NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE DEPARTMENTS OF AGRICULTURE

SINCE 1983, NASDA HAS HELD A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT (CA) WITH THE FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL SERVICE (FAS) OF USDA. NASDA USES FUNDS FROM THE MARKET ACCESS PROGRAM (MAP) TO PRODUCE TWO ANNUAL DOMESTIC TRADE SHOW PAVILIONS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION AND THE WORLD TRADE CENTER MIAMI (WTCM). NASDA WORKS WITH STAFF IN THE USDA/FAS OVERSEAS OFFICES TO RECRUIT QUALIFIED BUYERS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO ATTEND THESE TRADE SHOWS. THE PRIMARY GOAL IS TO PROMOTE U.S. AGRICULTURE AND FOOD PRODUCTS BY HELPING SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZE U.S. FOOD AND BEVERAGE COMPANIES EXPORT THEIR PRODUCTS ALL OVER THE WORLD. NASDA HAS HOSTED A TASTE OF THE STATES: CHICAGO AT THE NATIONAL RESTAURANT SHOW FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS. THE PAVILION FEATURES MORE THAN 100 SMALL AND MEDIUM U.S. FOOD AND BEVERAGE COMPANIES WHO ARE SEEKING INTERNATIONAL MARKETS FOR THEIR PRODUCTS. THE SHOW IS VISITED BY MORE THAN 50,000 FOOD SERVICE LEADERS FROM ALL 50 STATES AND 120 COUNTRIES. NASDA HAS HOSTED A TASTE OF THE STATES: MIAMI AT THE AMERICAS FOOD & BEVERAGE (AFB) SHOW, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE WORLD TRADE CENTER MIAMI, SINCE 2005. GIVEN ITS PRIME LOCATION FOR REACHING LATIN AMERICA, EXHIBITORS GAIN VALUABLE EXPOSURE TO BUYERS FROM THE CARIBBEAN, SOUTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA, CANADA AND MEXICO DURING THIS UNIQUE EVENT. NASDA ALSO WORKS WITH TRADE SERVICES STAFF WITHIN FAS/USDA TO PROVIDE FURNISHINGS WITHIN USA PAVILIONS AT LARGE FOOD SHOWS SUCH AS ANUGA, FOODEX, GULFOOD, SIAL CHINA, SIAL PARIS, AS WELL AS A VARIETY OF OTHER INTERNATIONAL FOOD TRADE SHOWS. THESE ACTIVITIES ARE INTENDED TO FURTHER PROMOTE THE U.S. COMPANIES PARTICIPATING IN THE SHOWS, WITH THE GOAL OF ATTRACTING MORE INTERNATIONAL BUYERS FOR U.S. PRODUCTS. NASDA MANAGES THE EUROMONITOR CONTRACT FOR FAS. THIS IS A STRAIGHT PASS-THROUGH ACTIVITY, AND WE SIMPLY PAY THE BILL EACH YEAR WITH MAP FUNDS FROM FAS. THE PURPOSE OF EUROMONITOR IS TO MAKE RELIABLE AND COMPARABLE INFORMATION AND DATA ON GLOBAL MARKETS AND CONSUMER TRENDS AVAILABLE TO THE ENTIRE COOPERATOR COMMUNITY, FAS-WASHINGTON AND FAS DEPARTMENTS OF AGRICULTURE OVERSEAS OFFICES. IN ADDITION, NASDA USES FUNDS FROM THE AGRICULTURAL TRADE PROMOTION (ATP) PROGRAM TO SPONSOR QUALIFIED INTERNATIONAL BUYERS' TRAVEL TO MEET ONE-ON-ONE WITH U.S. COMPANIES THAT PARTICIPATE IN OUR TRADE SHOWS. NASDA ALSO UTILIZES ATP FUNDS TO SPONSOR STAFF MEMBERS FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENTS OF AGRICULTURE TO TRAVEL ON THE USDA-LED AGRIBUSINESS TRADE MISSIONS. STARTING IN 2023 NASDA USES FUNDS FROM THE EMERGING MARKETS PROGRAM (EMP) TO LEAD OUTBOUND TRADE MISSIONS TO INTERNATIONAL DESTINATIONS AND INBOUND/REVERSE TRADE MISSIONS TO U.S. STATES. FOR OUTBOUND MISSIONS THE DELEGATIONS CONSIST OF STAFF MEMBERS FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENTS OF AGRICULTURE WITH THE PURPOSE OF ASSESSING MARKET TRENDS, OPPORTUNITIES, AND CONSTRAINTS FOR U.S. AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. FOR INBOUND MISSIONS THE DELEGATIONS CONSIST OF INTERNATIONAL GUESTS WITH THE PURPOSE OF SHOWCASING U.S. AGRICULTURE PRODUCTION TO DEVELOP DEEPER RELATIONSHIPS AND OPEN DOORS TO EXPORTING U.S. PRODUCTS NASDA MANAGES THE GLOBAL MRL DATABASE CONTRACT FOR FAS. THIS IS A STRAIGHT PASS-THROUGH ACTIVITY, AND WE SIMPLY PAY THE BILL EACH YEAR WITH MAP FUNDS FROM FAS. THE PURPOSE OF THE GLOBAL MRL DATABASE, WHICH WAS PURCHASED FROM BRYANT CHRISTIE, INC., BY DECERNIS-FOODCHAIN ID IN LATE 2022, CONTAINS DATA REGARDING PESTICIDE AND MAXIMUM RESIDUE LEVEL (MRL) TOLERANCES BY INGREDIENT THAT HELPS FOOD CROP EXPORTERS COMPLY WITH FOREIGN REGULATORY STANDARDS.