NC Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler isn’t usually involved in national defense matters, but necessity makes strange bedfellows and recently those bedfellows were the US military, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, the NC National Guard, and leaders from the African Republics of Malawi and Zambia.

Those countries have been very challenged in recent years by drought and other agricultural hurdles.

A delegation of about 50 government leaders visited the university to learn some of the latest agricultural techniques and strategies – but the visit had a secondary mission as well: to strengthen civilian and military ties between the US and the African nations it considers to be military partners.

One of the key themes of the week-long visit was that being able to produce an adequate food supply in one’s own country is a national security issue, so there’s an important link between effective farming and security.

The visit was part of an initiative – the National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program – that works to strengthen civilian ties, and create partnerships, between African countries, the US Government, and the civilian agricultural community.

The visitors from Africa toured NC A&T’s expansive farming operations and learned about everything from the latest automated cow-milking machinery to whether or not it was economically feasible to attempt to grow certain crops in various environmental conditions.

It was also a chance for the university to showcase some of the latest agricultural techniques that the nations may consider adopting.

Led by Zambia’s Minister of Defense Ambrose Lufuma, the group of about 50 visitors toured the University Farm, including the dairy, the poultry unit, the high-tunnel horticultural research area, and the beef cattle unit – where the lessons emphasized breeding techniques.

The group learned strategies for higher yields, how to use technology to grow more food on less acreage, and climate-resilient agricultural practices – including water-saving methods.

The African visitors also learned about the state’s Cooperative Extension, a program they’re considering implementing in their countries. The NC Cooperative Extension is a network that takes the research knowledge from the university system’s agricultural arms and finds ways to implement that research into practice.  It also works to educate citizens about agriculture.

Zambia and Malawi both list agriculture as a major economic driver and source of employment; however, those countries face challenges largely due to a three-year-long drought that has greatly damaged food security in south-central Africa.

Troxler, who has been the state’s commissioner of agriculture since 2005, said it’s hard to overstate the importance of effective farming.

“Agriculture is vital for the rural livelihoods of both nations,” Troxler said. “Both countries are implementing policies and initiatives to enhance agricultural productivity; however, the governments implementing these policies will face many challenges. That’s where assistance is needed and where North Carolina agriculture has been asked to help.”

Antoine Alston, an associate dean at NC A&T said a lot of good comes from the program.

“This is such an important partnership,” Alston said. “When you lack the ability to feed your people, you have a security issue. NC A&T is uniquely poised to help the National Guard, in our national interest, thanks to the multitude of small-farms programs we have, which can easily be transferred to our Malawi and Zambia partners.”

The African delegation’s other stops in North Carolina included a tour of the Piedmont Triad Farmers Market, the North Carolina State University livestock farm, and Troxler’s farm in Guilford County.

The people at NC A&T – the nation’s largest historically Black university – know a thing or two about cutting-edge agriculture.  Last year, US News & World Report named the school one of the Top 25 Most Innovative universities in America.

About