I ended up being the governor of a very ag state, Nebraska.

The goal is to normalize trade relations based on sound science and consumer protection.

We asked ourselves and the world to base decisions on good science, and I really believe the United States can be the leader in delivering that message to our international trading partners.

When one cow was found with BSE in 2003, many of our trading partners closed their borders to our beef.

On the professional side, those 18 years on the farm instilled my love for agriculture.

We had Taiwan, Egypt, Lebanon, and Oman open their markets to our beef, and we're excited about that.

The industry is becoming very ready for animal identification.