PRESS RELEASES

West African Specialty Foods Shine at New York’s Fancy Food Show

USAID PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 9, 2007
Marlene GUMMO: +221.869.1422  mgummo@watradehub.com
www.watradehub.com

For the first time, 40 African specialty food companies from across fifteen countries in sub-Saharan Africa joined together to present an Africa Pavilion at the NASFT Fancy Food Show in Manhattan in July.

An estimated 25,000 buyers walked the show, permitting exhibitors to meet with importers, distributors, retailers, chefs, brokers, and consumers representing every segment of the global food market from food service wholesalers to retail supermarkets to industrial food manufacturers.

“I used to think that for me, the US was impossible, but I now know that it is something that I can do,” said Randa Filfili of Unisali, Senegal, making her debut in New York. Visitors were attracted to the African Pavilion by an amazing selection of new products and flavors such as gari by Home Foods of Ghana, baobab juice by Mam Cocktail of Mali, cashew apple butter by Unisali of Senegal, crayfish powder by Win Foods of Nigeria, breadfruit chips by Mon Petit Benin of Benin, dark chocolate by Cocoa Processing Company or Divine of Ghana, and even French-style, Dijon mustard produced by Sosagrin of Senegal.

Three USAID sponsored projects– Africa Fast Track Trade (AFTT), West Africa Trade Hub (WATH) in Senegal, and Southern Africa Global Competitiveness Hub in Botswana - joined efforts to make the event a success. “The funding and support provided by USAID is so needed. It’s wonderful to see government funds put to such a good cause,” says Jim Thaller, President & CEO of Talier Trading Group, a New York based broker and one of the many pavilion visitors eager to welcome African newcomers into the US market.

The African Pavilion received in depth, US media coverage. Florence Fabricant from The New York Times Food Section wrote an article on the increase in global products featuring Africa’s foods. The Food Network national television channel covered the pavilion, as did Tribeca Radio Network and several freelance food writers and bloggers. Specialty Foods Magazine printed a special insert promoting the pavilion.

“The interest in African products is a fairly new thing, and it’s growing. Americans are into trying new flavors,” said Ron Tanner, Vice President for Communication and Education of the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT), which runs the trade event.

On the morning of July 9, Assistant US Trade Representative for Africa, Florizelle Liser, spoke to a large room of global food market stakeholders on the importance of trade, not aid, in the economic development of sub-Saharan Africa.  Economist Jeffrey Sachs and Robert Brozin, Worldwide CEO of Johannesburg based Nando’s also stressed the rising opportunities in the US and global food market for African companies. 

Since the passage of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) in 2000, the US has promoted Africa’s competitiveness in the US market by providing duty free access to over 6400 products in eligible African countries including processed and fresh agricultural goods.

The West Africa Trade Hub is a project of USAID, implemented by CARANA Corporation and Abt & Associates. This press release does not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Government or USAID.

WATH/Dakar Media contacts:
- Marlene GUMMO: +221.869.1422 - mgummo@watradehub.com
- Fatou THIAM: +221.869.1418 - fthiam@watradehub.com
- For more information on West Africa Trade Hub, see www.watradehub.com

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