Mr. Jason Hafemeister joined AFJ as Vice President in February 2007. He oversees commercial, policy and capacity building work for the company, all focused on developing new markets for clients.  Specific projects at AFJ have included market research and assessment, market promotion, identifying potential customers and partners for clients, and strategic planning.  This work is conducted in the context of a changing policy environment and requires assessing the implications of trade agreements and changes in the global economy, identifying sanitary and phytosanitary barriers and developing strategies for gaining market access, monitoring developments in the international economy, and identifying approaches for dealing with foreign and U.S. government policies.  Mr. Hafemeister’s capacity building work includes projects for international institutions and the U.S. government and overseeing the operations of AgriOpportunity, AFJ’s not-for profit arm, to help producers in developing countries to better compete in the global marketplace.

Before joining Allen F. Johnson and Associates, Mr. Hafemeister was Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Agriculture. Mr. Hafemeister was the lead negotiator for agriculture in the Doha Development Agenda at the WTO, the Central American - Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR), and China’s WTO accession. In this capacity he was responsible for developing and implementing U.S. negotiating strategy. This entailed working closely with other U.S. government agencies, the Congress, and the private sector to develop U.S. negotiating positions and strategies as well as negotiating with foreign governments. He also directed USTR’s work on farm policy and the 2007 Farm Bill. Prior to joining USTR, Mr. Hafemeister worked at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and his work included the Uruguay Round negotiations which established the WTO, dispute settlement actions under the WTO, and he served at the U.S. Mission to the WTO in Geneva. Prior to his government service, Mr. Hafemeister worked in the produce industry in California.

Mr. Hafemeister received a J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center and is a member of the Washington, D.C. bar. He received a Masters Degree from the University of California, San Diego with a specialization in International Management, Latin America, and Economic Policy. His undergraduate degree is from the University of California, Berkeley, with a double major in Economics and Latin American Studies and minor in Spanish. Mr. Hafemeister was raised in San Luis Obispo, California. He is a proficient Spanish speaker and has used the language in a wide range of activities. His interests include reading and sport. He is married and has a young daughter.