analyst, Barry Callebaut
Speaker: Tom Joyce, Managing Director & Capital Markets Strategist, MUFG Securities Americas Inc.
Tom Joyce
Tom Joyce is a Managing Director and Capital Markets Strategist within MUFG’s global capital markets and investment banking business. Based in New York, Tom heads a team that creates customized analytical content for multi-national US corporates and Fortune 500 companies. His team provides in depth analysis on the impact of economic, political, public policy and regulatory dynamics on the US credit, foreign exchange, rates and commodities markets.
Tom has 25 years of Investment Banking experience in New York, London, Hong Kong, and San Francisco. Over the last 13 years, Tom created and built the Capital Markets Strategy role, the only position of its kind on Wall Street.
Tom’s educational background includes a year of study at Oxford University from 1991 - 1992, a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Holy Cross College in 1993, and a MBA from Kellogg Business School, Northwestern University in 2000.
Tom resides in New Canaan, CT with his wife and four sons, where he serves on the Board of Trustees of the New Canaan Library, and the Board of the New Canaan Football (Soccer) Club. He also coaches youth soccer, basketball and lacrosse.
Thomas Call
Thomas has worked as an analyst, trader, and risk manager in commodity markets since 2004. He has worked at Barry Callebaut since 2017 focusing on the sugar, dairy, and oils & fats markets. Prior to joining Barry Callebaut, he worked on the trading floor at the Chicago Board of Trade.
Session VII – The Agriculture Committees Agenda
Commentator: Bill O’Conner, Agriculture Policy Expert, Watkinson Miller PLLC
Speakers: The Honorable David Scott (D-GA), Chairman, House Committee on Agriculture
The Honorable John Boozman (R-AR), Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry
Bill O'Conner
Bill O'Conner joined the firm in 2010, bringing with him more than three decades of experience in the legislative and executive branches of government. During that time, he was one of the key policy staffers in the development and passage of five farm bills, three laws to restructure and reform the Farm Credit System, and the entire legislative development of the federal crop insurance program.
He also played a key role in the legislative evolution of futures and derivatives regulation from the 1980's through House passage of the most recent financial services reform in 2009. He continues to follow closely the implementation of the Dodd - Frank Act and the huge number of regulations that are being promulgated to implement that Act. He was at the center of legislation regulating pesticides, including the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996. He has played a major legislative role in all of the diverse legislation in the jurisdiction of the House Agriculture Committee from forestry to food stamps and tobacco to trade.
Former Jobs/Positions Held
Mr. O'Conner began his service in Washington in 1979, working in the House Republican leadership. In 1983, he was brought to the House Agriculture Committee by Congressman Ed Madigan of Illinois, where he worked as deputy staff director. In 1991 Congressman Madigan became Agriculture Secretary Madigan and Bill became his chief of staff. In addition to overseeing general functioning of USDA, Bill worked intensively on the negotiation of the Uruguay Round of trade talks.
In 1993, Bill returned to the House Agriculture Committee as policy director, coordinating and implementing policy for the Committee. He served in that capacity for Chairman Pat Roberts of Kansas and Chairman Bob Smith of Oregon. In 1999 Chairman Larry Combest of Texas named Bill Staff Director for the Committee, a position that continued under Chairman Bob Goodlatte of Virginia. At the time Bill retired from Capitol Hill to join the firm, he was serving as minority policy director for Ranking Member Frank Lucas of Oklahoma.
U.S. Rep. David Scott (D-GA)
Congressman David Scott of Georgia is the first African American to serve as Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. The committee is empowered with legislative oversight relating to the U.S. agriculture industry, forestry, nutrition, and rural development.
