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Mission Statement
MATRIC (Midwest Agribusiness Trade Research and Information Center) was created as a research center to expand opportunities for international trade and investment by small and mid-sized agribusiness firms in the U.S. Midwest. The MATRIC program leverages existing knowledge and research at Iowa State University by funding interdisciplinary research projects that address a range of trade topics relating to economic potential, food safety, marketing, branding, transportation, and trade barriers. The project also leverages efforts at the Greater Des Moines Partnership by providing funding to disseminate information and promote U.S. agricultural products through seminars, training programs, conferences, and promotional activities.
Objectives
- Provide high-quality, low-cost information about international agricultural markets
- Evaluate the effects of market developments and trade policy on U.S. export potential
- Identify the potential for new products and technologies to improve U.S. competitiveness and increase returns throughout the production chain
- Disseminate research and other information on marketing and investment opportunities
Program Highlights
- Determine the competitiveness and marketability of Midwest agricultural products and technologies
- Identify niche markets and opportunities for high-value products, including ways to protect foreign markets from saturation, substitution of lower-quality products, and loss of price premiums
- Analyze the emerging role of electronic technologies in distributing, tracking, and marketing agricultural products
- Examine the role of food safety programs in promoting trade, discouraging trade, and meeting consumer demand in international markets
- Evaluate international customers and competitors in relation to U.S. agricultural products and technologies
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