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Once a year, the Agricultural Counselor of the USDA FAS Berlin invites industry representatives, diplomats, and partners of the U.S. Embassy Berlin to his garden. Guests know that the evening is free of the usual formalities. There are no podiums, no conference rooms, no long speeches. Just a large grill and an atmosphere that is surprisingly informal for a political setting. Two colleagues from our team also attended this summer.
In a year when Germany does not have a confirmed U.S. Ambassador, the Agricultural Counselor is the central anchor for German-American agricultural diplomacy. The FAS Summer BBQ has maintained this connection in an uncomplicated and reliable way for over 20 years. Who would have thought that foreign trade could taste so good?
The heart of the matter is right there on the grill and tables: walnuts from California, wild salmon from Alaska, U.S. beef, craft beer with American hops, and wine from Oregon, California, and New York. Each product, without needing any explanation, tells its own story of producers across the Atlantic, of supply chains and trade agreements. And over a good meal, this is often conveyed more quickly and more permanently than any three-hour briefing.
Bringing precisely these stories into focus has been our task as a communications agency for USDA FAS for six years now. This includes DelicioUS! – our communication platform, which makes American agricultural and food products visible in Europe.
What has grown over the past seven years of collaboration becomes tangible on evenings like this: a deep, shared understanding of what constitutes modern and relevant agricultural communication. It must be informed, but also approachable. For us, the FAS Summer BBQ is therefore not just a mandatory appointment on the calendar. It is annual proof that diplomacy and successful relationships often work best when people are brought together in an uncomplicated way.
We're already looking forward to next year.
