More than 400 agricultural leaders and stakeholders from over 20 countries gathered in Jakarta, Indonesia for the Southeast Asia U.S. Agricultural Cooperators Conference (ACC). Co-organized by the U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council and the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) and held under the theme “Enabling Trade Today, Unlocking Tomorrow,” the event underscored shared goals in strengthening global trade, building resilient supply chains and ensuring long-term food security.
For more than two decades, ACC has served as a gathering place for U.S. exporters to market their products to a variety of customers.
“Given Southeast Asia’s influential geography, this event has become the cornerstone buyers conference in the region and this year constituencies from South Korea and Taiwan also attended to provide even broader opportunities for our producers and exporters,” said Caleb Wurth, USGBC regional director for Southeast Asia & Oceania.
USGBC President and CEO Ryan LeGrand, USGBC Vice Chairman Jay Reiners, Wurth and Ohio Corn Checkoff Chair Patty Mann spoke alongside USSEC Chair Janna Fritz and USSEC CEO Jim Sutter in a discussion on the state of international trade today and where it’s going.
Experts from around the world focused on international freight logistics and grain quality standards in addition to insights into regional trade relations from representatives of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA’s FAS).
Speakers emphasized the region’s rising demand for high-quality protein and the growing importance of secure, sustainable supply chains to meet that need. Food safety, traceability and consistent product quality were noted as top priorities for Southeast Asian buyers and consumers.
The second day provided overviews of global food systems and their intersections with geopolitics, plus visits to dairy and aquaculture farms for attendees to see how feed grains are used in the region.
Significant time was also dedicated to business-to-business meetings between U.S. exporters and agribusinesses and their international counterparts to foster future trade relationships.
“There are many rapidly expanding economies in the region, and the Council and its partners have been laying the groundwork for years to establish a foothold for the U.S. agricultural industry here,” Wurth said.
“The continued success of ACC is a sign of customers’ recognition of the quality of U.S. products and their desire to trade, and we look forward to many more iterations to come.”
Learn more about the Council’s work in Southeast Asia & Oceania here.