St. Louis, Missouri, USA
September 15, 2014
– American Soybean Association (ASA) President Ray Gaesser has confirmed the election of 16 soybean growers from 11 states to ASA’s World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) Committee in 2014-2015. New officers are: Chairman Andy Welden of Michigan; Vice Chair Lucas Heinen of Kansas; Treasurer Monica McCranie of South Dakota; and Secretary Dean Coleman of Iowa.
Other WISHH Committee Members include: Gary Berg, Daryl Cates and Jeff Lynn of Illinois; Ron Bunjer of Minnesota; Ryan Cahoon of North Carolina; Bret Davis and Keith Roberts of Ohio; John Heisdorffer of Iowa; Levi Huffman of Indiana; Jack Trumbo of Kentucky; Art Wosick and Rick Albrecht (alternate) of North Dakota. U.S. Soybean Export Committee Manager Marypat Corbett is an ex officio member. Gaesser also recognized David Iverson of South Dakota and Dan Farney of Illinois who completed their terms on the WISHH committee.
“We thank these visionary soybean growers who lead WISHH to trail blaze new global markets for U.S. soy protein,” said Gaesser. “Russia’s recent import sanctions are yet another reminder that U.S. farmers need a diverse customer base. WISHH has succeeded in cultivating U.S. soy trade in Africa, Central America and other developing countries where the economies are growing faster than the developed world.”
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other economic analysis, developing countries will dominate the growth in world demand for agricultural products. USDA projects developing countries' demand for agricultural products will increase faster than their production. As a result, these countries will account for 92 percent of the total increase in world oilseed and meat imports in 2013-2022.
“WISHH is developing markets for U.S. soy. At the same time, WISHH creates economic opportunities in developing countries as they strengthen their agricultural and food supply chains,” said Welden who farms in Jonesville. “Developing country businesses are expanding by putting U.S. soy inside breads, beverages, meats and more for humans as well as livestock and aquaculture feeds. As a result, WISHH’s supply chain partners are able to help fill the protein gap that exists in many developing country populations’ diets.”
WISHH built links between U.S. soy exporters and importers in seven African countries—a list that is growing—thanks to U.S. Department of Agriculture and state soybean checkoff support. In 2014, exports of U.S. isolated soy protein, soy flour and textured soy protein has exceeded $1 million to countries such as Burkina Faso, Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal. One such market, Uganda, has imported over $200,000 of value-added soy protein in the past three years.
In addition to human food, WISHH farmer leaders have directed the program to develop connections with the feed and livestock sectors in targeted countries. With funding from USDA’s Emerging Markets Program (EMP), WISHH has developed a strategy to promote trade in U.S. soy to the feed, poultry and aquaculture sectors in Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal. Another USDA-funded WISHH project introduced high-protein soy fish feeds in Pakistan. WISHH achieved and or exceeded 100% of the objectives established for its soybean value-chain project in Afghanistan. Despite working in a very challenging security environment, the Soybeans for Agricultural Renewal in Afghanistan Initiative (SARAI) is creating commercial sources of soy for human food as well as livestock feed.
“Through WISHH, U.S. soybean growers can look forward to more food and feed successes that are a win for developing countries too,” Welden says.
WISHH is a trade-development organization. Since U.S. soybean farmers founded WISHH in 2000, it has worked in 24 countries to develop long-term markets for U.S. soybean farmers while fueling economic growth and value chain development. The WISHH program is managed from ASA’s world headquarters in St. Louis. For more information, visit WISHH online.
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