The American Soybean Association (ASA) is pleased that the United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry, chaired by Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), will hold a "Growing Jobs in Rural America" hearing on Thursday that will highlight the contributions biobased products are making to jobs and the U.S. economy.

"This hearing underscores the benefits of the efforts of ASA, soybean farmers, and the companies that are making soy biobased products to grow and create jobs, displace petroleum, and improve the environment," said ASA Chairman Rob Joslin, a soybean farmer from Sidney, Ohio. The Ohio Bioproducts Innovation Center, which collaborates with the Ohio Soybean Association, is participating in the hearing. "ASA and the soybean industry have and will continue to lead efforts to establish and expand federal programs and policies that support and promote the development of biobased products."

ASA, along with soybean industry partners and congressional champions, has led efforts to promote federal support for biobased product development through the 2002 and 2008 Farm Bill Biobased Market Program. ASA is a leader and founding member of the Biobased Products Coalition, a group of companies, both small and large, that make biobased products and ingredients, and agricultural organizations that represent the feedstock providers for the biobased products.

Companies that produce soy based products, including members of the Biobased Products Coalition, have also been invited to participate in the hearing. John McIntosh, vice president sales and marketing for Signature Crypton Carpet will describe how naturally renewable soybean oil is an important component of the BioCel™ and EnviroCel™ backing on their carpet and AstroTurf, as well as other carpets and synthetic turf products. The soybean oil used in carpet backing and other biobased products provides multiple environmental and economic benefits, including creating new jobs in the United States.

"Today, there are many biobased products produced from soy," Joslin said. "These include biobased chemicals and consumer and industrial products such as cleaning products and lubricants, as well as soy foam that is being used in furniture and automotive interiors. Together we have created jobs, while helping to develop new markets for soybeans, which create demand and value for ASA’s members, all soybean farmers and rural communities."

While the membership-based ASA is the policy advocate for U.S. soybean farmers, the national soybean checkoff, which is prohibited by law from engaging in domestic policy activities, has invested significant soybean farmer resources into developing soy products for the biobased market. The United Soybean Board maintains an ongoing catalogue of soy-based products and manufacturers at www.soybiobased.org/soy-products-catalogue/.

"ASA appreciates the efforts of Senator Stabenow in holding this hearing," Joslin said. "Soybean farmers are proud of the homegrown contributions we are making to biobased products."