A career devoted to agricultural sustainability – capped by a stint as the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture – has prepared new U.S. Dairy Export Council President and CEO Krysta Harden well for her new role. Dairy’s stewardship at home is a powerful message to boost sales abroad, she says – and that story is becoming ever-more-important to hear as dairy’s critics try to shape global agriculture.

“Our future is exciting,” she said. “I think we have great products. I think our farmers are the most productive in the world. They're ready to meet the challenges of the world. And there's a great demand for what we produce. And so we've got to be there, we've got to be in those markets, we've got to be building trust, building our reputation, building our image.”