St. Louis, MO. Oct 31, 2022. The American Soybean Association’s World Initiative for Soy in Human Health Program and U.S. Soybean Export Council representatives join the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s agribusiness trade mission in Nairobi, Kenya, and Zanzibar, Tanzania on Oct. 31 - Nov. 4. Their participation reinforces the importance of U.S. soy protein for trade, development and food security in sub-Saharan Africa.

WISHH Chair Roberta Simpson-Dolbeare, an Illinois soybean farmer, is one of the six U.S. soy organization representatives on the trade mission led by USDA Deputy Secretary Jewel Bronough. “Kenya was one of the first countries where U.S. soybean growers sent WISHH to start building relationships there when we founded WISHH 22 years ago. It is exciting to see this wise, long-term investment has taken root through WISHH’s strategic partnerships with producers of high-quality soy-based foods and feeds,” said Simpson-Dolbeare.

USSEC Executive Committee Member Lance Rezac, a Kansas soybean farmer and United Soybean Board director, also joins the trade delegation. “With Kenya having recently authorized the import of GMO plant material, this mission is an especially important opportunity to engage with key stakeholders and share the insights on U.S. Soy's value and reliability,” said Rezac, “U.S. Soy farmers are proud of the high-quality, sustainable product we grow and hope to help foster improved protein sources in the region, whether it's through direct soy food consumption or through animal agriculture.”

WISHH and USSEC have collaborated on market access for the region. Joining the two farmer-leaders are WISHH Executive Director Gena Perry and New Business Lead Austin Leefers, along with USSEC Executive Director of Market Access & Strategy Rosalind Leeck.

According to the July 2022 USDA report, Opportunities for U.S. Feed Ingredients and Processed Products in Kenya, “Soybean meal has had the most consistent growth and is expected to increase further as livestock capacity increases. Grains for feed are mostly domestically produced. However, as the price of feed production increases, Kenya is expected to look outside of domestic products to supplement demand. In 2021, soybean meal reached its second-highest imports in history at $1 million, a 97% increase from 2017. Soybean imports have been minimal and volatile but offer potential. Over the past five years, imports have ranged between $30 thousand (2021) to $8.5 million (2020) with million-dollar soybean imports coming from Ukraine”

About WISHH: WISHH connects trade and development across global market systems. Visionary U.S. soybean growers lead WISHH’s work, which improves global food security and builds economic growth through the power of soy protein for human foods and livestock and aquaculture feeds. WISHH’s strategic partnerships span 28 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America. Connect with WISHH at www.wishh.org and https://www.linkedin.com/company/wishh

About USSEC: The U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) focuses on differentiating, elevating preference, and attaining market access for the use of U.S. Soy for human consumption, aquaculture, and livestock feed in 80+ countries internationally. USSEC members represent the soy supply chain including U.S. Soy farmers, processors, commodity shippers, merchandisers, allied agribusinesses, and agricultural organizations. USSEC is funded by the U.S. soybean checkoff, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) matching funds, and industry. Please visit https://ussec.org/ for the latest information, resources, and news about USSEC and U.S. Soy internationally.