During a visit to the Perry, Iowa, farm of American Soybean Association (ASA) members Dave, Steve and Ed Menz, U.S. Vice President Albert Gore was asked to support a soy food aid initiative that will assist the most needy countries in the world with much needed food aid while helping to improve prices paid to farmers for their soybeans. During a private meeting in his machine shop, Dave Menz presented the Vice President with a packet of information outlining the benefits of the program.

"The Vice President said he appreciated the efforts of the ASA and the Iowa Soybean Association and acknowledged the importance of improving prices for farmers," said Dave Menz.

ASA had previously requested the personal intervention of Vice President Gore to resolve an inter-agency dispute between the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Office of Management and Budget, and other government agencies that is delaying implementation of a proposal ASA presented to Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman last March.

The Menz family has farmed in Iowa since before the Great Depression. Son Ed and grandsons Dave and Steve, now farm more than 3,000 acres of soybeans and corn, and supplement their income by constructing steel farm buildings and metal roofs for their neighbors.

"In addition to asking the Vice President for his support on the soy food aid initiative, I wanted the Vice President to know that farming is an important industry in this country," Menz said. "Some people think that farmers simply want to protect their way of life and may not understand that we see farming as a business that contributes greatly to the entire U.S. economy."

By virtue of higher prices paid to farmers for their soybeans, the food aid program will generate budget offsets that will reduce the funding required for loan deficiency payments. The food aid program will also help develop long-term markets for U.S. agricultural products by introducing soy to areas of the world where hungry people currently cannot afford to purchase them.

"The soy food aid program will help Iowa farmers," said ASA Board member Gary Langel, a producer from LeMars, Iowa. "We greatly appreciate that Vice President Gore met with the Menz family today to discuss what he can do to break through the red tape that is delaying this program."

Vice President Albert Gore walks with American Soybean Association members Dave, Ed and Steve Menz at their family farm in Perry, Iowa. Dave Menz asked Vice President Gore to support an international soy food aid program that will help feed hungry people around the world and support better prices paid to U.S. farmers for their soybeans.
Source: The American Soybean Association in cooperation with the Iowa Soybean Association