All across Africa, USTDA has worked to enhance vital food security measures by introducing the continent’s agricultural industry to cutting-edge technological solutions from U.S. companies.

Through the Agency’s support for three reverse trade missions from 2011 to 2014, USTDA brought agribusiness leaders from 12 African countries to the United States to engage with U.S. suppliers in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.  Each visit included comprehensive tours of U.S. agricultural equipment facilities, where delegates learned the latest in American manufacturing trends for increased production, higher yield, lower operational cost and more sustainable food production.

As a result, delegates representing Angola, Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia purchased an extensive range of American technology products, including irrigation systems, tractors, combines, planters, seeders and cultivators. To this day, the African agribusiness leaders maintain close and trusted relationships with the U.S. suppliers they met during the trade missions, which set the stage for business partnerships that are built to last and will help Africa’s farmers improve and expand their agricultural operations, ultimately increasing access to a safer, more plentiful and more affordable food supply.

March 11, 2020