More than 400 agricultural leaders and stakeholders from over 20 countries convened in Jakarta for the Southeast Asia U.S. Agricultural Cooperators Conference, focusing on strengthening global trade relationships and ensuring food security.
The event, co-organized by the U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council and the U.S. Soybean Export Council, was held under the theme "Enabling Trade Today, Unlocking Tomorrow" and expanded its reach beyond Southeast Asia to include participants from South Korea and Taiwan.
"Given Southeast Asia's influential geography, this event has become the cornerstone buyers conference in the region," said Caleb Wurth, USGBC regional director for Southeast Asia & Oceania.
For more than two decades, the conference has served as a platform for U.S. exporters to market their products to international customers. This year's program featured presentations from industry leaders including USGBC President and CEO Ryan LeGrand, USGBC Vice Chairman Jay Reiners, Ohio Corn Checkoff Chair Patty Mann, USSEC Chair Janna Fritz and USSEC CEO Jim Sutter.
Discussions centered on international freight logistics, grain quality standards and regional trade relations, with contributions from representatives of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service.
Speakers highlighted the region's increasing demand for high-quality protein and the growing importance of secure, sustainable supply chains. Food safety, traceability and consistent product quality were identified as top priorities for Southeast Asian buyers.
The second day included overviews of global food systems and their relationship to geopolitics, plus site visits to dairy and aquaculture farms to demonstrate how feed grains are utilized in the region.
"There are many rapidly expanding economies in the region, and the Council and its partners have been laying the groundwork for years," Wurth said.
