Troxler Kicks Off Student Series Focusing on Africa Partnerships

 North Carolina agriculture commissioner Steve Troxler and members of the N.C. National Guard visited the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences to discuss the ongoing collaboration between both state agencies and agricultural partners in Africa.

The Sept. 16 seminar, the first in a three-part professional development series hosted by the commissioner and held in Webb Hall, was primarily centered on the State Partnership Program. The Department of Defense security initiative partners U.S. states such as North Carolina with military forces and government agencies – in this case, the Republics of Zambia, Malawi, and Botswana – in part to discuss civilian needs and assets, including agriculture.

“We are a state of partnerships,” said Troxler, who is head of the N.C. Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services. “The partnerships that we have with land-grant universities like N.C. A&T, our commodity groups, our farm groups, those partnerships make us strong … another big partnership that we have in the Department is with the North Carolina National Guard, some things you might not think we’d partner on and some that you would.”

Major General Todd Hunt, adjutant general of the N.C. National Guard spoke to students about the state’s partnerships with African countries at the semester’s first student development session with NCDA&CS.

The N.C. National Guard competed – and won – against other states vying to establish an agricultural program to better assist the African countries with their crop yield and food delivery system. As part of the partnership, delegates from the African countries met with representatives of the N.C. National Guard and the N.C. Department of Agriculture at N.C. A&T’s University Farm on July 24.

All three nations have agriculturally based economies with very diverse farms, said Major General Todd Hunt, adjutant general of the N.C. National Guard.

“I’ve been to Africa many times, but on my first trip to Botswana, I saw that the people based their wealth on how many cattle they have,” said Hunt. “Zambia was similar and so was Malawi. Everyone in their military has a farm – while the husbands go off and be military people, the family stays home and farms cattle, grain. They have very diverse farms.”

Troxler, who has often quoted that ‘hungry people are mean people,’ noted that the three nations are experiencing climate challenges that threaten their agricultural supply chains, the same worry that many farmers in the United States are having. During their delegations’ visit in July, the delegates toured the University Farm’s beef cattle unit, poultry unit, high-tunnel horticulture unit, and saw the dairy’s Automated Milking System run. They also interacted with specialists at each stop on that tour.

“It was quite an honor for us to bring them in, show them North Carolina, show them what we do, but most importantly, work with the N.C. National Guard to sign them up as allies to the United States,” said Troxler.

Zane Hedgecock, chief of staff in the N.C. Department of Agriculture, thanked CAES and N.C. Cooperative Extension for sharing their expertise during the delegates’ visit.

“I knew right then and there it was important to connect with you guys on this project,” Hedgecock said of learning about the African countries’ needs and willingness to partners, “and the same with N.C. State and their Extension program.”