“I was born on my grandparents’ farm in rural Aynor, South Carolina, during the days of segregation, and the hardships, of those, on whose shoulders I now stand. I owe this historic selection as the first African American Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee to a diverse coalition of members from across our nation. And I will use this critical opportunity to…advance our priorities for trade, disaster aid, climate change, sustainable agriculture, SNAP, crop insurance, small family farms, specialty crops, and rural broadband. The fault lines dividing our rural and urban communities are running deep, and climate change is now threatening our nation’s food supply. As Chairman, I will lead the fight to rise up and meet these challenges.”
Rep. Scott has served as a Member of Congress and the House Agriculture Committee since 2003. In his various leadership roles on the House Agriculture Committee, Rep. Scott has chaired the Subcommittees on Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit as well as Livestock and Foreign Agriculture. He played a key role in ushering through the three last Farm Bills, including by serving as a conferee, securing critical disaster aid for our farmers, strengthening the food and nutrition programs that help our families, seniors and school children and securing $80 million for new scholarships for students attending 1890 African-American land-grant colleges and universities.
During his 18 years in Congress, he has developed a deep understanding of the critical issues facing farmers today and the practical challenges posed by an agricultural lifestyle. He also understands the critical role agriculture plays in our economy and the importance of policies that preserve our place as the #1 exporter of agricultural products.
U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR)
John Boozman is Arkansas’s senior U.S. Senator and the dean of the state’s Congressional delegation.
A fifth-generation Arkansan, John was raised in Fort Smith and graduated from Northside High School. He went on to play football for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks while completing his pre-optometry requirements. He graduated from the Southern College of Optometry in 1977 and entered private practice that same year co-founding a family business with his brother that would ultimately become a major provider of eye care to Northwest Arkansas.
Decades of experience as a successful healthcare provider and a small business owner guide John’s approach to governing. He is committed to advocating for economic policies that help Arkansas’s small businesses continue to grow and add jobs to our state’s economy. And since agriculture accounts for nearly one-quarter of Arkansas’s economic activity, John has been a consistent champion for our state’s farmers, ranchers and loggers and was instrumental in the fight for an equitable farm bill.
As the son of an Air Force Master Sergeant, John learned at an early age about the sacrifices of our men and women in uniform, as well as the unique challenges military families face. He brings these values with him to Washington where he is committed to enhancing the quality of life for both our veterans and their families. As a member of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, John has authored provisions to bolster care and services for women veterans, modernize educational benefits under the GI Bill and better reach and provide mental health care and resources to former service members.
John will serve as the Ranking Member of the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry during the 117thCongress. This position enables him to play a key role in influencing policy that relates to the agriculture economy, nutrition programs and quality of life in rural America.
John will also continue to serve on the Committee on Appropriations, which is responsible for allocating federal funds, and the Committee on the Environment and Public Works, where much of the nation’s infrastructure policy is developed.
Along with these committees, John serves on the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, commonly referred to as the Helsinki Commission. He serves on the Congressional Study Group on Europe (CSGE), a bipartisan organization dedicated to frank and candid dialogue between American lawmakers and their peers in European capitals and Brussels, and has been appointed the Vice Chairman of the Senate Delegation to the British-American Interparliamentary Group during the 117th Congress.
In addition, John also serves as one of six Congressional Regents on the Smithsonian Institute's Board of Regents which governs and administers the organization.
First elected to the Senate in 2010, John was sworn in for a second term on January 3, 2017. Prior to serving in the Senate, he represented the people of the Third District of Arkansas in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Active in his community, John has served on the Rogers School Board, the Benton County Fair Board, established the low vision program at the Arkansas School for the Blind in Little Rock and worked as a volunteer optometrist at an area clinic that provides medical services to low-income families. He successfully raised Polled Hereford cattle that were competitive in the show ring, as well as in bull testing at Oklahoma State University.
John, is married to the former Cathy Marley and they currently reside in Rogers. The couple has three daughters and four grandchildren.
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Speakers
U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR)
Ranking Republican Member | Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee
U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR)
John Boozman is Arkansas’s senior U.S. Senator and the dean of the state’s Congressional delegation.
