29 Oct 2013

Certification for Sustainably Grown U.S. Soy Now Available for Exporters

By United Soybean Board
U.S. Soybean Farmers Highlight Their Sustainability Performance Through Soybean Sustainability Assurance Protocol

ST. LOUIS (October 29, 2013) - The U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) recently launched an official sustainability certification for U.S. soy. It provides exporters with verification that the soy products they sell on the world market are raised in a sustainable manner.  

The certification is verified by the U.S. Soybean Sustainability Assurance Protocol (SSAP). This protocol was developed by the United Soybean Board (USB), USSEC and the American Soybean Association (ASA) through a multi-stakeholder process to ensure the methodologies for measuring sustainable performance are thorough, transparent and credible. Creation of the SSAP and its official sustainability certification for exported soy products is a strategic move by these farmer-led national soybean organizations to assure international customers that U.S. farmers raise soybeans with high sustainability performance.  

"It is essential that we show the rest of the world what we are doing with regard to best management practices on the farm and best social practices in the community," says Laura Foell, Schaller, Iowa, farmer and USB farmer-leader. "Farmers are doing the right thing and striving for continuous improvement. We need to make sure our customers know that."

The sustainability certification is based on farmer participation in U.S. farm programs. Currently 95 percent of U.S. farms participate, according to USSEC. Thus, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates of total soybean supply are multiplied by 0.95 to determine U.S. sustainable soy supply. The SSAP provides proof of reductions in carbon emissions, energy use, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and soil erosion per acre of soybeans grown and per bushel of soybeans produced in the United States.

Certification is done at shipment point by Soy Export Sustainability, LLC, www.usses.org, based on an aggregate system representing nationwide soybean production.

This fall, the farmer-led organizations that constitute the U.S. soy family - USSEC, USB and ASA - are introducing their sustainability assurance protocol and sustainability certification system through a series of meetings around the world. Meetings with soy customers are being held in the Netherlands, Germany, Turkey and also U.S. soy farmers' largest market - China.  

The 69 farmers who serve on the USB board of directors oversee the investments of the soy checkoff to maximize profit opportunities for all U.S. soybean farmers. These volunteers invest and leverage checkoff funds to increase the value of U.S. soy meal and oil, to ensure U.S. soybean farmers and their customers have the freedom and infrastructure to operate, and to meet the needs of U.S. soy's customers. As stipulated in the federal Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soy checkoff.

For more information on the United Soybean Board, visit www.unitedsoybean.org
Visit us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/UnitedSoybeanBoard
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/unitedsoy
View our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/UnitedSoybeanBoard

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25 Oct 2013

Task Force Aims to Increase the Value of U.S. Soybeans

By United Soybean Board
By Dan Corcoran, United Soybean Board Value Task Force Lead and a soybean farmer from Piketon, OhioRaising soybeans looks simple. Farmers plant the seeds and the plants grow, then we harvest the mature soybeans and take them to elevators for processing. But any soybean farmer will tell you that growing this crop is much more difficult than it looks. There's soil health to contend with, as well as pests and diseases. And, of course, there's the weather.

At first glance, the current soybean-pricing system seems easy to understand, too. U.S. soybean farmers get paid by the bushel at the elevator. But it's actually much more complicated. The cash price we receive for our bushels is actually based on the estimated value that processors think they will receive for the meal and oil in the soybeans.

The soy checkoff realized the market isn't as transparent as it could be, and this could mean U.S. soybean farmers are missing an opportunity to improve their profitability simply by improving their soybeans' quality. The checkoff established the Value Task Force to explore ways to increase the overall value that farmers receive from the U.S. soybean crop.

Just as the pricing system is complicated, there isn't a cut-and-dried solution. Adding more value to the industry could mean changing the pricing system, so we're examining strategies used by other commodities, such as canola and wheat, that add value to their products. We are also looking for potential methods to improve the way soybeans are processed through companion technologies. In addition, the task force has funded exploratory research to examine the U.S. soy value chain for any other opportunities.

Just like soybean plants don't spring from the ground the day after you sow the seeds, the U.S. soy industry isn't going to transform overnight. We know that our work to add value to the industry has just begun. But the checkoff and its partners are working toward increasing U.S. soybean farmers' profitability and keeping our industry strong.

