2005 Year in Review

Illinois Soybean Leaders Find New Markets for U.S. Soy

Illinois Soybean Leaders find new markets for U.S. soy in Southeast Asia 30 years ffter the fall of Saigon, Vietnam is poised to buy more U.S. High-Protein Soy.

Illinois Soybean Checkoff Board leaders just returned from a 13-day mission to Vietnam and Thailand where they found a warm attitude toward Americans and plenty of opportunity for sales of U.S. high-protein soy. The delegation's trip happened to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon, which provided a benchmark for how U.S. trade relationships with developing countries can change and grow. The effort also shows how the Illinois-supported World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) Program can complement the American Soybean Association's (ASA) international marketing programs.

"WISHH was able to open some new doors and supplement the work of the American Soybean Association," said Illinois Soybean Checkoff Board Chairman Stephen J. Scates. "One of the things that impressed me the most was how friendly all the groups were whether they were private groups or individuals in the government."

In addition to Scates, the delegation included Illinois Soybean Checkoff Board Director Philip Bradshaw, Executive Director Lyle Roberts, Director of Marketing & Special Projects Judd Hulting, World Initiative for Soy in Human Health HIV/AIDS consultant Cade Fields Gardner and National Soybean Research Laboratory Associate Director Pradeep Khanna. They made agreements with the Center for Mountainous Medicine-Biology, a Vietnamese organization dedicated to serving the poor, mountainous areas of Vietnam, to work together on school feeding programs, HIV/AIDS nutrition programs and small business initiatives commonly called "microenterprise" programs. The team also had meetings with the American Red Cross and Vietnam Red Cross to explore ways to incorporate soy into their school snack program and HIV program. They also conducted soyfoods seminars. The delegation worked closely with the ASA's international marketing staff in Southeast Asia.

Bradshaw reports, "I think soybean growers will benefit from this trip by new markets being developed and a healthier population that will be able to grow economically and afford more soy protein and meat in the years ahead."

"The Vietnamese are fans of soy," Roberts says. "It's a country with a great work ethic and they want partnerships. Our goal is to lower the cost of adding protein in the most sustainable way."

Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand all have traditions of consuming soyfoods, according to Yeong Boon Yee, ASA's technical director for human nutrition based in Singapore. Yet per capita consumption is still quite low in comparison to Singapore and Indonesia (2 kg versus 10 kg per capita per year). "By expanding the scope of soy's benefits and consumption, utilization of the U.S. soy protein complex can be increased," Boon Yee says.

ASA's Human Nutrition Program in Southeast Asia promotes the consumption of soybeans and staple food products enriched with soy protein to benefit the health and nutritional status of the target population thereby building demand for U.S. soy protein products and the soy complex. The WISHH visit to Vietnam and Thailand explored soy-based food service projects that will expand the opportunities for U.S soy to reach a wider, nutritionally vulnerable population.

WISHH is designed to create sustainable solutions for the protein demands of people in developing countries through the introduction and use of U.S. soy products. "Recognition of the WISHH program and its involvement in community nutritional improvement and HIV research can forge goodwill and opportunities for building partnerships with key local institutions in both countries," ASA Regional Director for Southeast Asia John Lindblom says. "If a successful WISHH project gets underway, there is potential to make a significant contribution to the life of the program's target groups, while expanding ASA's current regional program to improve the health status of the low income population through soy-enriched staple products."

After a 20-year hiatus of severed ties, the United States restored diplomatic relations with Vietnam on July 11, 1995. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that U.S. exports of agriculture products to Vietnam more than tripled between 2000 and 2004 to more than $141 million annually. The Illinois delegation saw food products with labels in English and lots of construction in the country that has a population of more than 80 million people. According to the U.S. State Department its economy is growing by 7.24% a year, and English is rapidly becoming the second language of the country.

by  Editor, theCity1.com
May 10, 2005