A fifth-generation Arkansan, John was raised in Fort Smith and graduated from Northside High School. He went on to play football for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks while completing his pre-optometry requirements. He graduated from the Southern College of Optometry in 1977 and entered private practice that same year co-founding a family business with his brother that would ultimately become a major provider of eye care to Northwest Arkansas.
Decades of experience as a successful healthcare provider and a small business owner guide John’s approach to governing. He is committed to advocating for economic policies that help Arkansas’s small businesses continue to grow and add jobs to our state’s economy. And since agriculture accounts for nearly one-quarter of Arkansas’s economic activity, John has been a consistent champion for our state’s farmers, ranchers and loggers and was instrumental in the fight for an equitable farm bill.
As the son of an Air Force Master Sergeant, John learned at an early age about the sacrifices of our men and women in uniform, as well as the unique challenges military families face. He brings these values with him to Washington where he is committed to enhancing the quality of life for both our veterans and their families. As a member of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, John has authored provisions to bolster care and services for women veterans, modernize educational benefits under the GI Bill and better reach and provide mental health care and resources to former service members.
John will serve as the Ranking Member of the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry during the 117thCongress. This position enables him to play a key role in influencing policy that relates to the agriculture economy, nutrition programs and quality of life in rural America.
John will also continue to serve on the Committee on Appropriations, which is responsible for allocating federal funds, and the Committee on the Environment and Public Works, where much of the nation’s infrastructure policy is developed.
Along with these committees, John serves on the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, commonly referred to as the Helsinki Commission. He serves on the Congressional Study Group on Europe (CSGE), a bipartisan organization dedicated to frank and candid dialogue between American lawmakers and their peers in European capitals and Brussels, and has been appointed the Vice Chairman of the Senate Delegation to the British-American Interparliamentary Group during the 117th Congress.
In addition, John also serves as one of six Congressional Regents on the Smithsonian Institute's Board of Regents which governs and administers the organization.
First elected to the Senate in 2010, John was sworn in for a second term on January 3, 2017. Prior to serving in the Senate, he represented the people of the Third District of Arkansas in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Active in his community, John has served on the Rogers School Board, the Benton County Fair Board, established the low vision program at the Arkansas School for the Blind in Little Rock and worked as a volunteer optometrist at an area clinic that provides medical services to low-income families. He successfully raised Polled Hereford cattle that were competitive in the show ring, as well as in bull testing at Oklahoma State University.
John, is married to the former Cathy Marley and they currently reside in Rogers. The couple has three daughters and four grandchildren.
Thomas Call
Commodity Market Analyst | Barry Callebaut
Thomas Call
Thomas has worked as an analyst, trader, and risk manager in commodity markets since 2004. He has worked at Barry Callebaut since 2017 focusing on the sugar, dairy, and oils & fats markets. Prior to joining Barry Callebaut, he worked on the trading floor at the Chicago Board of Trade.
Perry Cerminara
Director of Commodities Sourcing, The Hershey Company
Perry Cerminara
Mr. Cerminara is currently the Director of Commodities Sourcing at The Hershey Company. He is located in Hershey, PA. He has been with The Hershey Company for 28 years and has held several positions within the organization during that time. He is currently the Director of Commodities Sourcing, responsible for sugar and sweetener procurement. He is the Chairman of the Sweetener User’s Association and has been a member of that organization since 2003. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from The Ohio State University, a Master of Science from the University of Cincinnati and a Master of Business Administration from the Pennsylvania State University. He lives in Lebanon, PA with his wife and two children.
Toby Cohen
Vice President Market Research, ASR Group
Toby Cohen
Toby Cohen is Vice President Market Research at ASR Group. ASR is the largest vertically integrated cane sugar refiner in the world. Toby has over 24 years of experience in commodity markets. He started work as a futures broker in 1990 and then moved into physical trading. In 1997 he was posted to Singapore where he experienced the impact of the Asian financial crisis on commodity markets. On his return to London in 1999 he became actively involved with Brazil before moving from trading to analysis in 2002. As Head of Analysis he sought to bridge the commercial needs of the physical business with economic disciplines.
