ITALY 2026. From Seeds to Foods Exhibition. From left, Beatrice Tuei, Agricultural Attaché, Kenya Embassy in Rome, Karah Janevicius, Director, International Trade USA Rice, Amanda Hoey, U.S. wheat farmer and CEO Oregon Wheat Commission, Brian McCuistion, Texas Sorghum Producers, Laura Turner, Senior Programme Officer, WFP, Douglas Hoelscher, Minister Counselor, USUN, sit during the talk “Filling humanitarian food needs around the world”
©FAO/Pier Paolo Cito.
From 8–12 October 2026, U.S. Sustainability Alliance members were in Rome for From Seeds to Foods, where they showcased how sustainable, innovative American agriculture feeds a growing world. Organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the global event takes visitors from farm to table and shows how agrifood systems work in practice. The exhibition ran alongside FAO’s World Food Forum and activities leading up to World Food Day on October 16.
Representatives from USA Rice, U.S. Wheat Associates, the U.S. Soybean Export Council, the U.S. Dairy Export Council, the Almond Board of California, and the California Prune Board welcomed more than 20,000 visitors, including U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies in Rome Lynda C. Blanchard and FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol.
Ryan Olson, Director of Trade Policy at U.S. Wheat Associates, who coordinated USSA’s attendance at the event, said, “FAO’s From Seeds to Foods provided a platform for U.S. Sustainability Alliance members to highlight innovative, sustainable agricultural practices that reinforce global food security.
“The United States has a rich history of research and innovation, and a longstanding commitment to developing technologies and practices that help farmers boost productivity, manage resources responsibly, and build resilience. The event was an opportunity for us to show that sustainability and food production can work hand in hand.”
Event Highlights
In addition to hosting a stand, USSA members participated in a panel on the United States’ role in global food aid, moderated by Doug Hoelscher, USDA Minister-Counselor for Agriculture at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations Agencies in Rome. Panelists from USA Rice, U.S. Wheat Associates, U.S. Sorghum, the World Food Programme, and the Embassy of the Republic of Kenya to the United Nations discussed how U.S. food aid travels from American farms to recipient countries and the role of U.S. agriculture in growing nutritious, healthy food to feed the world.