Last week’s National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) Trade School brought more than 50 farmers, ranchers and representatives of state agriculture associations to Washington in order to deepen their knowledge about trade issues and drum up support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) on Capitol Hill.

“Trade policy has a significant impact on me as a farmer. The success of my business and the livelihood of my community depend on expanding markets for U.S. agricultural products,” said John Linder, a farmer from Edison, Ohio who serves as chairman of the NCGA Biotechnology and Trade Action Team.

Trade school attendees listened to public and private sector experts discuss the importance of trade to the agriculture sector, global population and dietary trends and their implications for agriculture, the growing ethanol export market, and the current state of play for TPP.

“The biggest thing I learned in trade school is, the world is not waiting for us. Our competitors have negotiated regional and bilateral trade agreements that put American farmers and ranchers at a disadvantage in the global marketplace,” said Linder.