He was appointed to the board of Czarnikow Group in 2006 later becoming head of Czarnikow’s advisory business. He joined ASR in October 2014.
Barb Fecso
Branch Chief, Commodity Analysis | Farm Service Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Barb Fecso
Barbara Fecso is the Branch Chief of the Commodity Analysis Branch, Economic and Policy Analysis Division, Farm Production and Conservation Business Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture. She is responsible for overseeing the administration of the domestic sugar, dairy, livestock, cotton, peanuts, grains and oilseeds programs. Barbara provides guidance to the Secretary of Agriculture in the formulation and implementation of national policies and procedures, as well as economic and budgetary impact analysis of those programs.
Barbara has almost twenty-five years of government service in USDA with an emphasis on program analysis, operations and budgetary analysis. She initially spent five years with the Natural Resource Conservation Service as a program analyst for conservation technical assistance, watershed and animal waste management programs. She then spent two years as a wheat and pulse crop analyst at the Farm Service Agency before shifting to sugar. She was named Director of FSA’s Dairy and Sweeteners Analysis branch in 2014 and played a critical role in the negotiation of the current sugar trade agreement with Mexico. In October 2018, she was named Branch Chief under USDA’s reorganization.
Barbara received a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University at West Lafayette, Indiana in 1994. She was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois and lived for almost twenty years in central Illinois. She has three children and now resides in Arlington, Virginia with her husband.
Randy Green
Principal | Watson Green LLC
Randy Green
Randy Green, a principal at Watson Green LLC, has seen food and agriculture policy from all sides, having served in both the executive and legislative branches of government and in the private sector. Over his career he has been closely involved in the development of five multi-year farm bills, as well as major legislation and regulations affecting derivatives, food safety, animal health and human nutrition.
Randy came to Washington in the 1980s to work for former Representative Charles Stenholm (D-Tex.) and later served former Senator Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) on the staff of the Senate Agriculture Committee. With the exception of two years as a deputy under secretary of agriculture, Randy served on the agriculture committee staff continuously from 1989 to 1999. The last two years he was chief of staff.
In 1999 Randy entered the private sector to represent agricultural and food industry clients. Earlier in his career, he managed government relations for the American Soybean Association and was director of the Wheat Export Trade Education Center.
In 2013, Randy and Lisa Watson formed Watson Green LLC, a firm centered on food and agriculture policy and public affairs.
Jason Hafemeister
Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Trade & Foreign Agricultural Affairs, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Jason Hafemeister
Jason Hafemeister is the Acting Deputy Under Secretary for and Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs. Prior to his current position, he was the Trade Counsel to the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). In this role, he advised the Secretary and the Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs on agricultural trade policy.
He has been involved in agricultural farm and trade policy for over 25 years, including almost 20 at USDA and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Jason grew up on California’s scenic central coast. He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley, a master’s degree from the University of California at San Diego, and a law degree from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He is married with two small children. Before that, he used to enjoy reading and sport.
Frank Jenkins
President | JSG Commodities
Frank Jenkins
Frank Jenkins, president of Jenkins Sugar Group, has over 20 years of experience as a broker and consultant focusing mainly on the US/NAFTA sugar markets. Prior to founding Jenkins Sugar Group in 1993, he worked on the sugar desk of ED&F Man in New York from 1983 to 1986, and served as vice president in Merrill Lynch Private Client Group in New York from 1986 to 1993. Frank was honored to serve as president of the Sugar Club of New York and has been a featured speaker at numerous industry and USDA sponsored forums.
