Governor Daniels Leading the Way in Global Agriculture Trade and Investment

By Andy Miller (Indiana Agriculture Director)

Having just completed a third visit to Japan with Governor Daniels, I am struck by how progressive Indiana has become in pursuing global agricultural trade and investment. Global trade is the lifeblood of American agriculture. We produce more than 30 percent of the world's food yet have less than 5 percent of its population. Therefore, maintaining and opening world markets is key to sustaining our farm income.

Indiana agriculture depends heavily on exports of our major commodities such as corn, soybeans and pork. Governor Daniels and Lt. Governor Skillman have promoted the sales of these products on each of their previous trade missions, as well as securing new sales of hardwoods, wines and other specialty food products.

Today, however, we are finding a new twist on doing business overseas. We are now inviting more global investment in processing and other value-added areas to come to the United States. Increasingly, developed countries like Japan are looking to invest in origination, processing and other infrastructure here. Japan relies almost exclusively on other countries for food, with the United States as the leading supplier. So as global food demand increases, the Japanese believe investment in processing closer to the source can secure long-term supply to meet their market demand.

China has been a leading destination for foreign investment by Japan. However, recent concerns about product quality, supply and safety make the United States increasingly attractive. We offer abundant production capacity, favorable investment climate and an existing strong relationship. Japanese investment in this country is not new, with Japanese food and agricultural companies owning or having investments with Indiana's Consolidated Grain and Barge, Indiana Packers Corporation, The Andersons' Clymers ethanol plant and others.

Interestingly, few, if any states have augmented their global food and agriculture strategies with a plan to bring investment home. That changed under Governor Daniels' leadership. During this last visit to Japan, he not only rekindled old relationships with the leading customers of Indiana agriculture, he did something that even the U.S. Department of Agriculture says has not been done - he rolled out the red carpet for Japanese companies to invest in Hoosier agriculture. This was catalyzed with an Investing in Indiana Agriculture seminar, featuring a keynote by the Governor and overviews by Indiana Economic Development Corporation Chief Executive Officer Nate Feltman, USDA Ag Minister Counselor Dan Berman, Kip Tom of Tom Farms and Mike Beard of Meadowlane Farms. The seminar opened the eyes of many Japanese agricultural business leaders to the investment climate in Indiana and cemented existing strong relationships.

The result was a clear understanding of the Japanese food and agricultural business landscape with many opportunities to be vetted in the next year. As is the case many times when pioneering new territory, success will require not only hard work but also continued ingenuity and persistence. Above all, Governor Daniels' efforts to bring investment home to Indiana agriculture is yet another example of how he is setting a new bar for leadership in U.S. agriculture.

Andy Miller is Indiana's first Agriculture Director. He was raised on a hog and crop farm in Northeastern Indiana, graduated from Purdue University with a degree in agricultural economics and worked in the food industry before accepting a role in public service.

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