By Virginia Houston, ASA Government Affairs Director  

One, two, three, four.  

Those four numbers are the first ones we are taught when learning how to count. And for soybean growers, those are numbers you should always keep in mind, as those numbers represent a dollar amount—$12.34—that every U.S. soybean grower sees as added value for every dollar invested in the national soy checkoff, not counting value provided by state-level checkoff activity.  

What’s even more amazing? That number grows to nearly $18 when you factor in international promotional activities. Investments in the soy checkoff continue to pay dividends and build demand for high-quality, high-protein U.S. soy on both the domestic and global stages.  

Investing in the soy checkoff matters, and farmers know it! In fact, every five years, USDA conducts a new request for referendum to determine if there is sufficient interest among soybean farmers to vote on whether to continue the soy checkoff. The last referendum was held May 2019, when less than 1% (officially 0.13%) of all eligible soybean farmers requested a referendum—far short of the 10% threshold needed to trigger a vote. Put another way, only some 700-odd farmers of the half a million in the U.S. voted in favor of a referendum.  

There are, however, threats to the checkoff lurking in the halls of Capitol Hill. U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Mike Lee (R-UT) are leading a “pro-farmer effort to reform agricultural checkoff programs,” by introducing the Opportunities for Fairness in Farming Act (OFF Act), which also has a House companion. In addition to drastically impacting the ability to promote and enhance opportunities for U.S. soy, this legislation fails to recognize the extensive existing oversight USDA provides to the organizations that administer these checkoff programs. The soy checkoff takes compliance very seriously and ensures compliance with applicable laws, regulations and policies. Importantly, this strict administration and oversight includes not using farmer checkoff funds to influence legislation or government policy. 

However, for every shadow on Capitol Hill, there is light, and the agriculture industry does have friends who understand and recognize the valuable work in which checkoffs engage on behalf of U.S. agriculture. This summer, Representative Barry Moore from Alabama and a bipartisan group of over two dozen House members filed a Congressional resolution in support of checkoff programs. As of September, 33 members of the House had signed on as cosponsors of this resolution. 

As we work toward a new farm bill, these threats will continue to arise, but the soy industry has a great story to tell about the checkoff. Through investments in the soy checkoff, we’re consistently discovering new and innovative uses for soy products—from lubricants and paint to golf balls and tennis shoes. This is in addition to research and innovations supporting our #1 customer both at home and abroad: animal agriculture. 

Now more than ever, we need U.S. soy farmers to make their voice heard and speak up about the good (and transparent) work the soy checkoff is doing for them. We all know that in D.C., if you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu. Simple as one, two, three (four!).