Beth Johnson
Principal and CEO | Food Directions LLC
Beth Johnson
Elizabeth (Beth) Johnson, MS, RD, founded Food Directions LLC in February 2010. Johnson’s unique experience and skill set helps clients gain valuable insight into the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Capitol Hill. Johnson also has strong relationships with thought leaders at NGOs, food associations, and consumer groups, which help Food Directions gain a diverse perspective on food issues. Johnson is regularly tapped to speak at food related conferences and events.
Prior to starting Food Directions LLC, Johnson served as Executive Vice President for Public Affairs for the National Restaurant Association where she oversaw government affairs, public policy and communications for the organization. In 2008, Johnson was named Acting Under Secretary for Food Safety at USDA where she lead and oversaw the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), USDA’s public health agency that ensures the nation’s commercial meat, poultry, and certain egg products are safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged. In addition to her service as Acting Under Secretary for Food Safety, Johnson was deputy chief of staff and senior advisor for the Secretary of Agriculture at USDA, where she focused on agricultural trade, animal health, food safety and nutrition. She joined the department in 2002 after nearly four years at Fleishman-Hillard, Inc., where she was a vice president with clients in the food and agriculture arena. Her previous experiences include positions as a senior professional staff member at the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; a nutritionist at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; and a research dietitian at USDA. Johnson also worked at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association as associate director for food policy.
Johnson is a member of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), serves on the National Food Policy Conference Advisory Committee, Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) host committee, and on Dunkin Brands’ Nutrition Advisory Board and is a Food Cowboy Advisor. Johnson has been quoted in numerous media outlets including USA Today, HealthDay, Supermarket News, Food Navigator USA, AdWeek, Washington Times, Politico, and The Hill, among others.
Johnson holds a BS in Dietetics from Ball State University and an MS in Nutrition from the University of Maryland. Johnson lives in Maryland with her husband Bill and daughters Hanah and Sara.
Tom Joyce
Managing Director, Capital Markets Strategist | MUFG Securities Americas Inc.
Tom Joyce
Tom Joyce is a Managing Director and Capital Markets Strategist within MUFG’s global capital markets and investment banking business. Based in New York, Tom heads a team that creates customized analytical content for multi-national US corporates and Fortune 500 companies. His team provides in depth analysis on the impact of economic, political, public policy and regulatory dynamics on the US credit, foreign exchange, rates and commodities markets.
Tom has 25 years of Investment Banking experience in New York, London, Hong Kong, and San Francisco. Over the last 13 years, Tom created and built the Capital Markets Strategy role, the only position of its kind on Wall Street.
Tom’s educational background includes a year of study at Oxford University from 1991 - 1992, a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Holy Cross College in 1993, and a MBA from Kellogg Business School, Northwestern University in 2000.
Tom resides in New Canaan, CT with his wife and four sons, where he serves on the Board of Trustees of the New Canaan Library, and the Board of the New Canaan Football (Soccer) Club. He also coaches youth soccer, basketball and lacrosse.
James Liddiard
Senior Vice President | Agrilion Commodity Advisers LLC
James Liddiard
James Liddiard is a Senior Vice President at Agrilion Commodity Advisers LLC. Liddiard is a commodity risk consultant and adviser specializing in the sugar and ethanol markets.
Erin Nicholson
Director, Agricultural Affairs | Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
Erin Nicholson
Erin Hubbard Nicholson serves as a Director for Agricultural Affairs in the Agricultural Affairs Office of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). In this role, she works on a range of issues concerning U.S. agricultural trade, including sugar trade, with a focus on promoting the interests of U.S. farmers, ranchers, and food manufacturers. She is also the lead USTR representative for the World Trade Organization (WTO) Committee on Agriculture and represents USTR in WTO agricultural negotiations. Before coming to USTR, from 2008 to 2018, Erin served as a Deputy Director and International Economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service. From 2003 to 2008, Erin worked at the Bureau of Labor Statistics as an Economist, executing several steps of production leading to publications of U.S. import and export price index data. Erin graduated summa cum laude from Boston University with bachelor degrees in International Relations and Economics. She also has a masters degree in Applied Economics from Johns Hopkins University.
