What happens when a devoted policy organization and an innovative research and promotion board collaborate to create a third soy group devoted to export promotion? In just 15 short years, a lot!
The U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) was ideated by farsighted soy leaders within the American Soybean Association (ASA) and the United Soybean Board (USB) with an aim to create preference, drive value, and enable market access for U.S.-grown soy worldwide. Since its inception in 2006, the organization has since matched—and surpassed—its mission, today enabling reliable access to nutritious and sustainable U.S. Soy for human consumption, aquaculture, and livestock feed in more than 82 nations. All that soy—approx. $25.7 billion* in value in 2020/21—being transported and shipped internationally is supporting global food industries and the U.S. economy!
Monte Peterson, a U.S. soybean farmer from Valley City, North Dakota, and current chairperson of USSEC, has been heavily involved with all three soy organizations. “Having personally engaged with global customers and stakeholders on export promotion trips and virtually post-Covid, what USSEC does to advance global nutrition and food security and the competitiveness of the food industry with soy is impressive! It makes you appreciate the vision and wisdom of farmers and staff who prioritized investing in international markets 15 years ago! They knew developing and sustaining global export markets for food, feed or oil use would be critical to soy’s long-term impact,” says Peterson, who also currently serves on the ASA board.
To mark USSEC’s 15th anniversary, the three soy partner organizations—ASA, USB, and USSEC—share 10 compelling reasons U.S. Soy’s years are significant for both soy and the U.S. economy!