So I would suggest that all American soybean farmers take a moment to consider the protein and oil content of the beans they harvest this year. Don't know it? Might be interesting to find out. Making the industry more profitable for all of us will take all of us to make it happen, one step, or bean, at a time.

The 69 farmer-directors of USB oversee the investments of the soy checkoff to maximize profit opportunities for all U.S. soybean farmers. These volunteers invest and leverage checkoff funds to increase the value of U.S. soy meal and oil, to ensure U.S. soybean farmers and their customers have the freedom and infrastructure to operate, and to meet the needs of U.S. soy's customers. As stipulated in the federal Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soy checkoff.

For more information on the United Soybean Board, visit www.unitedsoybean.org
Visit us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/UnitedSoybeanBoard
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/unitedsoy
View our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/UnitedSoybeanBoard

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24 Sep 2013

Becherer Named Among Top Association Leaders for 2013

By United Soybean Board
USB CEO honored for his work to improve U.S. soybean farmer profitability
ST. LOUIS (Sept. 24, 2013) - CEO Update likes what it sees in John Becherer, chief executive officer of the United Soybean Board (USB). The publication covering the association-leadership landscape across the United States recently named him one of the top association executives for 2013.
The soy checkoff program Mr. Becherer leads is known for producing results for all U.S. soybean farmers. The most recent independent return-on-investment study found that farmers receive $6.40 in return for every dollar they invest in the education and promotion efforts the checkoff funds. For his efforts, CEO Update chose Mr. Becherer from among more than 100 association executives nominated for their achievements in leadership and managing change, among other areas.
Mr. Becherer says he's driven by his commitment to ensuring that all U.S. soybean farmers get the most out of every checkoff dollar.
"I'm gratified to receive this honor on behalf of all of our volunteer farmer-leaders who have put so much hard work into the checkoff over the years," says Mr. Becherer, who grew up on a Wisconsin dairy farm before earning a master's degree in agricultural economics. "The credit should really go to them for making sure the checkoff continues to pay off for all U.S. soybean farmers."
In 19 years under Mr. Becherer, soy-checkoff-funded programs have helped power an industry that has made major gains for American soybean farmers. Some highlights include :
  • The national average price of soybeans rose from $5.40 per bushel in Mr. Becherer's first year as USB CEO to $14.30 in 2012. The total value of the U.S. soybean crop rose from about $13.8 billion to $43.2 billion over the same period.
  • U.S. soybean acreage and production have risen to record highs of 77.5 million acres and 3.36 billion bushels, both set in 2009.
  • U.S. soy exports remain at near-record levels and the commodity is one of the driving forces behind U.S. agriculture's excellent trade surplus.
USB Chairman Jim Stillman says he believes Mr. Becherer had a hand in helping farmers realize those gains.
"John's strategy, leadership and counsel have been invaluable to the soy checkoff, the industry and, most importantly, U.S. soybean farmers," says Stillman, a soybean farmer from Emmetsburg, Iowa. "Without question, the farmers he tirelessly serves are better off now than when he became CEO."
Mr. Becherer has also led the organization through a massive restructuring designed to keep USB farmer-leaders focused on their strategic objectives: increasing the value of U.S. soybean meal and oil, protecting farmers' freedom to operate and meeting soy customer needs with quality products and services.
CEO Update, founded more than 20 years ago, is the largest independent information source for association and non-profit organization executives in the United States. For more information, visit www.CEOUpdate.com.
The 69 farmer-directors of USB oversee the investments of the soy checkoff to maximize profit opportunities for all U.S. soybean farmers. These volunteers invest and leverage checkoff funds to increase the value of U.S. soy meal and oil, to ensure U.S. soybean farmers and their customers have the freedom and infrastructure to operate, and to meet the needs of U.S. soy's customers. As stipulated in the federal Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soy checkoff.
For more information on the United Soybean Board, visit www.unitedsoybean.org
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/unitedsoy
View our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/UnitedSoybeanBoard

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20 Sep 2013

U.S. Soy Demand Gets Boost from Biodiesel

By United Soybean Board
U.S. Soy Demand Gets Boost from Biodiesel
Fuel manufacturers could use at least 4.8 billion pounds of soybean oil this year
ST. LOUIS (Sept. 19, 2013) - The biodiesel that fuels semis, farm tractors and bus fleets continues to fuel market potential for U.S. soybean oil and profit opportunities for U.S. soybean farmers.