Bill O'Conner
Agriculture Policy Expert, Watkinson Miller PLLC
Bill O'Conner
Bill O'Conner joined the firm in 2010, bringing with him more than three decades of experience in the legislative and executive branches of government. During that time, he was one of the key policy staffers in the development and passage of five farm bills, three laws to restructure and reform the Farm Credit System, and the entire legislative development of the federal crop insurance program.
He also played a key role in the legislative evolution of futures and derivatives regulation from the 1980's through House passage of the most recent financial services reform in 2009. He continues to follow closely the implementation of the Dodd - Frank Act and the huge number of regulations that are being promulgated to implement that Act. He was at the center of legislation regulating pesticides, including the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996. He has played a major legislative role in all of the diverse legislation in the jurisdiction of the House Agriculture Committee from forestry to food stamps and tobacco to trade.
Former Jobs/Positions Held
Mr. O'Conner began his service in Washington in 1979, working in the House Republican leadership. In 1983, he was brought to the House Agriculture Committee by Congressman Ed Madigan of Illinois, where he worked as deputy staff director. In 1991 Congressman Madigan became Agriculture Secretary Madigan and Bill became his chief of staff. In addition to overseeing general functioning of USDA, Bill worked intensively on the negotiation of the Uruguay Round of trade talks.
In 1993, Bill returned to the House Agriculture Committee as policy director, coordinating and implementing policy for the Committee. He served in that capacity for Chairman Pat Roberts of Kansas and Chairman Bob Smith of Oregon. In 1999 Chairman Larry Combest of Texas named Bill Staff Director for the Committee, a position that continued under Chairman Bob Goodlatte of Virginia. At the time Bill retired from Capitol Hill to join the firm, he was serving as minority policy director for Ranking Member Frank Lucas of Oklahoma.
Andrew Ohmes
Manager, Global High Intensity Sweetener Product Line | Cargill
Andrew Ohmes
Andrew is responsible for delivering high-quality stevia products to the global market, which includes leading the commercial strategy and team, building customer relationships and working closely with sales and marketing teams to grow the business. Before taking his current role, Andrew served as Commercial and Supply Chain Manger for the High Intensity Sweetener business. Prior to that, he was the Senior Process Chemist for Cargill’s natural vitamin E facility. He holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from St. Ambrose University and Bachelor’s Degrees in Biochemistry and Chemical Science from Kansas State University.
Currently, he serves as the President of the International Stevia Council and the Past Board Chair for the Calorie Control Council. Andrew holds several patents globally for the production and purification of stevia.
Rick Pasco
President | Sweetener Users Association
Rick Pasco
Rick Pasco is a partner at Watkinson Miller PLLC where he is legal counsel and lobbyist for a number of agribusiness clients in the food, agricultural, trade and environmental arenas. He has more than 30 years of experience working in agriculture and food-related legislative and regulatory matters. Mr. Pasco specializes in advising and representing trade associations and companies on government policies and programs. In this capacity, he serves as President of the Sweetener Users Association and Vice President of the Sugar Club.
He has a wealth of experience working with Congress, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Trade Representative, the U.S. International Trade Commission, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. He has played a key role in implementing lobbying strategies and advancing agricultural program and trade reforms, as well as developing environmental guidelines, food labeling rules, and food safety/nutrition legislation. During the course of his private and public-sector career, he has been closely involved in six omnibus farm bills.
An important part of Mr. Pasco's work for trade associations is his counsel and advice to ensure that their political action committees (PACs) are in full compliance with federal elections laws and regulations administered by the Federal Election Commission. He is the firm's expert on these issues. Mr. Pasco is uniquely qualified to bring his broad experience to bear in helping solve the problems of clients in the private sector.
