The Polish Grain & Feed Chamber, a member of FEFAC, COCERAL & European Bourse, is one of the most faithful U.S. soy cooperators in Europe. Over the last decade, USSEC has successfully partnered with the Chamber on numerous professional projects.
At the end of the calendar year, the Chamber organized its annual conference, which gathered the majority of Polish grain traders, grain storage and millers, feed compounders, and some livestock producers to get first-hand information on the markets, policy, legislation, production, and trade developments. This year, the conference had a particularly high profile as the Deputy Prime Minister and a couple of higher governmental officials as well as many top industry figures were included in the audience.
For USSEC, the industry gathering was an excellent place to address some important soybean trade issues that have hindered trade between the U.S. and the European Union. Thus, USSEC arranged with Dr. Sławomir Sowa, the Institute of Plant Breeding & Acclimatization (IHAR), GMO Laboratory Director, in Radzików, Poland, to present “Asynchronous and Asymmetrical Authorization of GMOs in the European Union and New Crop Breeding Technics: Legislation, Trade and Peoples’ Acceptance.”
Other interesting presentations included the Polish food platform and the operating principles of the wheat stock market, business in search of stability or how to ensure security in the context of changes in global markets. Another delivered by AdiFeed reflected on the possibilities to limit the use of chemotherapeutics in industrial poultry farming, which was of particular interest not only to the Polish industry audience, but USSEC as well.
Two debates with distinguished panelists were well received: “Increased Meat Exports to Non-EU Markets - Opportunities and Threats” and “The Importance of Private Brands to Make National Brands Stronger” followed.
USSEC Technical Director – North-East Europe Jerzy W. Kosieradzki, who coordinated the project, concluded: “It was truly a high-profile professional event and USSEC’s contribution was highly appreciated by the Polish Chamber’s top management as well as many participants. Some industry members congratulated us on having Dr. Sowa, a local expert rather than an American, present on the sensitive trade issues.”