Producer leaders, voting delegates and other members of the American Soybean Association (ASA) assembled at the fifth annual Commodity Classic to review and amend ASA's policy resolutions for 2000-2001. During an open resolutions session, voting delegates approved changes and additions that primarily revolved around domestic farm policy, infrastructure and biodiesel, antitrust, international trade and biotechnology.

Domestic Farm Policy

The ASA has reaffirmed its support for the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform (FAIR) Act, the legislation that embodies the 1996 Farm Bill. Despite historically low commodity prices, producers continue to support the FAIR Act because it provides the flexibility to make planting decisions based on market demand and to properly rotate crops for agronomic reasons.

The delegates reaffirmed the Association's opposition to set-aside programs for soybeans and to a short-term Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) as means to control commodity supplies. History supports that whenever the United States has taken soybean acreage out of production as a means to control supply, South American growers have put an equal or greater number of acres into production.

ASA will continue to support supplemental income assistance from the federal government due to current and projected low prices. ASA also is proposing federal income support for producers who implement voluntary conservation practices. These "green payments," would reward producers for good stewardship and conservation practices, and should be determined on a per-acre basis, not on the size of the producer's operation.

Infrastructure & Biodiesel

ASA reaffirmed its position that Congress and the Administration should provide funds to improve or replace locks and dams on the Mississippi and Illinois River systems to protect the competitiveness of U.S. agricultural products. Deterioration, obsolescence, and consolidation in the U.S. waterway and rail transportation system have become the most serious threats to the future competitiveness of U.S. soybean producers for export markets.

ASA continues to support legislation that would treat biodiesel and biodiesel blends the same as other alternative renewable energy sources and will now work for the inclusion of biodiesel in proposals to establish a national renewable standard for motor fuels.

Antitrust

Delegates also added several resolutions to further protect sellers of commodities from anti-competitive behavior. ASA is calling for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to ensure that proposed cooperative and/or vertical integration arrangements, if implemented, should continue to maintain independent producer access to markets, and that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) should take a more active role in reviewing and providing recommendations to the DOJ on agribusiness mergers and acquisitions.

ASA will also work to establish a high level position within the DOJ to enforce antitrust laws in agriculture, and will seek empowerment for USDA to investigate mergers, consolidation or concentration of agricultural input suppliers and processors for antitrust or anti-competitive activities.

International Trade

An immediate priority for ASA will be congressional approval of Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) for China. ASA supports China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) on terms for soybeans and soybean products as outlined under the November 1999 bilateral agreement between the U.S. and China.

ASA will continue to urge the Administration to implement a $1 billion soy food aid program. Reducing stocks of soybeans through the food aid program would not only help farmers and offset government spending, but it would also help feed hungry people and introduce U.S. soybean products into new markets around the world.

The Association's resolve to enact meaningful reform of unilateral economic sanctions this year was strengthened by the delegates. The use of sanctions by the U.S. government has been a recurring nightmare for soybean producers and all of U.S. agriculture for nearly three decades. ASA will increase its efforts to inform U.S. soybean producers and consumers as to the scope and the ramifications of sanctions on U.S. farmers.

ASA delegates also called for the removal of agricultural trade sanctions with Cuba to allow the sale of U.S. soybeans and soybean products. ASA also favors Cuban eligibility for Foreign Market Development (FMD), Market Access Programs (MAP) and GSM-102 and GSM-103 credit programs.

Biotechnology

ASA delegates reaffirmed support for the Plant Variety Protection Act. ASA feels this protection is important to encourage investment in research that will keep soybeans as a profitable crop and maintain soybeans as a premium source of oil and protein. ASA supports global commercialization and production of biotech soybean varieties provided that U.S. producers are not disadvantaged by business practices compared to our foreign competitors.

The delegates called for strong and uniform international intellectual property protection for new soybean technologies to maintain the growth and development of the soybean industry. ASA will work with the U.S. government, the U.S. seed industry and international organizations to ensure consistent global application of intellectual property rights for new soybean technologies.

ASA understands that patent protection also may be useful in encouraging investment in soybean research. Intellectual property protection should not, however, place U.S. soybean producers at a competitive disadvantage to producers in other countries. ASA encourages seed companies to fully consider their ability to protect intellectual property rights and enforce contracts in potential overseas markets before commercializing products in those markets. ASA will work with the U.S. seed industry to examine intellectual property protection laws that will maintain the competitiveness of U.S. soybean farmers and promote the development of new soybean technologies.

ASA supports expansion of controlled identity preserved systems for internationally unapproved biotech and specialty varieties while continuing to provide customers with the products they desire. ASA supports the development, production and promotion of biotech crops that are acceptable to domestic and foreign consumers. For those customers who desire them, ASA supports development of a voluntary certification and/or labeling system domestically and internationally for non-biotechnology-enhanced crops and products.

ASA supports mandatory review and approval of all biotechnology-enhanced crops by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), USDA and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and believes producers should not be held liable for damages resulting from biotechnology-enhanced product use, when recommended practices and procedures are followed.

ASA recommends that life science companies develop tests that can be used to efficiently detect the presence of a new biotechnology event before that event is commercialized and supports the development of a review process that will result in standardized tests and methodology for detecting biotechnology-enhanced products within the soy food chain.

The 2000-2001 edition of ASA's Resolutions will be published on the Association's Web site at www.amsoy.org as soon as it is available. ASA is the policy advocate of the U.S. soybean farmer. Its mission is to improve U.S. soybean farmer profitability.