WASHINGTON – As the organizations work to promote dairy’s benefits at the international level, the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the US Dairy Export Council (USDEC) announced in August they signed agreements with key partners in South America.

NMPF and USDEC shared that they signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Brazilian milk producers association Abraleite. The US organizations also renewed an MOU with Sociedad Rural Argentina, which represents Argentine farmers.

The partnerships focus on “the economic and social significance of the dairy sector and the removal of trade barriers” and enhance cooperation between the US and South American dairy industries, per NMPF and USDEC.

USDEC president and chief executive officer Krysta Harden said dairy producers and processors in the US, Brazil and Argentina experience similar challenges and opportunities.

“Partnerships with likeminded organizations have been proven to be crucial as we strive to promote the benefits of dairy on the international stage and tackle attempts to erect trade barriers throughout the Americas,” Harden said.

The renewed agreement with the Argentina-based association, NMPF and USDEC noted, featured a new initiative that aims “to provide a balance to European policies that could unfairly impact” US and Argentine dairy producers. The sustainability and trade taskforce in the renewed MOU aims to demonstrate how “livestock production is a cornerstone of sustainable food systems” and advocate for science-based trade policies.

NMPF president and CEO Gregg Doud said the organization looks forward to working with Abraleite and Sociedad Rural Argentina to “advance policies that promote dairy and limit trade barriers,” adding that dairy producers in the Western Hemisphere “confront many of the same issues and priorities.”

Earlier this year, UDEC and NMPF also signed a partnership with Asoleche, an association for milk processing companies in Colombia.