In order to meet federal biodiesel-usage requirements of 1.28 billion gallons this year, manufacturers will need 9 billion pounds of vegetable oils and animal fats. At least 4.8 billion pounds of that could be soybean oil. That's the oil from 430 million bushels of U.S. soybeans.

"There's value for soybean farmers from the growing market use of soybean oil for biodiesel," says Gregg Fujan, a USB director and soybean farmer from Weston, Neb. "It expands the market for our soybeans, which also increases the price we receive."

According to research commissioned by soybean farmers in Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota through their state soy checkoff boards, biodiesel contributed to a $15 billion increase in soybean-oil revenues between 2006 and 2012. Over that time period, this raised the price of soybeans by 74 cents per bushel.

Soy-checkoff-funded research on biodiesel's environmental benefits helped it qualify under the Environmental Protection Agency as an Advanced Biofuel. Under the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (known as RFS2), at least 1.28 billion gallons of biodiesel will be produced in the United States in 2013.

For nearly 20 years, soybean oil has been the primary feedstock for U.S. biodiesel manufacturing. The soy checkoff helps fund biodiesel research and promotion efforts to increase fuel and feedstock demand for U.S. soybean farmers.

The 69 farmer-directors of USB oversee the investments of the soy checkoff to maximize profit opportunities for all U.S. soybean farmers. These volunteers invest and leverage checkoff funds to increase the value of U.S. soy meal and oil, to ensure U.S. soybean farmers and their customers have the freedom and infrastructure to operate, and to meet the needs of U.S. soy's customers. As stipulated in the federal Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soy checkoff.

For more information on the United Soybean Board, visit www.unitedsoybean.org
Visit us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/UnitedSoybeanBoard
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/unitedsoy
View our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/UnitedSoybeanBoard

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17 Sep 2013

Chinese Ag Leaders Sign Commitments to Buy $2.8 Billion Worth of U.S. Soy

By United Soybean Board
Checkoff event results in purchase agreements between Chinese, U.S. companies
DAVENPORT, Iowa (Sept. 16, 2013) - As China's appetite for soy products continues to grow, it's leaning on U.S. soybean farmers to help meet demand - in one recent case, to the tune of $2.8 billion.

During the recent U.S. Soy Global Trade Exchange, Chinese agricultural leaders signed agreements to buy approximately $2.8 billion worth of U.S. soy. The delegation signed 13 contracts with U.S. exporters.
"These contracts speak to U.S. soybean farmers' work to produce high-quality soybeans," says Jim Stillman, chairman of the United Soybean Board (USB), which co-sponsored the Exchange with the American Soybean Association (ASA). "The U.S. soy industry is committed to meeting the demands of our customers, and we are doing that by growing the best crops we can," says Stillman, a soybean farmer from Emmetsburg, Iowa.
"China is an important trade partner of the U.S. soy industry," says Randy Mann, chairman of the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC), which hosted the Exchange. "We look forward to continuing to grow our relationship with our largest international customer," says Mann, who raises soybeans on his farm Auburn, Ky.
More than 200 foreign trade delegates attended the Exchange in the Quad Cities Sept. 16-18. Farmer-leaders from across the soy family networked with international customers and solidified purchase agreements.
"This is the first year we've held the U.S. Soy Global Trade Exchange, and we're very pleased that purchase commitments resulted from the event," says Kirk Leeds, chief executive officer of the Iowa Soybean Association. "The point of the event was to cultivate relationships with our customers, including China, and show purchasers the unrivaled U.S. transportation system."
In the last marketing year, the United States exported about 1.8 billion bushels of soy, valued at $23 billion. Checkoff-funded efforts have helped turn China into the biggest international destination for U.S. soy. Customers in China bought 850 million bushels of U.S. soy last year, or more than one out of every four rows grown.
"The United States continues to export so many soy products because our customers recognize the strength of our delivery system and the quality of our soybeans," says Danny Murphy, ASA president. "These agreements certainly prove the U.S. Soy Global Trade Exchange was a success."
The 69 farmer-directors of USB oversee the investments of the soy checkoff to maximize profit opportunities for all U.S. soybean farmers. These volunteers invest and leverage checkoff funds to increase the value of U.S. soy meal and oil, to ensure U.S. soybean farmers and their customers have the freedom and infrastructure to operate, and to meet the needs of U.S. soy's customers. As stipulated in the federal Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soy checkoff.

