Food Export – Midwest and Food Export – Northeast’s mission has always been to help U.S. companies increase their export sales.  One of the main ways we do that is by attending and hosting events around the globe. 

In this monthly blog we highlight everywhere we went and everything we did during July 2022!

IFT FIRST Annual Event and Expo
Food Ingredients Buyers Mission 
Chicago, IL
July 10 – 11, 2022

Food Export–Midwest hosted a Food Ingredients Buyers Mission in partnership with the Institute for Food Technology at the 2022 IFT First Annual Event and Expo in Chicago, IL.  This Buyers Mission brought in buyers from all over the world including Australia, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Japan, Honduras, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates.

Photo of one-on-one meetings between U.S. suppliers and international buyers taking place in a meeting room off the show floor.

Invited buyers got some local color after a full day of meetings on Chicago Architecture Boat Tour led by Food Export staff member and Chicago Architecture Foundation Volunteer Brendan Wilson.  

U.S. Agricultural Export Development Council (USAEDC) 
Attaché Seminar 
McLean, Virginia
July 13 – 14, 2022 

Food Export-Midwest and Food Export-Northeast staff attended the annual U.S. Agricultural Export Development Council’s Attaché Seminar.  One of the highlights was the chance to speak with a number of Agricultural Attachés of the Foreign Agricultural Service/USDA (FAS) to learn about specific market situations and to share the organizations’ strategies for the particular markets.  Staff also participated in workshops given by FAS and external speakers on current challenges to trade such as the war in Ukraine, the shipping crisis, the pandemic, and climate change.

Panelists at USAEDC Conference Seminar:  Jessica Steven, Hop Growers of America; Brendan Wilson, Food Export-Midwest; Marcela Rondon, Country Strategy Support Fund, FAS/USDA and Melinda Meador, Senior Director Foreign Affairs, FAS/USDA

Focused Trade Mission to Mexico for Private Label, Retail and Foodservice
Mexico City and Monterrey, Mexico
July 18 – 22, 2022

The Focused Trade Mission to Mexico organized by Food Export-Midwest offered suppliers opportunities to explore two major markets within the country – Mexico City and Monterrey – during one trip!   The mission started off with briefings for suppliers on the market situation and included insights on nutrition and labeling requirements.  U.S. supplier participated in one-on-one meetings scheduled with Mexico City-based buyers and retail store tours organized by Food Export’s In-Market Representative for Mexico, Raul Caballero.  After group travel to Monterrey, U.S. suppliers met with Monterrey and Northern Mexican buyers and toured markets there.

Supplier briefings, often including staff from the local offices of the Foreign Agricultural Service/USDA, provide vital information in advance of buyer meetings.

In-Market Representative for Mexico, Raul Caballero, shares insights 
on the Monterrey retail sector as they tour a store.  

FAS Philippines Agricultural Trade Mission
Manila, Philippines 
July 18 – 21, 2022

Food Export-Midwest’s Strategic Partnerships Manager Teresa Miller and International Marketing Program Manager Brendan Wilson visited the eighth-largest export market for U.S. agricultural and food exports, the Philippines, as part the USDA’s FAS 2022 Agribusiness Trade Mission. 

As members of the Business Delegation, they attended roundtables with other FAS cooperators and USDA leadership, industry tours and briefings on the Philippine market. 

Food Export-Midwest Board Members Secretary Hunter Roberts (South Dakota), Commissioner Thom Petersen (Minnesota) and Director Steve Wellman (Nebraska) with Food Export-Midwest Strategic Partnerships Manager Teresa Miller and International Marketing Program Manager Brendan Wilson.

Substantive market briefings shed light on market opportunities and challenges.  

Singapore and Indonesia Trade Visits
Indonesia and Singapore
July 21 – 27 2022

After USDA’s FAS Agribusiness Trade Mission to the Philippines, Food Export-Midwest’s Strategic Partnerships Manager Teresa Miller and International Marketing Program Manager Brendan Wilson organized trade visits to Singapore and Indonesia. They were able to meet with Food Export’s In-Market Representatives for each country, Lieu Marketing in Singapore and Peka Consulting in Indonesia, visit a Food Export product showcase program in action at the Food & Hotel Indonesia Show, meet with the Indonesia Feed Ingredients Association and view promotions of USA products at a Singapore retailer and new In-Market Representative staff training.  

Food Export-Midwest’s Brendan Wilson examining U.S. products on display at FAS/USDA organized American foods promotion at FairPrice supermarket in Singapore.

Retail industry booming in Indonesia’s urban areas. Food Export-Midwest and Food Export-Northeast suppliers can be found on the shelves in several of these outlets.

Food & Hotel Indonesia Show

Midwest Buyers Mission
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Columbus, Ohio
Chicago, Illinois
July 25 – 28, 2022

This cornerstone Food Export-Midwest event is three buyers missions in one week!  This year’s edition included nearly 20 global buyers and started with one-on-one meetings with U.S. suppliers in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  The buyers moved on to Columbus, Ohio for another round of supplier meetings along with a visit to the Ohio State Fair and finished the week with U.S. supplier meetings in downtown Chicago.  In addition to meeting with buyers, U.S. suppliers could also request meetings with Food Export In-Market Representatives Kristie Park from Korea, Thomas Wee from Singapore and Rie Momota from Japan.  The market experts shared a wide range of information including market trends, packaging and labeling requirements, and insight into the retail and foodservice industries.

While it will take some time for the relationships U.S. supplier and international buyer relationships to develop, many buyers commented on how useful it was to be able to meet U.S. suppliers, taste products and examine product packaging in person again. 

International buyers on a guided retail tour of a Michigan store devoted to local products.

A busy day of meetings for both suppliers and buyers in Michigan!

How does the Food Export team organize hundreds of meetings in a week?  Sandy Renner, long-time Activity Coordinator for the Midwest Buyers Mission works her magic at the color-coded boards where the detailed Ohio meeting schedules are managed.

A professional table presentation from Wabash Valley Farms at the Chicago meetings impresses the buyer from Spain.

Strategic Planning with Food Export In-Market Representatives
Chicago, IL
July 29, 2022

After the busy week joining the Midwest Buyers Mission, Food Export In-Market Representatives Kristie Park from Korea, Thomas Wee from Singapore and Rie Momota from Japan stayed on for an extra day of meetings with Food Export-Midwest and Food Export-Northeast staff.  The In-Market Representatives briefed the team, including Food Export-Northeast staff who joined via video conference, on their markets, while staff provided updates on program and operational matters. It was also a great time for new staff to meet the representatives face-to-face.