In an era when many consumers are concerned about how food is raised, the soy checkoff is at the forefront of assuring customers that U.S. soybean farmers grow their crops in a safe and sustainable manner. One market where this is increasingly important is the European Union (EU), the second-largest importer of U.S. soybean meal. Laura Foell, soy checkoff farmer-leader from Schaller, Iowa, recently introduced EU customers to the U.S. Soybean Sustainability Assurance Protocol, which certifies U.S. soy production as sustainable. In this conversation, Foell explains the importance of sustainability in maintaining international markets.
Q: How will the protocol benefit U.S. soybean farmers’ bottom lines?
A: Some countries want the soybeans they buy to be certified as having been raised sustainably. That’s what the protocol does. That way, customers can source sustainable soy and label their products accordingly. The U.S. Soybean Export Council with funding from the soybean checkoff developed the protocol to show what U.S. farmers are already doing: growing their crops in a sustainable manner and always striving for continuous improvement.
Q: What are some highlights from your meetings in the EU?
A: I attended the largest retail food fair in Europe, with more than 100,000 participants, and met with local industry officials to discuss the protocol. We held a press conference to introduce the German media to the protocol. We spoke with members of the Syndicat National de l’Industrie de la Nutrition Animale, which is a French feed association, who were interested in our benchmarks and measurements on soy sustainability. And I talked with customers at the Global Aquaculture Association about using soy protein in fish feed and sustainable farming methods to produce those feeds.
Q: What challenges did you face?
A: Some of the challenges were misconceptions, such as people thinking sustainable meant GMO-free. In my conversations with food industry representatives, we discussed several on-farm challenges, ranging from a shortage of non-renewable resources to reducing environmental impacts. Since so many farmers are using sustainable farming practices that include solutions to both of those issues, many of the people I talked to were intrigued by the protocol and wanted more information.
Q: Why was it important to introduce this protocol to international customers, especially those in the EU?
A: Customers in the EU will choose our product if it is grown in a sustainable manner. The protocol will help U.S. farmers maintain this market and other important international markets as demand continues to grow. I think COCERAL, which is the EU association that represents the trade of grains, oilseeds and other commodities, said it best during my visit: ‘The EU needs an immense amount of soy to feed its animals.’ And the EU recognizes the importance of soybeans in maintaining a vibrant livestock industry. Soybean meal is an excellent feed protein, and this region does not have an alternative protein source that can match soy’s nutritional attributes.
Source: Unitedsoybean