Sponsors see value in international SSGA event

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When more than 100 buyers, sellers, processors and users of high-quality grains and oilseeds arrive in Honolulu in mid-January, they’ll be welcomed to ocean breezes and 80-degree temperatures in a picturesque paradise. Despite the beautiful setting, relationship-building and business will be at the forefront of the inaugural Identity Preserved International Summit, hosted by Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance (SSGA).

“The conference will be an opportunity for our trading partners to engage with U.S. IP suppliers to discuss industry challenges and trends,” said Bob Sinner of North Dakota-based SB&B Foods, “but more importantly the opportunities that will grow our relationships and businesses.”

SB&B is one of several generous sponsors of the Identity Preserved International Summit. Without their support, the event would not be possible. Sponsors range from qualified state soybean boards (QSSBs) to specialty oilseed and grains suppliers, to logistics providers and more.

Sinner said the Summit is an opportunity for both sides of a trade partnership to engage.

“We will be discussing industry challenges and trends but more importantly, the opportunities that will grow our relationships and businesses,” he said. “A key portion of this event will include an update and the latest developments to the improvement of our supply chain reliability.”

Five QSSBs are major sponsors of the Summit, including the Michigan Soybean Committee, Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council, Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council, North Dakota Soybean Council and Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board.

“Michigan farmers grow a large amount of specialty soybeans for many different uses,” said Mark Senk, president of the Michigan Soybean Committee. “I am excited to share how my farm contributes to the production of specialty soybeans at the Summit. This event will help us to highlight the important practices behind identity preserved soybeans that make them such a desirable product.”

Ben Storm, a director with the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council, said the Council is proud to continue supporting the U.S. Identity Preserved brand in 2023. The Council also co-sponsored SSGA’s global launch of the assurance plan in November 2022 in Vietnam.

“The relationship-building and networking opportunities at international events like this Summit are invaluable,” said Storm. “Gathering farmers, industry leaders and buyers to promote U.S. Identity Preserved soybeans and grains helps make a difference for Minnesota growers, along with raising awareness of soy checkoff investments.”

Aaron Porter, chairman of the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council, agreed.

“SSGA’s ability to be the aggregator of inquiries of interested parties helps put all the needs in one spot for current and future identity preserved soybean growers to learn and potentially fulfill the request that gives them a bigger return on their crop investment,” Porter said. “The Identity Preserved International Summit serves as a central meeting point for U.S. soybean suppliers and Asian buyers who may or may not have met with producers before. The conference serves as an excellent opportunity to send soybean staff and farmers to meet with buyers and learn more about what they need and where they can hear directly from us, U.S. soybean farmers, about our challenges.”

The event is also an opportunity for growers in Wisconsin to solidify markets, said Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board Chair Pat Mullooly, who will attend and speak on a panel with other growers at the event.

“Our board recently took a good look at our strategic plan and what goals we should have for soybean growers in our state,” Mullooly said. “Identity preserved and non-GMO acres will continue to be a key market opportunity, and we believe SSGA and this event can help solidify relationships with buyers in those key markets for Wisconsin growers.”

Representatives from the North Dakota Soybean Council added that growers in their state produced more than 200 million bushels of soybeans, with about 15 million bushels being identity preserved in 2022. This event allows producers and buyers to network to create new relationships to develop markets for soybeans grown in North Dakota.

Other major sponsors include Norseman Protective Solutions, the U.S. Soybean Export Council and United Soybean Board.

“Norseman will participate in the Identity Preserved International Summit to reinforce our commitment and support to our customers,” said Rick Zieg of Norseman Protective Solutions. “It is an opportunity for us to highlight our products and to learn more about our industry, which is always evolving.”

The Identity Preserved International Summit also appreciates sponsorship support from We Farm Organics, SB&B Foods, Scoular, Hang Tung Resources, Legacy Agripartners, The Redwood Group, Ray-Mont Logistics, Richland IFC, Brushvale Seed, Michigan Agricultural Commodities, Zeeland Farm Services and Insta-Pro International.

“We are so grateful to all of our sponsors for their support of this inaugural event and the first of its kind devoted to this high-quality sector of agriculture,” said Eric Wenberg, SSGA executive director. “This event would not be possible without their support and commitment.”

SSGA pitches U.S. Identity Preserved in Dubai

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SSGA had the honor of presenting at “Pitch2Fork,” an investor/start-up meeting in Dubai on Dec. 14-15. The event was hosted by Right to Protein and supported by U.S. Soy. The agenda included a lineup of entrepreneurs and start-ups who showcased impactful ideas and success stories in the food, nutrition, and agri-technology space. The event brought together the community of start-ups, investors, mentors and academicians who aimed to solve challenges in nutrition security.

