With support from the United Soybean Board, ASA/WISHH participated in the World Aquaculture Society’s 2025 conference in Entebbe, Uganda. The event highlights advancements in Africa’s aquaculture sector while bringing together industry and government representatives.
WISHH Committee member Chad Warner and USB Director Shannon Tignor Ellis traveled to East Africa alongside more than 30 trade team members from Uganda, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Kenya, and Tanzania. The team consisted of partners from the aquaculture sector, including farmers, feed millers, business representatives, and university officials.
Earlier in the week, Ellis and Warner participated in a meeting with feed millers to explain how U.S. soy is sustainably grown and its value due to its rich protein content. Additionally, both welcomed conference attendees at an evening reception while explaining USB’s collaboration and support of WISHH’s East-Africa strategy that seeks to boost trade for U.S. soy.
“USB’s collaboration with WISHH also supports our vision to deliver sustainable soy solutions to every life, every day,” explained Ellis. “It aligns with WISHH’s strategy to improve food security and drive new market opportunities for U.S. Soy.”
Additionally, WISHH hosted two panel sessions that included discussions on input costs and navigating changing aquaculture markets. WISHH experts shared solutions that work to enable growth and profitability for farmers.
Warner, a soybean farmer from Ohio, introduced a panel focused on risk assessment on the conference’s second day.
“For soybean growers nationwide, we all accept a certain amount of risk as we run our farms. But we also ensure certain practices to minimize those risks,” explained Warner. “From the use of a wide range of technologies and practices, such as satellites and precision planting and moisture-controlled grain storage, we farmers know the importance of taking care of the land while delivering quality soy-based feeds to our customers around the world.”
The conference, which assembles the largest collection of aquaculture industry representatives on the African continent, offered WISHH the opportunity to bolster its partner network while highlight the role of U.S. soy in supporting the growth of Africa’s aquaculture industry. WISHH leveraged USB checkoff and USDA funding to support its participation in this year’s conference.