Food and beverage industry workers recently sent more than 10,000 individual letters to Congress to urge passage of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. The Corn Refiners Association says the letters emphasized the economic benefits USMCA will bring to the U.S. business community and consumers alike. The letters are part of a grassroots effort by the association, along with several other food and agriculture organizations. Corn Refiners Association President and CEO John Bode (Boh-dee)  adds, “the agriculture-related benefits of North American trade reach far into our economy.” Bode says more than 70 percent of the agriculture-related jobs created by the North American Free Trade Agreement were outside of the farm sector. In recent weeks, members of the USMCA Coalition have been urging members of Congress to announce their support for the agreement. The Coalition reminds Congress that the food and agriculture industry “is the economic backbone of rural America” and an essential driver of the overall economy, accounting for one-fifth of American economic activity.