For more information on the United Soybean Board, visit www.unitedsoybean.org
Visit us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/UnitedSoybeanBoard
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/unitedsoy
View our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/UnitedSoybeanBoard

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10 Sep 2013

Soybean Rivals Team Up on Common Issues

By United Soybean Board
Farmers from U.S., South America unite to work toward better biotech approval system
ST. LOUIS (September 10, 2013) - Farmers who grow 90 percent of the world's soybeans and normally battle for global market share met recently to discuss how they can work together on issues that affect all farmers. Among other topics, they discussed what they could do to speed up getting new, biotechnology-enhanced soybean varieties approved in more markets around the world.
This type of gathering isn't new to these farmers, who are members of the International Soy Growers Alliance (ISGA), a group formed in 2005 to bring together Argentine, Brazilian, Paraguayan, Uruguayan and U.S. soybean farmers around issues that affect them all.
"It's important for us to come together and discuss issues we all have in common: trade relations, biotechnology, weather, to name a few," says Jim Stillman, soybean farmer and United Soybean Board (USB) chairman from Emmetsburg, Iowa. "When we are able to provide a united front on these issues that impact the global soybean industry, it makes a much stronger impression."
Farmer-leaders representing the soy checkoff, the American Soybean Association (ASA) and the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) participated in the most recent ISGA meeting, where members approved a resolution that, among other things, calls for science-based and more predictable approval systems for soybeans improved through biotechnology. Currently, these approvals in several countries tend to take long or not happen at all, holding up or blocking U.S. soybean sales or delay farmers' ability to plant new biotech varieties.
To show support for these issues, ISGA has also begun plans to bring together farmers from both continents to meet with common customers, decision makers and government officials next year. ISGA members will stress the importance of swift and science-based approval processes to prevent trade disruptions. In 2012, ISGA conducted a similar mission to the European Union, where U.S. and South American farmers met with officials from several countries to discuss the importance of biotechnology approvals and acceptance.
"One of the most rewarding aspects of ISGA is the opportunity to come together with farmers and representatives of other soy-growing-and-exporting countries to address the challenges we face as a global soy industry," adds Danny Murphy, soybean farmer and ASA president from Canton, Miss. "As representatives of the U.S. soy industry, together with USB and USSEC, we find that we have so many mutual goals with our ISGA partners, especially on issues like biotechnology approvals, in which barriers set up by one nation or coalition can have a significantly negative impact on all exporters."
The 69 farmer-directors of USB oversee the investments of the soy checkoff to maximize profit opportunities for all U.S. soybean farmers. These volunteers invest and leverage checkoff funds to increase the value of U.S. soy meal and oil, to ensure U.S. soybean farmers and their customers have the freedom and infrastructure to operate, and to meet the needs of U.S. soy's customers. As stipulated in the federal Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soy checkoff.
For more information on the United Soybean Board, visit www.unitedsoybean.org
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/unitedsoy
View our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/UnitedSoybeanBoard
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06 Sep 2013

MEET THE PEOPLE WHO BUY MORE THAN HALF THE U.S. SOY CROP EVERY YEAR

By United Soybean Board

150 Global Buyers of U.S. Soy Flock to Quad Cities
EVENT:
More than half of U.S. soy is exported each year, and more than 150 influential international soy buyers will soon travel to the Quad Cities region for the first U.S. Soy Global Trade Exchange, a three-day trade show and conference.

The United Soybean Board (USB) welcomes all members of the media to attend the media hour, beginning at 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 16, to talk with international buyers and Jim Stillman, Iowa soybean farmer and USB chairman.

The media will be able to preview the tradeshow before it opens and conduct one-on-one interviews with international trade teams. Lunch will be provided for members of the media who RSVP by Sept. 12.
DATE:
Sept. 16, 2013, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
30 Aug 2013

United Soybean Board Introduces Sustainability Assurance Protocol at Farm Progress Show

By United Soybean Board
DECATUR, Ill. (August 28, 2013) - New interactive presentations developed by the United Soybean Board (USB) help educate soybean farmers on how the management systems they are using can meet the sustainability expectations of international customers. The interactive presentations, which highlight the U.S. Soybean Sustainability Assurance Protocol, are being introduced for the first time at the Farm Progress Show taking place in Decatur, Ill., this week.

