WISHH partners pitch to potential investors at the Africa Food Systems Forum in Dakar, Senegal. Sponsor pitch sessions help companies explore access to funding and create resilient, investment-ready enterprises capable of supporting long-term demand for U.S. soy.
ASA’s World Initiative for Soy in Human Health program works with business partners in emerging and developing markets to improve their ability to purchase U.S. soy. Sometimes that means securing investments for growing businesses throughout the value chain. Whether a feed mill is looking to expand production, a fisheries company needs financing for new equipment, or a food processor or crusher is preparing to scale operations, securing investment can be an important early step for soybean importers and buyers.
WISHH bridges that gap through specialized financial training and investment-readiness programs designed to strengthen businesses while creating long-term opportunities for U.S. soybean growers.
Through partnerships with financial experts and investment advisors, WISHH helps entrepreneurs and business leaders understand what lenders and investors are looking for, how to market their businesses effectively, and how to develop growth strategies that attract investors. This helps companies access funding and creates resilient, investment-ready enterprises capable of supporting long-term demand for U.S. soy.
In Cambodia, for example, WISHH partnered with advisory firm LixCap to provide training focused on increasing access to finance for aquaculture businesses. The program equipped participants with practical skills to strengthen fiscal management, improve planning, and communicate growth opportunities to potential partners. Alongside these programs, WISHH continues with other work to strengthen aquaculture value chains that can increasingly rely on U.S. soy.
WISHH also applies this model across programs in Africa. As poultry, aquaculture, livestock, and food-processing sectors grow, businesses need access to working capital and expansion financing. WISHH’s financial readiness programs help partners develop the tools needed to navigate lending institutions, prepare investment pitches, and understand cash-flow management. Some of these partners have already purchased U.S. soy, but partaking in these programs with WISHH means they build credible growth plans that can also withstand market challenges. Additionally, WISHH includes feed mills, producers, technical advisers, and crushers in these trainings. Many of these partners also attend buyers’ conferences with WISHH.
WISHH Executive Director Gena Perry said that many of the soybean growers who support WISHH also directly play a role in its success.
“We have had WISHH committee members speak directly to some of our partners over the years. Regardless of the sector and country, farmers on both sides understand the value of the dollar and the large undertaking of investment,” Perry said. “That’s why U.S. growers have spoken directly to our partners about their own on-farm management and the importance of smartly scaling-up businesses.”
In the end, farmers understand that a company that secures financing can purchase more feed ingredients, expand production capacity, grow, and serve more customers. As businesses grow, their demand for protein-rich soy often grows as well.
The post WISHH Build Investment-Ready Partners While Growing Demand for U.S. Soy appeared first on American Soybean Association.