Mr. Pasco is a member of the bars of the District of Columbia, Colorado and Nebraska. He received a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington, and earned a M.S. degree in Agricultural Economics and a J.D. degree from the University of Nebraska.
Craig Ruffolo
Vice President – Commodity Specialist | McKeany-Flavell Company
Craig Ruffolo
Since joining McKeany-Flavell in 1995, Craig has developed expertise in several categories—including sugar, corn sweeteners, alternative sweeteners, coffee, honey, and edible oils—and he assists domestic and multinational clients through market analysis, ingredient resource management, and buyer education. An acknowledged industry expert, Craig makes frequent national and international speaking engagements to discuss the sweeteners industry, including at ASA, Sosland, and F.O. Licht market conferences. Craig’s study on the potential ramifications to the U.S. sugar market if government supports to growers were changed or eliminated was presented to Congress.
Joseph Scimeca, PhD
Senior Vice President, Regulatory & Scientific Affairs | International Dairy Foods Association
Joseph Scimeca, PhD
Joseph Scimeca, PhD, leads IDFA’s Regulatory and Scientific Affairs team. Scimeca has extensive technical regulatory and scientific expertise that includes over 33 years of industry experience. In his position with IDFA, he provides strategic regulatory and scientific leadership for the dairy food and beverage industry covering a broad range of areas including product safety, quality, and labeling; nutrition and health policy; product identity standards; food defense; sustainability initiatives; Codex and other international standards; technical trade barriers; and emerging science and technologies affecting the dairy sector.
He comes to IDFA from Cargill Inc. where he worked for 16 years, serving most recently as Vice President of Global Regulatory & Scientific Affairs. For Cargill, Scimeca provided leadership for ensuring food, feed, and other consumer products were safe, protected against intentional acts of economic adulteration and bioterrorism, and in conformance with relevant food/feed regulations, standards, and internal policies. He managed a team of 30 regulatory professionals based in locations around the world that collaborated with their business partners in facilitating compliance against existing and emerging regulations. Previously, he held similar regulatory affairs roles with General Mills, Pillsbury, and Kraft.
Scimeca has a proven track record working with the FDA and USDA to lead the broad food industry in regulatory reform, with notable efforts in shaping and influencing FDA FSMA regulations, and with several foreign governments in their efforts to modernize food regulations, including China, Canada, India, EU, and Indonesia. Scimeca is skilled at building and leading private-public partnerships to advance food safety initiatives leading to improved public health.
He has and continues to chair or serve on numerous and varied technical committees for scientific, academic, and trade organizations, including the National Academy of Sciences, IUFoST, IFT, ILSI, and JIFSAN, among others. He has authored nearly 40 peer-reviewed scientific papers, monographs, and book chapters.
In his leisure time, he enjoys traveling with his wife and adult children, and finding time to run, backpack, and rock-climb. See LinkedIn Profile.
U.S. Rep. David Scott (D-GA)
Chairman | House Committee on Agriculture
U.S. Rep. David Scott (D-GA)
Congressman David Scott of Georgia is the first African American to serve as Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. The committee is empowered with legislative oversight relating to the U.S. agriculture industry, forestry, nutrition, and rural development.
“I was born on my grandparents’ farm in rural Aynor, South Carolina, during the days of segregation, and the hardships, of those, on whose shoulders I now stand. I owe this historic selection as the first African American Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee to a diverse coalition of members from across our nation. And I will use this critical opportunity to…advance our priorities for trade, disaster aid, climate change, sustainable agriculture, SNAP, crop insurance, small family farms, specialty crops, and rural broadband. The fault lines dividing our rural and urban communities are running deep, and climate change is now threatening our nation’s food supply. As Chairman, I will lead the fight to rise up and meet these challenges.”
