National Pork Board USDA’s Dr. Craig Morris named to international marketing post

For the past 25 years, Morris has held high-profile strategic leadership roles with the federal government, industry associations and in the private sector. He has extensive experience in international trade, shaping the country’s livestock marketing strategy and building comprehensive export programs that meet the needs of industry stakeholders both here and around the world.

Morris’ key achievements include: building the export verification programs upon which the livestock industry depends to market products; reaching international consensus on issues such as meat quality, animal welfare and social responsibility; providing consumer assurances for such issues as the responsible use of antibiotics in livestock production through the USDA’s Process Verified Program; and oversight of the USDA’s Country of Origin Labeling Program.

Most recently, Morris played a leadership role in the U.S. delegation that re-opened the Chinese market to U.S. beef exports after 14 years of closure. He also was instrumental in the biotechnology rulemaking process, working with Congress and industry leaders to implement a program that is both science-based and consumer focused. He will join the National Pork Board on October 30th.

The National Pork Board works closely with the National Pork Producers Council and the U.S. Meat Export Federation to research and develop new markets and expand the existing customer base for U.S. pork. Year to date in 2017, U.S. pork exports have reached record levels with three of the top six destinations (Mexico, South Korea and South America) witnessing double-digit percent increases in both the volume (metric tons) and value (U.S. dollars) of pork sold.