Secretary Perdue to travel to Europe

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue will make his first official visit to Europe Oct. 12-18 to participate in the G-7 Agriculture Ministers Meeting in Italy, deliver remarks at the World Food Day observance in Rome, and engage in policy dialogue with his counterparts in London and Madrid.
“The European Union consistently ranks among the United States’ top agricultural export markets, and it is the world’s largest importer of food and farm products,” Perdue said. “We value our close relationship with our European partners, but there is work to be done to address the numerous trade barriers U.S. exporters face in that market.”
Perdue will begin his trip Oct. 12 in London, where he is scheduled to meet with Michael Gove, Britain’s Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, as well as with members of House of Commons’ Committee on Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs.
Oct. 14-15, Perdue will take part in the G-7 ministerial, which will focus on issues including rural development, risk management, disaster resiliency, and food security. The secretary will also hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from other G-7 nations to discuss trade matters important to U.S. agriculture.
Perdue will then travel to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome, where he and the other G-7 agriculture ministers will join Pope Francis at the World Food Day observance on Oct. 16.
Perdue’s trip will conclude in Madrid, where he will meet with Spanish Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food, and Forestry Isabel Garcia Tejerina on Oct. 17.
Source: USDA