Press Release

CNFA Hosts Kazakhstan Business Development Tour

WASHINGTON, D.C. — CNFA, in collaboration with the International Executive Service Corps (IESC) and Volunteers for Economic Growth Alliance (VEGA), is hosting a three-week business development tour as part of the Kazakhstan Business Connections (KBC) program sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and funded by the Government of Kazakhstan. Twelve participants from Kazakhstan’s bakery, grains and flour industries, as well as one representative of the Government of Kazakhstan will visit businesses related to bakery, grains, flour production, processing and marketing throughout the U.S.

To kick off the tour, the participants will attend the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association’s Seminar and Expo. in Orlando, Florida where more than 8,000 registrants will gather to discuss key industry topics.  In cooperation with the Kansas State Department of Agriculture, the tour will then travel to Kansas to participate in a four-day training seminar at Kansas State University and will visit grain and bakery industries in the area.  The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) will host the participants in Chicago, Illinois and the tour will conclude in Washington, D.C. for a debriefing and reception featuring representatives from additional implementing organizations and the bakery, grains and flour industries.

While the primary goal of the tour is to facilitate business connections and create opportunities for Kazakhstani businesses, it will provide opportunities for U.S. businesses as well.  In addition, the tour will inform participants of industry best business practices and introduce them to cutting edge technologies.  By building the capacity and competitiveness of Kazakhstani entrepreneurs, KBC will assist the participants to modernize and expand their operations in Kazakhstan.

The Kazakhstan Business Connections program aims to build the capacity and competitiveness of Kazakhstani small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through their modernization and expansion.  The program aligns with the Government of Kazakhstan’s (GOKZ) national development plan to diversify the economy through the development of Kazakhstani SMEs.  Although this is a USAID-funded project, the Government of Kazakhstan contributes 50 percent of the operating expenses.

CNFA, based in Washington, D.C., stimulates economic growth and improves rural livelihoods by empowering the private sector.  CNFA’s unique approach is founded on six core capacities: 1) commercial input supply and farm services; 2) economic resilience and rapid recovery; 3) agricultural productivity, food security and nutrition; 4) value chain development; 5) volunteer technical assistance and 6) access to finance. CNFA has worked in over 38 countries worldwide and impacted the lives of more than 70 million people.  For more information, visit www.cnfa.org.

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This press release is made possible by the support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the sole responsibility of CNFA and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.