US Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack On The Release Of Text For The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement

Nov 06, 2015

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Thursday released the following statement regarding the text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement.

"The release of the text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership is an important step forward in the process to make this landmark agreement for U.S. agriculture a reality. The text confirms that this agreement provides new market access across the board for America's farmers and ranchers by lowering tariffs and eliminating other barriers, and will boost exports and support jobs in our rural economies.

At the end of the day, TPP is about opportunity. The agreement will advance U.S. economic interests in a critical region that accounts for nearly 40 percent of global GDP. It will also help the United States respond to the regional and bilateral trade agreements that are already in place or are being negotiated by competitor countries. This high standard agreement will expand U.S. agricultural exports, generate more rural economic activity, and support higher-paying American jobs. I encourage our farmers and ranchers to take a look at what's in the deal for them, and I hope that after a period of consideration and review in the coming months, Congress will move quickly to pass this agreement.

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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.