South Dakota's international trade arm looks to capitalize on global population shifts

South Dakota Trade conducts first strategy meeting in downtown Sioux Falls Thursday

South Dakota Trade President and CEO Luke Lindberg leads the organization’s inaugural steering committee meeting Thursday morning at the offices of the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce in downtown Sioux Falls. (Joe Sneve / The Dakota Scout)

Within three decades, a quarter of the world’s population is expected to live in Africa.

And should the United Nation’s forecast become reality — more than 4.2 billion are projected to live on the continent by 2050 — that means major economic opportunity for the U.S., particularly exporters who right now are sending just a small fraction of their products to Africa.

The emerging market also has industry groups in South Dakota eyeing a future where locally cultivated corn, soybeans, pork, dairy and any other goods African countries might demand are shipped regularly across the southern Atlantic.

“They only have one trade agreement in the entire continent, and it’s in Morocco. So we’re working on trying to help bolster the perspective that there should be more … and create a foothold to help get more of our products there,” South Dakota Trade (SDT) President and CEO Luke Lindberg said during the newly-formed 501c(6) non-profit association’s inaugural steering committee meeting Thursday.

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