U.S. soy exporters will be able to go to a website starting this fall and get an actual certificate of sustainability for the amount of soy they want to export. The certificate will confirm that the U.S. soy was produced with sustainable farming practices for international customers. Measurement of sustainability is based on analysis of existing data that the National Agricultural Statistics Service and other agencies collect regularly from U.S. soybean farmers. The Soybean Sustainability Assurance Protocol contains no additional requirements or demands of U.S. farmers.

Following Farm Progress, USB will post the presentations on its own website and make them available to other organizations to ensure soybean farmers understand the U.S. Soybean Sustainability Assurance Protocol.

The U.S. soy family, consisting of the American Soybean Association, U.S. Soybean Export Council, USB and state soybean boards, has developed the U.S. Soybean Sustainability Assurance Protocol to help define and document sustainable performance in soybean production for international customers.

The protocol covers four key components of U.S. sustainable soy production: sound environmental objectives, social responsibility, promoting economic growth and continuous improvement in technology and cultural practices. The protocol also addresses how sustainable performance by U.S. soybean farmers is measured and verified by various government programs.

Through the protocol, the farmers who run the nation's 279,110 soybean farms pledge they are committed to ensuring that U.S. soybeans continue to be produced in a sustainable manner.

Doug Winter, a USB director and soybean farmer from Mill Shoals, Ill., says the organization not only wants international customers to be aware of the sustainable performance of U.S. soybean farmers, but also for farmers to know that the Soybean Sustainability Assurance Protocol provides a competitive advantage for U.S. soy.

"I know in my part of the country, and from talking to other farmers around the country, 90 percent of the farmers are probably doing 90 percent of the practices and things that are in the protocol," he says. "In addition to protecting farmers' freedom to operate, the protocol ensures that global demand and acceptance for our product will remain strong. It is a promise that U.S. farmers can keep, because we are committed to responsible production and continuous improvement."


The 69 farmer-directors of USB oversee the investments of the soy checkoff to maximize profit opportunities for all U.S. soybean farmers. These volunteers invest and leverage checkoff funds to increase the value of U.S. soy meal and oil, to ensure U.S. soybean farmers and their customers have the freedom and infrastructure to operate, and to meet the needs of U.S. soy's customers. As stipulated in the federal Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soy checkoff.

For more information on the United Soybean Board, visit www.unitedsoybean.org
Visit us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/UnitedSoybeanBoard
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/unitedsoy
View our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/UnitedSoybeanBoard

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25 Jun 2013

U.S. Soy Organizations Demonstrate Commitment to Sustainability With Assurance Protocol

By United Soybean Board
ST. LOUIS (June 25, 2013) - International food companies are looking to purchase soybeans that are grown with respect for the land and its people. To provide those reassurances and keep those markets open, the U.S. soy family has developed its U.S. Soybean Sustainability Assurance Protocol. This protocol identifies the regulations, processes and management practices the U.S. soy industry uses to ensure international customers of U.S. farmers' sustainable soybean production.
U.S. Sustainability Protocol Considers All Factors
The U.S. Soybean Sustainability Assurance Protocol is a certified aggregate approach to the sustainability performance of U.S. soybean production. It outlines the industry's expectations of sound environmental objectives, social responsibility, promoting economic growth and continuous improvement in technology and cultural practices. This protocol is audited by third parties, which demonstrates the industry's commitment to sustainability, and backed by farmer-led U.S. soy organizations including the United Soybean Board (USB), American Soybean Association (ASA) and U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC).
"In the past, consumers and farmers have not always agreed on what it means to be sustainable," says Richard Fordyce, Missouri soybean farmer and chair of the USB Freedom to Operate Action Team. "Our farmer-led soybean organizations intend to show that U.S. soybean farmers have always been, and continue to be, committed to doing everything possible to ensure our soybeans are produced in a sustainable manner. By introducing the U.S. Soybean Sustainability Assurance Protocol, we're showing farmer dedication to sustaining the natural resources and rural communities that are so important to everyone, and we're backing it up with third-party measurement and verification so our customers have confidence in U.S. soybeans."
The U.S. Soybean Sustainability Assurance Protocol represents the nation's 279,110 soybean farms. It is an opportunity for the soybean industry to show international customers who are currently reviewing their sustainability requirements for suppliers that U.S. farmers are already meeting high standards for sustainable soy production.
Organizations Seek to Educate Farmers and Customers
To ensure all soybean farmers understand the protocol, there will be educational materials made available later this summer on the USB website (www.unitedsoybean.org). Farmers and others will be able to learn about the protocol and its importance, as well as the key components of sustainability: environmental and social consciousness, promotion of industry growth, and the embracing of best practices. They will also be able to learn about the measurement and verification for sustainability that are already in place.
The U.S. Soybean Sustainability Assurance Protocol also will be the focus of several initiatives to educate international customers on the U.S. soy industry's sustainability performance and verification process.
Farmer Support Encouraged/Needed
"For our future as individual farmers and as an industry, the U.S. soy family is demonstrating that we understand the expectations of our customers and assuring them our product is sustainable according to their definitions," says Fordyce. "I encourage everyone in our industry to learn more about the Sustainability Assurance Protocol. Visit the USB website for more information about how our sustainable actions today can protect and advance our international markets tomorrow."

