PISC Reimagined: Where Global Business Begins

Written by: Ivy Torres   |   March 25, 2026

PISC,
Global Competitiveness,
Vietnam,
Brazil

For more than 50 years, the American Feed Industry Association’s Purchasing and Ingredient Suppliers Conference (PISC) has been a staple of doing business within the animal food industry. The conference has long provided a space for business relationships to be refreshed and for new partnerships to form, supporting consistent, high-quality domestic collaboration. But as the global marketplace continues to expand and exports remain vital for the growth of businesses, AFIA’s global affairs team began to ask an important question: What if?  

What if attending PISC did not just connect you to domestic partners, but opened doors to global markets? What if, in just a few days, you could meet pre-vetted international buyers actively seeking U.S. suppliers? And what if expanding your business internationally was as simple as showing up?  

This year, the AFIA turned those “what ifs” into reality! 

Through the efforts of the global affairs team, AFIA applies for and utilizes grant funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to promote the export of U.S animal food products. In 2025, the AFIA collaborated with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) in São Paulo, Brazil, to help identify a delegation of Brazilian buyers to host at PISC. The program proved highly successful, with members forming new partnerships and exploring opportunities in a growing international market.  

Building on that momentum, the AFIA expanded the program in 2026. In addition to hosting another delegation of Brazilian buyers, we collaborated with FAS Vietnam and supported buyers from Vietnam’s animal feed and pet food sector.

The result was clear: real conversations, real opportunities and real momentum. 

Before the conference officially began, PISC participants were already sitting down with these buyers in meetings designed to maximize value. 

Over the course of the three days, more than 120 meetings took place between U.S. companies and international buyers, each representing a potential opening to new markets. And the connections didn’t stop there. 

The inaugural Meet the Buyers Reception created a relaxed, conversational environment where attendees could connect face-to-face with the Brazilian and Vietnamese delegations. With globally inspired food, signature drinks and more than 80 decision-makers in the room, the evening gave participants who had not yet scheduled meetings a chance to spark conversations and build relationships that could shape their businesses for years to come. 

For many attendees, this wasn’t just another networking event, it was their first real step into international expansion — and a glimpse of where PISC is headed. 

What has long been a cornerstone of the U.S. animal food business is evolving into a hub for global opportunity; a place where you don’t just maintain your network, but you expand it across not just borders, but oceans. 

If you have attended PISC before, you already understand its value. But if you haven’t, or if you’ve been wondering whether it’s worth your time, 2026 made one thing clear: this is where the future of the animal food industry is being built. PISC has always been known as a meeting “where business gets done.” Now and in the years ahead, it is where global business gets done. 

So the question is no longer “what if?”  It is “will you be there to take advantage of it?” 

Visit the AFIA’s Trade Missions page or contact Ivy Torres to learn more about the buyers at PISC or learn more about upcoming international programs. Also, save the date for PISC 2027 – March 16-18.