When farmers sell soybeans, a small, mandatory assessment—known as the soybean checkoff—is collected. And while it may seem minor, that investment fuels a massive engine of research, market development, and new opportunities for U.S. soy.
According to the Chairman of the United Soybean Board, Philip Good, “So we’re looking at the supply side and the demand side. On the supply side we would be like investing in things like soybean cyst nematode. The number one yield robber for soybeans in the US. That’s across most all states. I think this year we saw some red crown rot raise its ugly head in parts of the Midwest and northern Midwest. And then we’re also looking. We have work groups looking on the demand side as well. And so that would include things like, soy inclusion, you know, rates in feed rations for, for swine. Poultry is our number one customer. So we work highly with our poultry customers. And then looking at, new innovations in the industrial realm, when you think about soy oil replacing petroleum in things like, asphalt and rubber and shoe soles. And also, there’s a lot of interest and rightly so, in, soy foam.”
For decades, China has been the dominant buyer, often purchasing more than half of all U.S. soybean exports. But industry leaders say relying heavily on one customer leaves farmers vulnerable to trade tensions, policy changes, and fluctuating demand.
Good continues, “China has been that big customer that has been developed, grown, and those relationships have been established by farmers in the past. And so to see the void that they’re left in our market is just another realization of the importance of diversification in our export markets.”
He says this approach not only stabilizes demand, but also positions U.S. soy as a premium, reliable product in multiple regions—helping farmers weather global uncertainty. And with protein consumption rising worldwide, the hope is that a broader customer base today means stronger, more predictable markets tomorrow.
“We have focused on other countries and other locations around the globe, whether they are emerging markets, developing nations. We know that as population grows, their need for protein, goes and grows right along with that. And so soybeans are there to help provide that, whether it’s whole soybeans, soybean meal or meat. We’re fine with any of those being exported because all those are using our soybeans.”
Independent economic studies show that every dollar invested in the national soybean checkoff generates several dollars in added value—whether through higher yields, stronger demand, or expanded export opportunities.
And for America’s soybean growers, those pennies truly add up.
