The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is an association that represents and advocates for the interests of corn growers in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. It is distinct from the

American Corn Growers Association The American Corn Growers Association (ACGA) is a commodity and advocacy association founded in 1987 which represents the interests of corn (maize) producers in the United States, where corn is used for human and animal food and to produce ethan ...

, a competing organization set up in 1987.

Areas of support and advocacy

NCGA plays a dual role of providing standards and guidelines for corn growers and processors, as well as advocating for their interests to a wider audience including regulators, lawmakers, and the general public.

Biotechnology

NCGA provides standards and guidelines for the efficacious use of biotechnology in corn production (with particular attention to the use of genetically modifiedversions of corn), as well as advocating its benefits. NCGA has represented farmers in deals made with companies such as

Monsanto The Monsanto Company () was an American agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation founded in 1901 and headquartered in Creve Coeur, Missouri. Monsanto's best known product is Roundup, a glyphosate-based herbicide, developed in ...

that produce genetically modified crops, where farmers share data with the companies in exchange for tips from the companies on planting strategies.

Ethanol

In addition to being used as food, corn is a source of

ethanol Ethanol (abbr. EtOH; also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound. It is an alcohol with the chemical formula . Its formula can be also written as or (an ethyl group linked to a ...

fuel, and the NCGA has provided standards and guidelines for farmers growing ethanol. The NCGA has also advocated for continued support and subsidies from the United States government for the ethanol fuel program, citing studies on the benefits for fighting

climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...

of switching away from fossil fuels towards ethanol. The NCGA has cultivated close relationships with political candidates including United States President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...

, back when he was a Presidential Candidate for the 2008 Presidential election.

Farm policy and crop insurance

NCGA actively defends the interests of corn growers in government farm policy, including advocating for subsidies for crop insurance in annual farm bills. In addition, it also publishes material and conducts webinars to better educate farmers about the options available to them for crop insurance.

Other areas

NCGA also educates farmers and advocates for their interests in the following areas: * Conservation, which is often also mentioned as a way of avoiding the perverse effects of crop insurance. * Livestock * Research * Sustainability * Trade * Transportation

References

External links

{{official website, www.ncga.com Agricultural organizations based in the United States