Aug. 15, 2024

This paid event listing is sponsored by South Dakota Trade.

“Capitalizing on our comparative advantage” was the theme of an annual agriculture summit that drew national interest to Sioux Falls on Wednesday.

The fourth annual Midwest Agricultural Export Summit was held at the headquarters of Sanford Health. It’s designed for seven regional states to collaborate around agricultural exports.

“America has always been a leader in ag innovation — I believe it sets us apart from the rest of the world,” said Luke Lindberg, president and CEO of South Dakota Trade.

“But there are some serious challenges unfolding across the globe: heightened competition from foreign growers, an increase in armed conflicts and an alarming rise in the number of hungry people. These factors are shifting the landscape of global trade.”

As a region, “the Midwest must continue to innovate — biotechnology is one aspect of that innovation — in order to secure our own food supply and the livelihoods of our family farms,” he continued.

“We heard a lot about the intersection of food security and national security this year.”

In its fourth year, “each year the summit gets better,” Lindberg said.

The invite-only event draws high-caliber speakers, including ambassadors Kip Tom and Gregg Doud, former Export-Import Bank of the United States chairman Kimberly Reed and National Association of State Departments of Agriculture CEO Ted McKinney — who have traveled to South Dakota annually for the summit.

“Because of that, we are also able to attract new voices, like former USDA Secretary Dan Glickman, who joined us from Kansas,” Lindberg said.

Elaborating on food security, one panel addressed “America’s role in alleviating the global hunger crisis,” and a presentation by Mark Purdy, chief operations officer of Aimpoint Research, covered “American Food Power” during lunch.

The afternoon panel featured Barron Segar, president and CEO of the World Food Programme — USA; Bonnie Glick, former deputy administrator and chief operating officer of the U.S. Agency for International Development; and Kip Tom, America’s former agricultural ambassador to the United Nations.

“It was an all-star lineup, and the discussion was a highlight for many,” Lindberg said.

Other panels included partners who collaborate with South Dakota Trade: U.S. Soybean Export Council, U.S. Dairy Export Council, U.S. Meat Export Federation and U.S. Grains Council.

“We had three CEOs and one board chairman in that discussion, and hearing from them was terrific,” Lindberg said. “They are instrumental in helping American farmers sell their harvest overseas, and having their leaders convene in Sioux Falls was a great way to advance the work of the whole ‘Farm Team.'”

Each year’s summit also features a foreign export market, “and this year, we were proud to showcase the benefits that the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, is having on our local producers,” he continued.

“Mexico and Canada have overtaken China as America’s two top trading partners, and we are seeing those same benefits in our region. For example, South Dakota Trade took a trade mission to Mexico last year and generated a 73 times return on investment for our delegation companies.”

Other speakers included Rep. Brad Finstad of Minnesota, who represents the Midwest on the House Committee on Agriculture.

Finally, Ambassador Doug McKalip, who serves as chief agricultural negotiator in the Office of the United States Trade Representative, gave an enlightening look at “America’s Agricultural Trade Agenda.”

“He brought a broad perspective on all agricultural matters relating to trade, national security and a wide portfolio of domestic and international issues,” Lindberg said.

In addition to collaborating around agricultural exports, the annual event serves as a chance for South Dakota to play a leading role in the region, he continued. Top sponsor the University of South Dakota was able to highlight its new Bachelor of Business Administration degree in agribusiness leadership, for example.

“At the end of the day, having these high-caliber speakers and attendees gather in Sioux Falls to solve real problems and push American agriculture forward is making South Dakota stronger,” Lindberg said.