CCFN jumped at the opportunity to provide crucial education on common food names to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) attachés and other Washington, DC staff during the week of July 11th. The United States posts agricultural attachés in over 100 diplomatic facilities around the world – men and women who serve as the front lines for engaging foreign governments on issues impacting U.S. agricultural trade – including how common food names are used and protected around the world.
CCFN’s Shawna Morris outlined the broad and serious implications of the EU’s GI overreach on U.S. farmers, food and beverage processors, foodservice operators and retailers. She outlined a three-step process by which FAS could help preserve fair export opportunities for all including monitoring GIs in each market and sharing those findings with Washington, engaging with relevant government officials to defend market access and maintaining persistence in addressing the issue with foreign governments.
A second session coordinated by the U.S. Dairy Export Council included a trivia contest and cheese tasting, where CCFN staff highlighted several cheeses utilizing common food names that are currently at risk due to the EU’s monopolization efforts, giving attendees a taste of what consumers around the world might lose if the EU were to succeed.