Washington, D.C. — USAID to Join Leaders in Agribusiness Industry to Discuss the Increasing Business Case for Investing in Agriculture & Food Production in Africa
Washington, DC (April 24, 2008)—The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has joined organizations such as Novus International, Inc. Buchanan Renewable Energies, and All Africa Global Media as a sponsor of The Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) 2008 U.S.-Africa Agribusiness Forum, it was announced today.
The 2008 Agribusiness Forum, Investing in Agriculture Links in Africa is being hosted by CCA’s Agribusiness Initiatives Program (initially funded by USAID) and will be held in Chicago, Illinois, June 25-27. The Forum is expected to attract more than 300 leaders from the private and public sectors in the U.S. and Africa.
The two-day Forum will include industry-specific sessions, networking opportunities, and panels. Topics for discussion include: cross-cutting issues such as financing, commodity trading markets, food security, infrastructure investment to connect African markets, market information systems improvement, product innovation, cash crop production and investment, livestock production and investment, pharmaceutical growth, bio-fuel industry growth, carbon trading, and production technology.
Visit www.africacncl.org for more details and registration information.
As an event sponsor, USAID will support the overall operations of the event, and host the “Africa’s Regional Economic Communities – Larger Markets for Investment” workshop.
“Recently, investment and trade opportunities in agribusiness and agribusiness-related industries are beginning to gain the attention of developed nations due to increasing demand and insufficient supply,” said CCA President Stephen Hayes . “We are pleased to welcome the U.S. Agency for International Development as a sponsor of the 2008 U.S.-Africa Agribusiness Forum. Public sector support of this event is essential and USAID’s participation will provide the information and perspective needed to address agriculture and agribusiness-related opportunities and challenges in Africa.”
Novus, World Cocoa Foundation, African Business, Corporate Africa, and African Decisions are also sponsors of the event. More sponsors will be announced over the next few weeks.
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The U.S. Agency for International Development is an independent federal government agency that receives overall foreign policy guidance from the Secretary of State. Their work supports long-term and equitable economic growth and advances U.S. foreign policy objectives by supporting economic growth, agriculture and trade, global health, democracy, conflict prevention and humanitarian assistance. The agency provides assistance in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Near East, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Europe and Eurasia. For more information on USAID and it’s initiatives visit www.usaid.gov.
The CCA Agribusiness Initiatives Program focuses on catalyzing the contribution that agriculture, agribusiness, and related activities make to economic growth in Africa. Initially funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to foster development of public-private partnerships and support the African Union’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program, (CAADP), CCA’s Agribusiness Initiatives Program seeks to increase CCA member involvement in shaping policy through education and access to finance programs.
Established in 1993, The Corporate Council on Africa is a nonpartisan 501 (c) (3) membership organization of nearly 200 U.S. companies dedicated to strengthening the commercial relationship between the U.S. and Africa. CCA members represent nearly 85 percent of total U.S. private sector investments in Africa. The organization is dedicated to bringing together potential business partners and to showcase business opportunities on the continent.
For more information on the 2008 U.S.-Africa Agribusiness Forum click here or visit www.africacncl.org
