U.S. Trade Representative Froman Says TPP Is Crucial to Beef's Global Market Access

Apr 15, 2016

As National Cattlemen’s Beef Association members wrap up their annual Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. this week, ratification of the Trans-Pacific Partnership remains a high priority for the beef industry.

While in the nation’s capital, cattlemen heard from Ambassador Michael Froman, U.S. Trade Representative, who says the 12-country trade agreement could increase annual net farm income in the United States by $4.4 billion.

Froman encouraged NCBA members to continue pushing for a vote this Congressional session, although if it happens, it will most likely be during the lame-duck session following the November general election.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.