The 69 farmers who serve on the USB board of directors oversee the investments of the soy checkoff to maximize profit opportunities for all U.S. soybean farmers. These volunteers invest and leverage checkoff funds to increase the value of U.S. soy meal and oil, to ensure U.S. soybean farmers and their customers have the freedom and infrastructure to operate, and to meet the needs of U.S. soy's customers. As stipulated in the federal Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soy checkoff.

For more information on the United Soybean Board, visit www.unitedsoybean.org
Visit us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/UnitedSoybeanBoard
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/unitedsoy
View our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/UnitedSoybeanBoard

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21 Jun 2013

Soy Industry Helps Build Markets in the Middle East

By United Soybean Board
U.S. soy family meets with customers, experts to discuss secure trade
ST. LOUIS (June 20, 2013) - Two years ago, countries in the Middle East, such as Syria, were promising  markets for U.S. soy exports, but political unrest threatens the stability of the region and has long disrupted lines of trade. This week, leaders from the soy checkoff and the American Soybean Association (ASA) met with Middle Eastern and North African customers in Amman, Jordan, to discuss secure ways to maintain exports during turbulent times.
"Markets in the Middle East represent a valuable and impactful dual opportunity for the U.S. soy family," says ASA Chairman Steve Wellman, a soybean farmer from Syracuse, Neb. "Soybeans provide nutritious protein for those in need; and as the markets emerge and buying power increases, so does the demand for the animal agriculture products of which our soybeans are such an integral part."
Most soybean imports in the Middle East and North Africa are crushed, and the meal is used for poultry and aquaculture feed, leaving the oil for use in cooking and frying. Between 2010-2011, Syria, as a hub of soy imports, brought in 18 million bushels of U.S. soybeans. The hope for this meeting in Jordan is to find more stable lines for trade to increase U.S. soy exports to the region. Countries such as Egypt and the United Arab Emirates could be potential trade centers for U.S. agriculture in this area.
While in the region, Wellman and United Soybean Board (USB) farmer-leader Scott Singlestad attended the dedication of the U.S. Soybean Export Council's Dubai office. This office, located in an international business hub of the area, will provide the U.S. soy industry access to even more potential customers.
"We're there to provide information that they want on soy in nutrition for both humans and animals," adds Scott Singlestad, soybean farmer from Waseca, Minn. "There's no better way to keep peace in the world than to make sure everyone has enough food."
The 69 farmer-directors of USB oversee the investments of the soy checkoff to maximize profit opportunities for all U.S. soybean farmers. These volunteers invest and leverage checkoff funds to increase the value of U.S. soy meal and oil, to ensure U.S. soybean farmers and their customers have the freedom and infrastructure to operate, and to meet the needs of U.S. soy's customers. As stipulated in the federal Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soy checkoff.

For more information on the United Soybean Board, visit www.unitedsoybean.org
Visit us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/UnitedSoybeanBoard
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/unitedsoy
View our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/UnitedSoybeanBoard

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