Kansas City, MO (November 7, 2024) - On October 29, the American Seed Trade Association's (ASTA) Andy LaVigne and Sam Crowell joined a line-up of agricultural and food security experts to discuss challenges, and opportunities, the seed sector faces in Africa.
The panel, titled “Investment and Global Trade Support a Vibrant Seed Sector through Agriculture-led Growth in Africa,” provided their perspective on the obstacles their organizations face in establishing a secure food system in the region, and what role the seed sector plays in furthering agricultural development and food security.
With Crowell moderating the discussion and LaVigne providing the seed industry’s perspective, panelists included:
- Yacouba Diallo, Secretary General, African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA)
- Francis Onyekachi, Product Stewardship Manager, African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF)
- Ashish Saxena, Division Chief, Input Systems, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Bureau for Resilience, Environment, and Food Security (REFS) (USAID)
- Todd Jones, Philanthropic Program Leader, Corteva Agriscience (Corteva)
Nearly 600 food security and agricultural policy experts from around the globe convened in Des Moines, Iowa for three days of conversation and networking for the 2024 Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue.