Minnesota Farm Bureau President Kevin represented the American Farm Bureau this weekend at the North American European Ag Policy Conference in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Paap says the discussions centered around the recently concluded Trans Pacific Partnership as well as the current negotiations going on with the Trans Atlantic Trade Investment and Partnership Act.

He says while agreement was reached on geographical indicators in the Trans Pacific Partnership, that issue will be more difficult to reach agreement on in the TTIP because the E.U. is fighting for those protections. He says that and GMOs or biotech access are the toughest issues to reach a deal on.

Paap says he learned most of the farmers attending the conference in Northern Ireland share the same concerns and problems especially as it relates to regulatory issues.

Paap was one of five members of the American Farm Bureau trade advisory committee that attended the conference.