In the coming decades, a rapidly expanding world population will increasingly strain the global food system. The vast majority of the population growth will occur in low and middle income countries, including many areas already facing food security challenges. However, with challenges also come opportunities. More mouths to feed means greater demand for the food grown by American farmers and ranchers but only if people have the resources to buy it.

When discussing the importance of strong trade relations for American agriculture, I often mention that 95 percent of the world’s consumers live outside of our nation’s borders. The vast majority of future market growth for agriculture products will not occur domestically, it will be through exports of the food and fiber our farmers grow to people around the world.

Our challenge, however, is not only to reach those consumers through smart trade policies that expand access to foreign markets, but also to help lift people out of extreme poverty around the world so that they have the economic means to buy American products.