Thomas C. Dorr
President and CEO, U.S. Grains Council
Thomas C. Dorr is president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the U.S. Grains Council, a non-profit organization that promotes the use of U.S. barley, corn and sorghum and related products worldwide. Dorr coordinates the Council’s worldwide staff and oversees market development activities in more than 50 countries around the world. Prior to his appointment as president and CEO of the Council, Dorr served as USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development, appointed by President George W. Bush in 2002. As Undersecretary for Rural Development, Dorr led programs to expand rural infrastructure, including electric, broadband and water services, rural entrepreneurial efforts and rural housing. Dorr also served as the Chairman of the USDA Energy Council which was responsible for advancing the President’s Energy Initiative to promote the production of domestically grown fuel.
2010 will mark the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Grains Council.
2010 will mark the 50th anniversary of the formation of the U.S. Feed Grains Council, which was later named the U.S. Grains Council. The Isewan typhoon devastated Japan in 1959, destroying a large portion of agricultural infrastructure and food production capacity in Yamanashi, a prefecture about 100 kilometers west of Tokyo. To rescue the local livestock industry in Japan, U.S. hog and corn farmers decided to ship breeding hogs and a substantial quantity of U.S. corn to Yamanashi, which resulted in the redevelopment of a successful swine production system in Japan. The innovative and humanitarian efforts resulted in the development of an extraordinary partnership between the United States and the Japanese. Now, Japan is the largest U.S. coarse grains importer, exceeding 16 million metric tons annually. The abundance of U.S. feed ingredients contributes to the current success of the Japanese livestock industry. We, the U.S. Grains Council, are confident U.S. agriculture will keep contributing to the world's food supply and global agricultural development in the next 50 years, like we did and will continue to do Japan.
