North Carolina Delegation to Switzerland Overview – March 7-15, 2026

OVERVIEW: From March 7-15, 2026, sixteen leaders from North Carolina, USA traveled to Switzerland focused on agricultural innovation and farmland preservation. The delegation included members of the North Carolina General Assembly, leadership from the NC Department of Agriculture, and representatives from financial institutions and industry groups.

PURPOSE: Participants in the Global Leaders to Switzerland program saw international best practices at work and gained a deeper understanding of the conditions that contribute to international success.

- Explored Switzerland’s leadership in agriculture, farmland preservation, and food systems innovation, and evaluated implications for North Carolina’s agricultural future
- Assessed Switzerland’s decentralized, local-government-driven infrastructure and extracted lessons for regional resilience planning in North Carolina
- Examined partnerships among business, higher education, and government in Switzerland to inform policy and economic development strategies back home
- Identified strategies for enhancing state-to-state and subnational diplomacy to support economic and cultural ties between North Carolina and Switzerland
- Considered opportunities for foreign direct investment, exports, and collaborative research with Swiss institutions in agriculture, energy transition, and public health

AGRICULTURE IN NORTH CAROLINA
Agriculture is the backbone of North Carolina’s economy, generating over $102 billion annually and employing nearly one in five workers across the state. From traditional row crops to innovative agtech, agribusiness fuels rural prosperity and global trade alike. Raleigh was recently selected to become home to one of the five hubs for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which is currently under the process of being relocated outside of Washington DC, cementing North Carolina as a national hub for agricultural research, innovation, and policy.

In-Country Materials