Our Market Development & Policy Work
Our Partner
International Market Development
One of the most important things your checkoff investment does is fund North Dakota's participation in U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) — the export market development organization for the U.S. wheat industry. Understanding this partnership helps explain why so much of what the Commission does involves international travel, trade delegations, and overseas workshops.
USW operates in more than 100 countries, with staff and offices in key markets across Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, Africa, and Europe. Their mission is straightforward: build demand for U.S. wheat by educating millers, bakers, and buyers about quality, reliability, and end-use performance. North Dakota checkoff dollars — along with contributions from other state wheat commissions — are a primary funding source for that work.
Here's what that investment actually does for ND producers:
Market Development
USW staff work year-round to introduce U.S. wheat into new markets and deepen relationships in established ones.
Technical Assistance
USW trains millers and bakers around the world on how to get the most out of U.S. wheat classes, particularly HRS. When an overseas buyer understands why our protein content and gluten strength matter, they keep coming back for it.
Trade Policy Advocacy
USW works with the U.S. government to open new markets, reduce tariffs, and fight unfair trade practices that disadvantage American wheat.
Producer Representation
USW is governed by a board that includes farmer-directors from state wheat commissions across the country.
2025-2026 Top Markets
Domestic Market Development
Our Partners
Another important thing your checkoff investment does is fund North Dakota's domestic promotion efforts — the work of building demand for wheat foods right here at home. The Commission partners with three national organizations dedicated to keeping wheat on American plates: EatWheat.org, the National Pasta Association, and the Wheat Foods Council. Understanding these partnerships helps explain why the Commission invests in consumer education, nutrition research, recipe development, and setting the record straight about wheat.About half of the wheat grown in the United States never leaves the country — it stays here to be milled, baked, and eaten by American consumers. That makes the domestic market just as important to a North Dakota producer's bottom line as any overseas customer. But demand at home isn't guaranteed: fad diets, gluten misinformation, and shifting eating habits can all chip away at consumption. North Dakota checkoff dollars — along with contributions from other state wheat commissions and industry members — help fund the organizations working to protect and grow that demand.
Here's what that investment actually does for ND producers:
A consumer-facing campaign that connects the food on people's plates with the farmers who grow it. Through approachable recipes, straight answers about nutrition and gluten, and real stories from the farm, EatWheat.org helps everyday shoppers feel confident about choosing wheat foods. The Commission partners with Kansas, South Dakota, and Wheat Foods Council to promote and expand the site.
North Dakota is the nation's leading durum producer, and durum is the wheat class pasta is made from. The NPA works to keep pasta on the menu by promoting its value and nutrition to consumers and the broader food industry. When Americans reach for another box of pasta, that pull runs straight back to North Dakota durum fields.
The WFC is the industry's science-based voice on wheat nutrition, working to increase domestic wheat foods consumption and correct misinformation about wheat and gluten. Rather than advertising to consumers directly, it reaches the influencers consumers trust — dietitians, personal trainers, chefs, and health professionals — with credible information about wheat's role in a healthy diet. The Council is currently sharpening its focus to speak more directly as the voice of the producers who grow the crop.
Domestic Policy
Our Partners
Your checkoff investment doesn't just build demand for wheat — it also helps make sure North Dakota producers have a voice in the policies that shape their operations. Because the Commission's own work centers on promotion, research, and market development, it contracts with two grower-led associations to carry producers' concerns into the policy arena: the North Dakota Grain Growers Association (NDGGA) and the U.S. Durum Growers Association (USDGA).
The decisions made in Bismarck and Washington, D.C. — on crop insurance, disaster aid, the Farm Bill, transportation, and trade — can matter as much to a producer's bottom line as the price of wheat itself. These two associations track that legislation year-round, meet with lawmakers and federal agencies, and make sure the people writing the rules understand what's at stake for North Dakota's wheat and durum growers.
Here's what that investment actually does for ND producers:
North Dakota Grain Growers Association (NDGGA)
For more than 50 years, NDGGA has been the voice of the state's wheat and barley producers on domestic policy. It advocates on the issues that hit closest to home — crop insurance, disaster assistance, the Farm Bill, transportation, and chemical harmonization — including an annual fly-in to Washington, D.C., where grower leaders meet face-to-face with North Dakota's congressional delegation and federal agencies. Beyond policy, NDGGA is also a resource for agronomic and crop marketing education.
U.S. Durum Growers Association (USDGA)
Based in Bismarck, USDGA makes sure durum growers' unique concerns are represented by decision-makers both at home and in Washington, D.C. Because durum is a specialized crop grown in only a handful of states, its needs can get lost in broader farm policy — USDGA exists to keep them front and center on issues like crop insurance and disaster aid. It also keeps producers informed through the International Durum Forum and regular updates, and connects growers directly to the pasta industry through its seat with the National Pasta Association.