Jim Raben has farmed in Ridgway in Gallatin County, Illinois, since 1973. He has had leadership roles in many ag organizations, including the Illinois Corn Growers Association, the Illinois Corn Marketing Board, the U.S. Grains Council and the Illinois Soybean Association.
His latest position is a member of the board of directors of MAIZALL, an international alliance aimed at breaking down trade barriers for corn. While Raben’s two-year term is just a few weeks old and he is unfamiliar with all the workings of the organization, he has a broad understanding of the goals.
MAIZALL is made up of farmer leaders from the United States, Brazil and Argentina. The main purpose is to address global marketing barriers for corn and corn products. The board is comprised of appointees from four organizations. The two in the United States — the National Corn Growers Association and the U.S. Grains Council — each appoints two farmers. Raben is one of two members appointed by the Grains Council.
Raben’s background makes him uniquely positioned to serve on the board, as he has extensive experience in Brazilian agriculture. He and his family have ag interests in the state of Mato Grosso. Raben also has a background in teaching. He taught ag in high schools for three years before going full time into farming.
IFT: What is the basic purpose of MAIZALL?
RABEN: The intent is to get Argentina, Brazil and the United States to unite and go to countries that don’t want to use our GMO corn. We tell our story as one.
IFT: Individual nations and corn growers already engage in such advocacy. Why link up with other countries in the Western Hemisphere?
RABEN: Three different countries saying the same thing should have a stronger impression on them than one country doing that. If you have three countries doing it there should be more momentum in changing minds.
IFT: The alliance was formed basically to educate others about GMOs. Has that changed?
RABEN: GMO was the big issue at the time, when the group was formed in 2013. Now it’s gene editing and some safety issues that those from other countries say they don’t want to buy. Once we set our minds about these things, it’s hard to change them.
IFT: What is the main focus of the campaign?
RABEN: The European Union. They are really opposed to GMO.
IFT: How do you plan to change minds on the issue?
RABEN: I just joined and don’t know a lot about the strategy. But personally, my feeling is that I use it. Would I feed it to my family if I know it’s bad? No. To me, that’s our strongest point. We surely wouldn’t jeopardize our families with something we don’t believe is safe.
IFT: The three countries that make up MAIZALL compete for the same markets for corn as well as soybeans and other agriculture products. How do these countries band together when they are competitors?
RABEN: When MAIZALL started, I said I think it’s a great thing that three countries can come together and tell our story. But just realize we’re all competitors. It’s a business. We’re all trying to get countries to buy our corn. They are competition, but if we can get sales, there’s enough sales for all of us. It helps us all. To me it’s a win-win situation. Even if we don’t get the market we want, there are always going to be others. It’s great when countries come together and can actually work together. So many times that doesn’t happen.
IFT: You have a personal connection to agriculture in Brazil. What is that?
RABEN: I’ve been going down for 20 to 30 years. We’re involved with farming there — agriculture, fertilizer, elevator and production. My son farms there some.
IFT: While Brazil and the United States are competitors, there are commonalities. How would you describe the things we share?
RABEN: I enjoy Brazil. The people have been very friendly. They’re fine to get along with. When we first started going down there, our friend called us and insisted we come for the town’s centennial. He wanted us to ride in the first float with the mayor.
IFT: How would you compare corn production in Brazil with that of the United States?
RABEN: Some probably won’t like my views on this, but they can outperform us in corn if they want to, largely because of the climate. When I first started going down there, there was no irrigation. Now there’s irrigation. It’s not uncommon to see a second corn crop in the same year make 180 bushels. They’re using the same technology that we are. Brazilian farmers are educated, they’re very efficient and they’re very technical.
IFT: What are the limitations of corn production in Brazil?
RABEN: Their biggest problem is transportation, but it’s definitely gotten better. They’ve designed barges that can go through the Amazon. They’re not as wide as ours, but much deeper. The river is very deep. They’re moving on other things. There’s a railroad coming through the state of Mato Grosso. But things are very political there, more than here. These things can change very quickly, depending on who is in office.
