15 years can pass by in a blink of an eye, but what happens during that time can impact generations to come.
The U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) hit that milestone this month, and the benefits to U.S. and Michigan farmers have been monumental.
“One way we have benefitted from that is expanded access to those international markets,” says Laurie Isley, director of the Michigan Soybean Committee. “60 percent of our soybeans are sold internationally—Michigan has benefited from that. One of the things we are especially conscious of is we have quite a few specialty beans. Having opportunities to connect with buyers that are looking for specialty beans has been a major perk for Michigan’s soybean producers.”
U.S. soy has seen growth in exports to Egypt, Columbia, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Peru. Isley says this is because of USSEC’s unique approach in each of those areas.
“It isn’t that they go in and say, ‘Here’s what you should buy,’” she says. “They begin to look at where are the needs in that country, how can we help them meet those needs, and how will the U.S. soy farmer benefit in the end. [It’s] very precise.”
Another accomplishment has been the Sustainability Assurance Protocol (SSAP), launched in 2014. Isley says that these environmental protocols celebrate the hard work of U.S. soybean growers to the world.
“They want to know that the food they’re purchasing has been raised in a way that’s sustainable,” says Isley. “By applying this protocol, particularly in Europe and northern Asia, [they] want to be able to say, ‘The food we’re buying from these countries is raised in a sustainable way.’”
Looking ahead, Isley says USSEC will continue to excel with making connections and develop firsthand experience with foreign countries. This is done through the farmers, processors and exporters and processors on the board that help grow these markets.
“They have a wealth of different viewpoints when they’re making the decisions about where to invest their funds and where to emphasize where they see potential for the most growth in the future,” she says.
