The North American Renderers Association has named Moises Huerta as Latin America director, the organization announced April 9. Based in Bogotá, Colombia, Huerta will lead NARA's international market development efforts across the region, with a focus on market access, industry engagement and the utilization of NARA members' products.
Huerta will represent NARA and its members in the region, working with regulatory agencies and industry stakeholders to monitor market and policy developments, support science-based engagement to address technical barriers, identify growth opportunities and support the implementation of NARA's international marketing programs.
Huerta brings more than 15 years of experience in international agricultural trade and market development, including over a decade promoting U.S. agricultural exports across Latin America and the Caribbean. He most recently served as regional lead for the Americas Soy Excellence Center at the U.S. Soybean Export Council, where he led a multi-country workforce training program reaching nearly 15,000 professionals from more than 1,000 companies across 13 countries.
Earlier in his career, Huerta served seven years with USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service at the U.S. Embassy in Colombia, where he led market access and regulatory engagement efforts in a market that today represents approximately $4.5 billion in U.S. agricultural exports. He also held roles with the Embassy of Peru in Washington, D.C., supporting trade promotion and market access for Peruvian food and agricultural exporters.
Born and raised in Peru, Huerta holds a master's degree in applied economics and a bachelor's degree in business management from Johns Hopkins University, along with executive training from Harvard University, Cornell University and Georgetown University. He is bilingual in English and Spanish.
"Moises brings a rare combination of deep regional expertise, strong government and industry relationships, and a proven track record in advancing U.S. agricultural exports. His experience navigating regulatory environments and developing impactful educational programs will be invaluable as NARA continues to expand its presence and influence across Latin America. We are thrilled to welcome him to the team," said Kent Swisher, NARA's president and CEO.
Huerta will begin in Chicago at NARA's Annual Spring Meeting before traveling to the East Coast for an introduction to rendering operations. He will then participate in meetings in Washington, D.C., with USDA and congressional offices to support NARA's trade policy and market access priorities, including advocating for USMCA negotiators to address Mexico's value-added tax on U.S. exports of rendered products.
"Moises is exactly the kind of leader our members are going to love — smart, strategic and deeply experienced in the markets that matter most to us," said Dana Johnson Downing, NARA's senior vice president of international programs. "Having both come up through the Foreign Agricultural Service and other USDA Cooperator groups, I know the caliber of talent and drive he brings to the table. He knows how to get things done, how to navigate complex bureaucracies, and how to build relationships that deliver real results. I'm excited to have him on board and can't wait to see the fresh energy and ideas he'll bring to elevate our work across Latin America."
