‘Huge Black Hole’ of Protein Demand Awaits in Africa
A recent USDA trade mission to Kenya determined that ecommerce in the area, post-COVID, has huge growth potential and signs of demand for U.S. red meat products.
Matt Copeland, U.S. Meat Export Federation Africa Representative, explains how a business in Kenya is delivering to rural constituents several miles away from the commercial center once every three days. This saves time it would normally take for a villager to travel to the commercial hub to get food for their family and return home.
“Fundamentally, COVID, was a really tragic time, but it forced commerce to make a big shift. I can see the commerce shifting quicker, so just be ready for these problems being solved. This is in East Africa, currently in Kenya. But we're going to solve these food issues all over West Africa and southern Africa as well. It's an exciting time, and it's exciting time to participate,” Copeland adds.
In these areas, the population totals allude to immense opportunity for U.S. beef and pork.
With 54 countries, a couple with populations near 200 million and five or six of the countries with 60 and 80 million people, Copeland suggests there is a “huge black hole” of protein demand.
“Are they all empowered? Can they all afford USDA Prime steaks? No. The answer's no. But in terms of balancing the carcass in both beef and pork variety, meats will become critical to Africa's stability in a way,” Copeland says.
Highly nutritious options at an affordable price will guide U.S. red meat ecommerce in these areas. For instance, while beef liver has been popular in Egypt for many years, areas in sub-Saharan Africa and West Africa, such as Gabon, Cote d’lvoire and Ghana, as well as Mozambique and Angola, have seen growth.
Meanwhile, in South Africa, beef production is strong, yet there’s still a huge demand for variety meats, Copeland says.
“Beef liver's a superfood that we can educate around the nutritious value of the product, as well as delivering it in an absolutely delicious way. We're doing two things: we're helping the restaurant owner make more profit, and two, we're helping deliver really quality nutrition to their customers,” Copeland explains.
