OCTOBER 2017 SEEDWORLD.COM / 51 WHEN SENATORS Angus King (I-ME), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Joe Donnelly (D-IN) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced the CREAATE Act, formally Cultivating Revitalization by Expanding American Agricultural Trade and Exports (S. 1839), late September, they received strong support from ag groups, including the Coalition to Promote U.S. Agricultural Exports, the Agribusiness Coalition for Foreign Market Development and the National Corn Growers Association. The introduction of the CREAATE Act in the Senate follows the House version, H.R. 2321, introduced May 3 by Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME). CREAATE seeks to expand the Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) program to boost trade's impact on U.S. farmer profitability and the economy. The bill would increase statutory funding for the programs, which are now authorized at $200 million per year for MAP and $34.5 million per year for FMD. Both have faced stagnant funding and eroding real dollar impact due to inflation, sequestration, administrative costs and increased global competition. CREAATE calls for phasing in additional annual funding for MAP to $400 million in fiscal year 2023 and additional annual funding for FMD to $69 million in fiscal year 2023. There is convincing evidence that such increases would gener- ate positive, incremental returns. A November 2016 econometric study by Informa Economics found that increased public funding for MAP and FMD, coupled with increasing private contributions from farmers and others, would: increase average annual agricul- tural export value by $3.4 billion to $4.5 billion; increase farm cash income by $500 million to $700 million; increase U.S. gross domes- tic product by $4.5 billion to $6 billion; and create up to 85,000 new and part-time jobs. For decades, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s export pro- motion programs have helped farmers create, expand and maintain access to foreign markets, cultivating hundreds of billions of dollars in exports and creating millions of jobs in the agricultural sector and supporting industries. Several independent evaluations have shown that the activities funded by MAP and FMD consistently increase demand overseas and raise farm income at home. SW Senators introduce legislation that would help boost trade. Coalition to Promote U.S. Agricultural Exports Ag Organizations Support CREAATE Act