You’ve been hearing us talk about raising the value of America’s ag and food products by creating new trade relationships around the world. That’s one reason why one ag leader is in Africa this week to advocate for U.S. agriculture.
“In short, we’re ‘across the pond’—we are in Senegal, which is right there at that Western tip of Africa,” said Ted McKinney, CEO of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA). The Hoosier native from Tipton County previously served as USDA Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Affairs during President Trump’s previous term.
“Senegal is one of the five countries that we in the U.S. have identified as pivotal,” said McKinney. “They are highly influential in the western Africa area, and so they are hosting the Africa Food Systems Forum, which is we think is the premiere ag policy-oriented meeting for the entirety of Africa.”
McKinney tells Hoosier Ag Today that there are both short-term and long-term opportunities for U.S. agriculture in building these relationships and partnerships with Africa’s leaders and business owners.
“Short-term, I would say the biggest opportunities would be with our feed grains—our straight corn, straight soybeans, and our soybean meal, as well as DDG’s out of the ethanol plants, and so I think that’s a target-rich environment,” he said.
What are the long-term opportunities with U.S. agriculture in Africa?
“As we move from [a total population of] 8 billion to 10 billion on the planet, nearly all 2 billion of that growth will be in Africa and India, so we better get to know them,” said McKinney. “The good news is I think, more than ever, they want to get to know us, so that makes for a good environment for meetings, building trust, changing ideas, and the like.”
At this week’s forum in Senegal, McKinney delivered a speech on “Insights from the Field.” NASDA also hosted a panel on poultry and livestock value chain opportunities in Africa.
McKinney and other NASDA representatives also met with the Senegal Minister of Agriculture, the Tanzania Deputy Minister of Agriculture, and other government, public and private leaders in agriculture, to continue building strong relationships, create new partnerships, and open new opportunities to advance global agriculture.
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