A large part of growing demand for our agriculture products must come from educating our end users about the things they can do with our products and why our products are the industry standards for quality products. The U.S. Soybean Export Council has long been at the forefront of these kinds of efforts, and they are continuing to support their efforts with U.S. Soy Excellence Centers.
Tori Sorensen is Chair of the Soy Excellence Center and has been since the program began in 2019. She talks about the five centers around the globe, their mission, and the success they have already had.
The education helps trainees grow their knowledge in different facets of the soybean industry, by helping them advance their learning around the jobs they are doing with the soybeans they are purchasing from the United States.
Now, you may think that the knowledge that is being imparted doesn’t necessarily equate with an increase in U.S. soy purchases and can be used with the beans grown around the world. While that is technically true, Sorensen says that by working with the U.S. Soybean Export Council, they are gaining traction for global soy purchases by establishing the personal connections that go a long way in business, beyond just the price tag.
Sorensen looks back on the progress the Soy Excellence Center has made in just five short years, five years which were dogged by the COVID-19 outbreak. She says it is amazing to see what they built in such a short time and how they have seen the growth in demand for U.S. soybean products around the globe.
As a native of Southeast Iowa, Sorensen says that this project is something that Iowa soybean producers can take pride in.
You can learn more about the U.S. Soy Excellence Center and its mission by going to its website.
