Lighthizer and Saunders to Receive USMEF Honors

Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, former head of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) under the Trump administration, and Leann Saunders, co-founder of “Where Food Comes From,” will received honors at the upcoming U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Strategic Planning Conference in November.

Lighthizer will receive USMEF’s Michael J Mansfield Award, highlighting his time at the USTR for spearheading key trade agreements expanding opportunities for U.S. red meat. This includes the Phase One Economic and Trade Agreement with China, which achieved meaninful access for U.S beef for the first time post-Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) and lowered trade barriers for U.S. pork, as well as the U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement, which lowered tariffs of U.S. pork and beef and leveled the playing field in the highly competetive Japanese market.

Recalling his time in the USTR, Lighthizer says, “We worked closely with USMEF through several negotiations and hopefully did a good job for the people USMEF represents. I’m grateful for the 20-hour days we get from our farmers and ranchers, and the reality is, when they are successful America is more successful.”

Saunders will receive the USMEF Distinguished Service Award, for exemplifying exceptional, individual dedication as a key part of USMEF’s success.

“Where Food Comes From” serves as a food verification and certification and livestock identification and traceability systems. IMI Global, a division of Where Food Comes From, was instrumental in developing identification, traceability and verification systems that assisted the U.S. beef industry in meeting specific export requirements following the first U.S. case of BSE in 2003, the release explains. Today, the company’s programs aim to enable ranchers, growers, feeders, packers and processors to meet specific export or private brand label requirements related to production practices.

“My first exposure to USMEF was as a student at Colorado State University. And fortunately, I had some really great mentors that exposed me to the great work that USMEF was doing. And so I really hope to be able to give back in a way to young people,” says Saunders. “Our whole mission and vision of our company is to support those working for all of us each and every day to feed everyone in the world in a sustainable manner.”