People from all walks of life, as World Trade Center Illinois Agribusiness Director Chuck Hartke puts it, are gathering in a first-of-its-kind forum in Chicago this week in an effort to grow agricultural exchange and commerce between the U.S. and Africa. Chuck says the 300 participants of the 2008 U.S. Africa Agribusiness Forum have come together to explore how America can play a key role in developing rural agriculture in Africa.
African countries are asking for help and Chuck says the American Midwest, particularly Illinois, possesses the resources to help. Chuck says the top of the line production facilities, quality food products, machinery and equipment available in the Midwest are an example of what’s needed and what’s achievable throughout Africa.
Chuck explains that a continent that’s four and a half times the size of the U.S., with ample fertile land, has the untapped potential to not only solve its own hunger issues, but become a global player in food commerce.
Right now, though, Chuck says the reality is a continent of 900 million African people who, as a majority, aren’t even able to feed themselves. But, he says this forum is meant to spark dialogue and courtship that spans the Atlantic Ocean.
Chuck says Africa represents a huge portion of land that’ s not contributing to the global food source and its time for the U.S. and Africa to work together to capitalize on the economic opportunities for agribusiness between the two nations.
I spoke with Chuck during a break from this morning’s sessions and workshops. You can listen to my interview with Chuck here:
usafag-08-hartke.mp3
2008 U.S. Africa Agribusiness Photo Album
AgWired coverage of the 2008 U.S. Africa Agribusiness Forum is sponsored by:
Okay, so you can get your markets, make phone calls, take video and pictures, email, text, browse the web, edit documents, listen to music and podcasts and now you can control your irrigation equipment. All from your phone.
So another conference is over and tomorrow I’ll be moving on to Jackson, MS for the Appaloosa Horse Club National Show. This will be the first time it’s being held there and from what I’ve heard already, things are going well.
Here’s my wrap up post from the Farm Foundation Transition To A Bio Economy conference. I learned a lot from the presentations here and hope the interviews have helped you too.
What we know and what we need to know was Peggy Caswell’s, USDA-ERS, topic here at the Farm Foundation Transition To A Bio Economy conference. She says we need to know things about how farmers or the providers of biofuels and feed stocks are going to have to change the way they do business. She used the example of having to look at different types of contracts and financing.
The issue of investment and financing for ethanol plants and bio refineries in general was addressed today by Chris Groobey, Baker & McKenzie, LLP. He works on project financing with investors and lenders and mostly in renewable fuels. He painted a pretty bleak picture.
We had two Under Secretaries talk to us here today. It was my first time to meet our USDA Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics, Gale Buchanan. He was here at the Transition To A Bio Economy conference to talk about the need for research in a growing bio economy. In fact, he sees a need for a tremendous amount of research to address the opportunities presented by the whole energy picture.