American Soybean Association (ASA) Vice President John Heisdorffer signaled the association’s strong support today for legislation that would double the funding for the Foreign Market Development program and the Market Access Programs, two federal cost-share efforts at the core of the soybean industry’s overseas market development work. Heisdorffer, who farms in Keota, Iowa, welcomed the Cultivating Revitalization by Expanding American Agricultural Trade and Exports (CREAATE) Act, introduced by his home state senator Joni Ernst, along with Sens. Angus King (I-Maine), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.). The Senate version of the CREAATE Act accompanies similar legislation introduced in May by Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) and Chellie Pingree (D-Maine).

“MAP and FMD are two of the real success stories when it comes to partnerships between American farmers and the federal government. We work together with the U.S. Soybean Export Council to leverage MAP and FMD funds to establish and expand markets for American soy in all corners of the globe, and the CREAATE Act will go a long way to ensuring that good work can and will continue.

“These are programs that yield exponential benefits for farmers and for our economy, generating almost $30 in net return for every dollar invested. Those dollars have gone to expanding overseas demand in the fields of animal agriculture, cooking oils, and the emerging field of aquaculture, which will be key as our industry works to provide protein to a growing global population in places like Southeast Asia and Latin America.

“We applaud Sens. King, Ernst and Donnelly for introducing the CREAATE Act in the Senate, and we take the time to again thank Reps. Newhouse and Pingree for their version in the House. We hope that leadership in both chambers will commit to moving this important legislation forward as quickly as possible.”