Dan Amstutz
Encyclopedia
Daniel G. Amstutz was a U.S. government official and grain-trading industry executive who played a prominent role during negotiation of the Uruguay Round
of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
rules on agriculture
, and in the U.S. occupation of Iraq.
, to Gordon M. and Elizabeth Kiss Amstutz. Pennsylvania
was home during his early years and in 1946 the family moved to Columbus, Ohio
, where Dan graduated from Columbus North High School
and the Ohio State University
. At OSU, Amstutz was president of the Student Senate and on the Student court, as well as being President of Chi Phi Fraternity.
, where he began in grain trading, eventually heading the wheat desk. He played a lead role in establishing Cargill Investor Services, of which he was president and CEO. He was persuaded to join Goldman Sachs
by its top management who, having bought a metals trading company, were looking for someone to provide direction about ways to operate in futures.
of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
talks from 1987 to 1989.
in London, England. Heading the I.W.C. (now the International Grains Council) secretariat for three years, he expanded its coverage beyond wheat to rice and coarse grains, he launched the annual grain conferences, and he set a path for expanding the membership.
From 1995 to 2000, Amstutz served as executive director of the North American Export Grain Association. At NAEGA, he pressed for U.S. policies meant to foster growth in exporting and lobbied the U.S. Congress to push for less lenient regulations overseas of GMO
foods, particularly in Europe.http://commdocs.house.gov/committees/ag/hagmulti.000/hagmulti_0.HTM
Amstutz's post-2000 career was not as successful. According to NAEGA, "Having established his own consulting company to participate in the Internet boom, Mr. Amstutz ran headlong into the web bubble. This dismal experience made him willing to accept what probably was the most daunting of his assignments, serving as agricultural adviser to the American military in Iraq
."http://www.naega.org/images/amazing_career.pdf
Given Amstutz's strong ties to U.S. multinational grain-trading companies, this appointment by the George W. Bush administration
provoked a firestorm of criticism. The Guardian
newspaper reported on a criticism from the development and humanitarian group Oxfam
. According to the paper,
"Kevin Watkins
, Oxfam's policy director, said Mr Amstutz would 'arrive with a suitcase full of open-market rhetoric', and was more likely to try to dump cheap US grain on the potentially lucrative Iraqi market than encourage the country to rebuild its once-successful agricultural sector. 'Putting Dan Amstutz in charge of agricultural reconstruction in Iraq is like putting Saddam Hussein in the chair of a human rights commission,' Mr Watkins said. 'This guy is uniquely well-placed to advance the commercial interests of American grain companies and bust open the Iraqi market - but singularly ill-equipped to lead a reconstruction effort in a developing country.'" http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,944746,00.html
The criticisms were not limited to NGOs. Criticism of the Amstutz appointment were also made in the UK House of Lords
, where it was asked "why this decision was made in preference to appointing one of the experienced agricultural development specialists available within the United Nations system."http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200203/minutes/030515/ldordpap.htm
He was survived by his partner of 18 years, his mother, sister, niece, two nephews, and several grand nieces and nephews.
Uruguay Round
The Uruguay Round was the 8th round of Multilateral trade negotiations conducted within the framework of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , spanning from 1986-1994 and embracing 123 countries as “contracting parties”. The Round transformed the GATT into the World Trade Organization...
of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade was negotiated during the UN Conference on Trade and Employment and was the outcome of the failure of negotiating governments to create the International Trade Organization . GATT was signed in 1947 and lasted until 1993, when it was replaced by the World...
rules on agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, and in the U.S. occupation of Iraq.
Early years
Amstutz was born November 8, 1932, in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, to Gordon M. and Elizabeth Kiss Amstutz. Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
was home during his early years and in 1946 the family moved to Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, where Dan graduated from Columbus North High School
Columbus North High School
Columbus North High School is one of the public high schools located in Columbus, Indiana. It is part of the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation . Columbus North High School was previously known as Columbus High School...
and the Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
. At OSU, Amstutz was president of the Student Senate and on the Student court, as well as being President of Chi Phi Fraternity.
Private sector career
After graduating from the Ohio State University in 1954, Amstutz joined CargillCargill
Cargill, Incorporated is a privately held, multinational corporation based in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Founded in 1865, it is now the largest privately held corporation in the United States in terms of revenue. If it were a public company, it would rank, as of 2011, number 13 on the Fortune 500,...
