Ron Moore of Roseville became the president of the American Soybean Association this month. He will serve a one year term as president and then take over as the chairman of the Association's Board of Directors.
It's part of a three-year succession cycle that began last year when Moor was elected vice-president of the organization.
As president of the American Soybean Association, Moore will serve as the voice for about 21,000 soybean producers across the country. Moore said that largely involved lobbying lawmakers and government leaders in Washington DC. Moore said he's already working with President-elect Donald Trump's administration about some of the most pressing issues affecting his association.
Moore said one of those concerns is over regulation which can cause delays in approving new technologies and herbicides. "Some of the regulations that we're seeing are not based on science, they're based on fear of being sued by activist groups," Moore said. "And so, that just delays the process."
Moore said he wants to see the U.S. move forward with the Trans-Pacific Partnership despite, President-elect Trump's promise to withdraw from the deal. Moore said the partnership would give China and Mexico direct access to American soybeans. Moore said those are the top two countries importing U.S. soybeans.
Moore began working on his family's farm in Warren County in 1977 after graduating with his bachelors degree from Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Missouri.
He has also been a member of the Warren-Henderson Farm Bureau and is an officer in the Illinois Soybean Association. Moore said he joined that organization about 15 years ago. He said it was his father's advice that inspired him to volunteer.
"He mentioned to me that you ought to give back to your community, because somebody was on the school board that helped fund and build the school system that I went to. Somebody locally was on the local hospital board; somebody was on my local church board. Those folks sacrificed their time and talents to make life better for me," Moore said. "And that's what my father instilled in me."
Moore will continue to work the family farm in Roseville, and travel back and forth to Washington DC. for his duties as President of the American Soybean Association.