Rep. Scott has served as a Member of Congress and the House Agriculture Committee since 2003. In his various leadership roles on the House Agriculture Committee, Rep. Scott has chaired the Subcommittees on Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit as well as Livestock and Foreign Agriculture. He played a key role in ushering through the three last Farm Bills, including by serving as a conferee, securing critical disaster aid for our farmers, strengthening the food and nutrition programs that help our families, seniors and school children and securing $80 million for new scholarships for students attending 1890 African-American land-grant colleges and universities.
During his 18 years in Congress, he has developed a deep understanding of the critical issues facing farmers today and the practical challenges posed by an agricultural lifestyle. He also understands the critical role agriculture plays in our economy and the importance of policies that preserve our place as the #1 exporter of agricultural products.
Paul Steed
Sr. Global Price Risk Lead, Sugar | Mars Wrigley Confectionary
Paul Steed
Paul Steed’s sugar background spans physical trading, speculative position management and industrial sourcing.
Paul joined Mars Chocolate in 2011. In 2015 he was named to the North America Senior Leadership Team. And in 2016, he was made Head of North American Sugar for both Mars and Wrigley (pre-integration).
In November of 2017, Paul assumed the newly-created position of Sr. Global Price Risk Lead, Sugar for Mars Wrigley Confectionary to drive sugar hedging strategies in all business units.
Paul is a past President of the Sugar Club (and current Vice President) and current member of the Board of the Sugar User’s Association. He also serves on the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Sweeteners and Sweetener Products providing technical advice on agricultural trade issues to the Secretary of Agriculture and the United States Trade Representative. Paul is an active member of the Intercontinental Exchange’s No. 16 Sugar Contract Committee.
He lives in Connecticut with his wife Martina and a menagerie of cats, dogs and horses.
Ron Sterk
Senior Editor, Markets | Sosland Publishing
Ron Sterk
Ron Sterk is senior editor, markets, for Food Business News and Milling & Baking News, and is editor of the Sosland Sweetener Report. Prior to joining Sosland Publishing Company in 2003, he was involved in market coverage and management for several years for the real-time news services. He has a bachelor’s degree in agricultural journalism with a focus in agronomy from Iowa State University and a master’s degree in business from Rockhurst University in Kansas City.
Lori Tortora
Senior Policy Advisor, Import Programs | Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Lori Tortora
Lori Tortora is the Senior Policy Advisor for Import Programs at the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Ms. Tortora’s portfolio includes both the dairy and sugar programs. Prior to this position, she worked as a Senior Trade Advisor in the Multilateral Affairs Division at the Foreign Agricultural Service.
Ms. Tortora joined the FAS in 2008, during her tenure with FAS she has covered a variety of trade policy issues including those related to sanitary and phytosanitary and technical barriers to U.S. agricultural exports. She has worked in numerous trade negotiations including the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (sanitary and phyto-sanitary issues, technical barriers to trade and good regulatory practices) and the USMCA (good regulatory practices). Ms. Tortora has also as extensive experience in working with international organizations such as the World Trade Organization, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, Codex Alimentarius, etc.
Before joining the FAS, Ms. Tortora worked for the Columbus McKinnon Corporation in export sales and worked as a contractor for the U.S Military in Kitzingen, Germany. She has a Bachelor of Arts in German Language and Literature and speaks German fluently.
Registration: $250
Cancellation Policy: Registration cancellations received in writing will be accepted prior to February 16, 2021 for a full refund. Your registration fee is non-refundable after February 16, 2021. Substitutions may be made without penalty. All cancellations and substitutions must be received in writing at registrar@idfa.org.
Questions: If you have questions or need assistance with the registration process, please contact IDFA at 202-737-4332 or registrar@idfa.org.
For those interested in sponsorships, International Sweetener Colloquium offers several options to be seen and heard. Sponsorship is one of the best ways to brand your organization as a thought-leader and to highlight your commitment to advancing the global sweetener industry. Please contact Melissa Lembke for more information: (202) 220-3512, mlembke@idfa.org.
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