South Texas Representation on the Global Stage: An Interview with New U.S. Grains Council Sorghum Sector Chair Jim Massey IV BY PATRICK WADE Policy Director, Texas Grain Sorghum Producers
In his 1975 magnum opus The One-Straw Revolution, celebrated Japanese agriculturist and philosopher Masanobu Fukuoka mused about the human element of farming, “The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.” Although Fukuoka’s naturalist approach to farming proved difficult to replicate outside of his native Ehime Prefecture, there is an indelible, universal truth about agriculture in his philosophy. Throughout his career, Fukuoka hosted countless international visitors on his farm and ventured to dozens of other countries to lecture and learn from the producers, consumers, manufacturers, researchers, processors, traders, truckers and many other roles that make up agriculture. At times, the size and scale of the global agriculture industry can conjure images of an ever-churning and impenetrable machine. Yet Fukuoka’s words evert that machine, revealing that every segment of agriculture, perhaps more so than any other industry in the world, is made up of people. And, as our planet continues to grow more interconnected, the personal relationships between those people will guide the productivity, profitability, and sustainability of U.S. agriculture. The U.S. sorghum industry is no stranger to leaders who understand the importance of personal relationships. One of the many responsibilities of the state and national board of directors is to represent the sorghum industry in leadership positions with 28
Ag Mag THEAGMAG.ORG
our partner organizations, such as the U.S. Grains Council (USGC). This summer, Jim Massey IV, a Director with Texas Grain Sorghum Producers (TGSP), Texas Grain Sorghum Association (TGSA) and the United Sorghum Checkoff Program (USCP), was elected to serve as the Sorghum Sector Chair at USGC. With offices in over 30 countries and staff around the world, USGC is the premier advocate for the marketing and export of U.S. sorghum. The role of Sector Chair affords the Texas Coastal Bend sorghum and cotton farmer a seat on USGC’s Board of Directors alongside representatives from the corn and barley industries and elevates him to be the leading voice for the sorghum industry in USGC’s critical international marketing and development efforts. Ever since China entered the market for U.S. sorghum in 2013, over half of the U.S. sorghum crop has been exported each year. Nearly all of the market destinations for those crops were made possible through the partnership between USGC, USCP and TGSP. We sat down, virtually, with the Robstown farmer after his election to discuss his vision for his Sorghum Sector Chairmanship, the importance of exports to South Texas sorghum producers and how even in the multi-billion dollar, globe-spanning space of agricultural trade, personal relationships are still key.
