Press Releases

U.S. - Africa Agribusiness Forum Hosted by The Corporate Council on Africa (CCA)
Chicago, Illinois, June 25 - 27, 2008

May 30, 2008

In response to Africa’s increasing economic growth potential, The Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) will convene agribusiness leaders at the 2008 U.S.-Africa Agribusiness Forum to discuss and exchange ideas around investing in agricultural production, processing and marketing of food, fuel and climate change commodities.

The 2008 Agribusiness Forum, Investing in Agriculture Links in Africa, is being hosted by CCA’s Agribusiness Initiatives Program 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.

“Africa’s future success in large part depends upon the ability of its entrepreneurs and business leaders to create and retain wealth through private enterprise,” said CCA President Stephen Hayes. “Agribusiness partnerships between the U.S. and Africa are on the rise and this forum will offer a platform for industry leaders to exchange ideas and learn of rewarding agribusiness opportunities on the horizon in Africa.”

The two-day Forum will include industry-specific sessions, networking opportunities, and panels to address cross-cutting issues such as financing, commodity trading markets and food security, infrastructure investment to connect African markets, market information systems improvement, product innovation, cash crop and livestock production and investment, pharmaceutical and bio-fuel industry growth, carbon trading, and production technology.

The U.S. Embassy in Port Louis invites the Mauritian business community to participate in this important event in Chicago.

For more information on the 2008 U.S.-Africa Agribusiness Forum, visit www.africacncl.org or please contact: Shariff Jathoonia, tel: 202-4464; e-mail: jathoonisx@state.gov, at the U.S. Embassy in Port Louis, or Adina Ellis, The Corporate Council on Africa, tel: (202) 263-3522, email: aelllis@africacncl.org.