The American Feed Industry Association’s (AFIA) president and CEO, Constance Cullman, and Mallory Gaines, AFIA’s manager of market access and trade policy, were appointed to serve on the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service’s Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee (APAC) and Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee (ATAC) for Trade in Animals and Animal Products, respectively.

Cullman and Gaines join Gina Tumbarello, AFIA’s director of international policy and trade, who has served on the ATAC for Trade in Grains, Feed, Oilseeds and Planting Seeds since 2014, in providing valuable technical and policy advice and information about U.S. animal food products and the industry to the secretary of agriculture and U.S. Trade Representative (USTR).

“Just like many industries, the U.S. animal food manufacturing industry depends on the sale of its products to international markets. By having Constance, Gina and Mallory participating in these various trade advisory committees at USDA, it allows for the animal food industry to have a voice at the table as trade agreement and policy issues are discussed,” stated Scott Druker of Church & Dwight Company and AFIA board chair.

Congress established the advisory committee system in 1974 to ensure that U.S. agricultural trade policy objectives reflect U.S. public- and private-sector commercial and economic interests. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the USTR manage the committees. Cullman and Gaines will serve until 2024.