The Foreign Service Journal, June 2019

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2019 39 More Than Just Exports Economic diplomacy is so much more than U.S. exports. It is about trade—bilateral trade—and in the agricultural realm, it is essential to have healthy, safe movement of products both ways. Further, in countries like Colombia and, for instance, Afghani- stan, finding alternative livelihoods to illicit drug production is a key to stability and economic freedom. This, in turn, provides a platform for U.S. businesses to thrive. We have seen that in Colombia—the more avocados they export, the more rice (from the United States) they can import. I know for certain that this would never have happened with- out APHIS or ICA—or, more importantly, without the people of these organizations. The relationships formed by years of working together—the common bond of working professionally as a regulatory official where political science is often the common denominator—are worth nurturing. If not for Roberto Guzman of APHIS and Emilio Arevalo Peñaranda of ICA working together, we would still just be talking about avocado access, not watching the growth of a newmarket. Years ago, when I started working as a plant protection and quarantine officer, I received my USDA badge, with the following inscription on the seal: “Agriculture Is the Foundation of Manu- facture and Commerce.” It has taken me more than 20 years to truly understand that statement. n Roberto Guzman, at right, with SFSO Marc Gilkey at the port of Cartagena where the avocados leave Colombia. COURTESYOFMARCGILKEY