, where he began in grain trading, eventually heading the wheat desk. He played a lead role in establishing Cargill Investor Services, of which he was president and CEO. He was persuaded to join Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational bulge bracket investment banking and securities firm that engages in global investment banking, securities, investment management, and other financial services primarily with institutional clients...
by its top management who, having bought a metals trading company, were looking for someone to provide direction about ways to operate in futures.
Federal government
Amstutz served in several positions in the U.S. government. From 1983 to 1987, he was Under Secretary of Agriculture for International Affairs and Commodity Programs, then served as Ambassador and Chief Negotiator for Agriculture during the Uruguay RoundUruguay Round
The Uruguay Round was the 8th round of Multilateral trade negotiations conducted within the framework of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , spanning from 1986-1994 and embracing 123 countries as “contracting parties”. The Round transformed the GATT into the World Trade Organization...
of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade was negotiated during the UN Conference on Trade and Employment and was the outcome of the failure of negotiating governments to create the International Trade Organization . GATT was signed in 1947 and lasted until 1993, when it was replaced by the World...
talks from 1987 to 1989.
Private sector lobbying work
From 1992 to 1995, Amstutz served as executive director of the International Wheat CouncilInternational Wheat Council
The International Wheat Council is an international organization established on March 23, 1949 at the initiative of the U.S. government for the purpose of egalitarian distribution of wheat to countries in a state of emergency. It was part of the Point Four Program announced by US President Harry...
in London, England. Heading the I.W.C. (now the International Grains Council) secretariat for three years, he expanded its coverage beyond wheat to rice and coarse grains, he launched the annual grain conferences, and he set a path for expanding the membership.
From 1995 to 2000, Amstutz served as executive director of the North American Export Grain Association. At NAEGA, he pressed for U.S. policies meant to foster growth in exporting and lobbied the U.S. Congress to push for less lenient regulations overseas of GMO
GMO
A GMO is a genetically modified organism.GMO may also refer to:* Gell-Mann–Okubo mass formula in particle physics* General Medical Officer, a designation for United States Army soldiers* Generalised molecular orbital theory, in chemistry...
foods, particularly in Europe.http://commdocs.house.gov/committees/ag/hagmulti.000/hagmulti_0.HTM
Amstutz's post-2000 career was not as successful. According to NAEGA, "Having established his own consulting company to participate in the Internet boom, Mr. Amstutz ran headlong into the web bubble. This dismal experience made him willing to accept what probably was the most daunting of his assignments, serving as agricultural adviser to the American military in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
."http://www.naega.org/images/amazing_career.pdf
Iraqi Occupation
From April to September 2003, Amstutz led the U.S. Government’s agriculture reconstruction efforts in Iraq, serving as U.S. Senior Ministry Advisor for Agriculture. http://canberra.usembassy.gov/hyper/2003/0710/epf416.htmGiven Amstutz's strong ties to U.S. multinational grain-trading companies, this appointment by the George W. Bush administration
George W. Bush administration
The presidency of George W. Bush began on January 20, 2001, when he was inaugurated as the 43rd President of the United States of America. The oldest son of former president George H. W. Bush, George W...
provoked a firestorm of criticism. The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
newspaper reported on a criticism from the development and humanitarian group Oxfam
Oxfam
Oxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working in 98 countries worldwide to find lasting solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world. In all Oxfam’s actions, the ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives...
. According to the paper,
"Kevin Watkins
Kevin Watkins
' is a senior fellow at the at the Brookings Institution. He was previously the director and lead author of the UNESCO's Education for All Global Monitoring Report.-Academic Background:...
, Oxfam's policy director, said Mr Amstutz would 'arrive with a suitcase full of open-market rhetoric', and was more likely to try to dump cheap US grain on the potentially lucrative Iraqi market than encourage the country to rebuild its once-successful agricultural sector. 'Putting Dan Amstutz in charge of agricultural reconstruction in Iraq is like putting Saddam Hussein in the chair of a human rights commission,' Mr Watkins said. 'This guy is uniquely well-placed to advance the commercial interests of American grain companies and bust open the Iraqi market - but singularly ill-equipped to lead a reconstruction effort in a developing country.'" http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,944746,00.html
The criticisms were not limited to NGOs. Criticism of the Amstutz appointment were also made in the UK House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
, where it was asked "why this decision was made in preference to appointing one of the experienced agricultural development specialists available within the United Nations system."http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200203/minutes/030515/ldordpap.htm
Late life
In Amstutz's final years, he headed a consultancy firm in Arlington, Virginia. He died on March 20, 2006.He was survived by his partner of 18 years, his mother, sister, niece, two nephews, and several grand nieces and nephews.