RIBUS president appointed to USDA advisory committee

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman have appointed Steve Peirce, president of St. Louis-based RIBUS, Inc.,to the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Grains, Feed, Oilseeds and Planting Seeds.

RIBUS is the global leader in GMO-free and organic rice-based alternatives to synthetic ingredients with sales in 23 countries in North America, Western Europe, and the Asia Pacific region from 18 distribution offices. RIBUS has exported to more than 40 countries around the world since 1992.

Peirce is one of 129 private-sector members appointed to the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee (APAC) and six Agricultural Technical Advisory Committees (ATACs). The four-year appointment was effective June 10.

The Grains, Feed, Oilseeds and Planting Seeds ATAC provides technical advice on U.S. agricultural trade issues to the Secretary of Agriculture and the U.S. Trade Representative. This Committee plays a critical role in the development of trade policy, providing advice on negotiating objectives and strategies and on other matters related to the development and administration of U.S. agricultural trade policy.

“I am more than honored to serve the U.S. in its efforts to increase the trade in agricultural products, particularly organic and natural products,” Peirce said.

Other members of the organic sector appointed to the ATACS are Laura Batcha and Robert Anderson, Organic Trade Association; Paul Scheifer, Amy’s Kitchen; Arnold Coombs, Bascom Family Farms; Lynn Clarkson, Clarkson Grain Company; John Foster, Earthbound Farms; Roland Hoch, Global Organics; Hal Shenson, Nature’s Sungrown Foods; Carlos Ayala, Perdue; and Kelly Shea, The WhiteWave Foods Company.

RIBUS will be exhibiting at IFT in Chicago July 11-14 in in booth 2854.