Soy Canada celebrates 10 years at Annual General Meeting and confirms leadership

Dauphin, – Soy Canada has confirmed that Jason McNaughton will continue as chairperson following its tenth Annual General Meeting that was held on Sirski Farms in Dauphin, Manitoba and online last week. The meeting provided an opportunity to review progress made in the past year on the industry’s goals, as well as a window into what’s ahead for the Canadian soybean industry.

“I’m honoured to continue serving as chair of Soy Canada,” says Jason McNaughton. “Our soybean industry has a proud past, and as a board we’re excited about what the industry can accomplish.”

Soy Canada members also welcomed two new board members, and confirmed the renewal of three board members for three-year terms:

• Jeff Barlow, nominated by Grain Farmers of Ontario;
• Garth Baxter, from AgriBax Global, nominated by the Soy Canada board of directors as a Director-at-Large;
• Andrea Faubert, nominated by Corteva Agriscience, elected by seed company members;
• Crosby Devitt, from Grain Farmers of Ontario, nominated by the Soy Canada board of directors as a Director-at-Large;
• Melvin Rattai, from Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers, nominated by the Soy Canada board of directors as a Director-at-Large.

During the AGM, the organization honoured former Director Barry Senft for his contributions to the soybean industry and his integral work in the formation of Soy Canada.

“It was a pleasure to be able to honour Barry for his contribution to the creation of Soy Canada,” says McNaughton. “Barry’s vision was to see a singular national body to represent the soy industry in Canada, and he worked collaboratively across the value chain to unify everyone’s needs into a cohesive organization.”

Soy Canada presented their Annual Report at the AGM, sharing the highlights of the 2023-2024 year as well as the past 10 years. The report shares how the organization delivered value for members and the soybean industry through leadership and collaboration. From the National Soybean Research Conference which covered hot topics in soybean disease and agronomy to its success in helping to reopen access for bulk and containerized shipments of all grains to Vietnam, Soy Canada brought together all aspects of the industry to create value through collaboration. Through Soy Canada, the industry connected with hundreds of customers in Japan and Southeast Asia through online and in-person seminars and benefitted from targeted promotional work in the Indo-Pacific that drove Variety Finder traffic up by 400%. You can read the full report here.

Soy Canada is a national value-chain organization for the soybean sector, including seed companies, growers, exporters, and processors. Our membership is diverse, including small, medium and large businesses across the country. Created in 2014, we provide industry leadership on issues affecting the growth and profitability of the soybean sector, coordinate research efforts across the value chain and across the country, as well as lead on market access and market development efforts. Canada is a global leader in producing high quality, traceable, safe, and sustainable soybeans for world markets. Soybeans are among the top three most valuable crops in Canada, with 70% of production exported each year.