SSGA was invited by USSEC to present, and SSGA adviser and identity preserved expert and farmer Raquel Hansen, spoke about identity preserved and introduced the U.S. Identity Preserved assurance plan and brand program to the audience. Hansen’s message explained how IP is the “value that adds value,” because, despite premiums paid for identity preserved field crops, the operational benefits outweigh those initial costs.

In a “Shark Tank”-type format, five different start-up companies from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan pitched their company and business plan in front of six judges of the International Delegation of Entrepreneurship in Agriculture, along with approximately 90 attendees hand-selected to represent capital investment firms, food and nutrition companies and agri-technology companies throughout the South Asia and the Sub-African region. Other speakers presented on the future of agriculture, U.S. Soy and Sustainability, ESG (environmental, social, and governance), plant-based foods, and blockchain and cryptocurrency in agriculture.

This format was very intriguing and interactive, Hansen said, allowing for networking activities to reach companies throughout the developing region. SSGA was privileged to be a part of the program supporting activities around identity preserved grains and oilseeds.

“Right to Protein” is India’s first awareness initiative to educate citizens about the importance of adequate protein consumption for better nutrition, health and wellbeing. SSGA and its members are proud to be a part of the initiative!

Aloha! Register today for Identity Preserved International Summit

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On the heels of its U.S. Identity Preserved brand launch in Vietnam, SSGA will hold its next global gathering January 11-13, 2023, in Honolulu, Hawaii. Grains and oilseeds buyers, food manufacturers, exporters, growers and processors can expect to learn more about the highest quality U.S. grains and oilseeds, along with networking, business opportunities and more at the inaugural Identity Preserved International Summit.

Confirmed speakers include Christian Foster of the Crop Protection Action Coalition for Trade (CPACT). CPACT, launched by the U.S. Dry Bean Council in 2021, confronts and prevents disruption of ag trade between the U.S. and export markets due to low or zero tolerance maximum residue limits. Foster will address some of these barriers to trade in his session.

A workshop on Day 1 of the Summit will encourage public comments and consider amendments to U.S. Identity Preserved, the quality assurance plan, standard and brandmark administered by SSGA. Workshop speakers include James Fung of Indiana Crop Improvement; Peter Golbitz of Agromeris, Raquel Hansen, grower and identity preserved consultant; Gary Williams of Grainhound Consulting and Shane Frederick, SSGA Manager of Strategic Programs.

Other confirmed speakers include grains and oilseeds growers Mark Senk from Michigan and Justin Rone from Missouri. They will be joined by other U.S. growers in “A view from the combine,” a panel session for growers to share more about their farm and the practices they undertake to ensure a quality product.

More speakers will be confirmed and updated regularly at this link, which also includes registration and more information about the event. We hope you’ll join us for this one-of-a-kind conference at the crossroads of the Pacific!

A ‘Movement’ Begins: US Identity Preserved Holds International Unveiling

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SSGA, Industry leaders gather in Vietnam to attend global launch

The U.S. Identity Preserved brand is now officially a global entity.

On Nov. 1, the Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance (SSGA) met in Vietnam with buyers and food producers to introduce its new international mark that designates premium crops with verifiable origins and builds worldwide awareness of the assurance plan that spotlights the superior products derived from the U.S. system.

“(SSGA) is here today to announce a significant certification advancement for food manufacturers to consider when purchasing ingredients for their products,” Executive Director Eric Wenberg said during a livestreamed event from the Saigon Sheraton Hotel & Towers. “We are excited to make this first official announcement in Vietnam because this is an important and growing market for high-quality foods that require high-quality ingredients.”

The U.S. Identity Preserved quality assurance plan and brand mark symbolizes a landmark advancement in the verification of trust, traceability and value for food manufacturers, processors and exporters. Since the brand was unveiled to an American audience in December 2021, a dozen U.S. companies have joined the program and are using the mark – with several more companies currently going through the application and qualification process.

“There’s real excitement about having a mark represent a very special segment of U.S. agriculture and business,” SSGA Manager of Strategic Programs Shane Frederick said. “The mark has purpose and value and assurances that back them up.”

Tuesday’s event attracted 75 officials from across the industry, including the American Soybean Association’s World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH), which brought a contingent to Vietnam from Myanmar. As well, the international launch was co-sponsored by the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council, Wisconsin Marketing Board and Vinamilk, Vietnam’s largest dairy company. On Thursday, the SSGA team tours Vinamilk’s headquarters before flying back to the United States.

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“The U.S. Identity Preserved assurance plan and brand mark represents the strict protocols and careful attention to detail that are followed by processors and exporters of high-quality, identity preserved soybeans and grains from the United States,” said Nguygen Quoc Khanh, executive director of research and development with Vinamilk. “These are assurances of quality and food safety that Vinamilk seeks as we purchase the specific varieties of ingredients we require to efficiently manufacture our own high-quality, consistent products that our customers love.”

On Nov. 2, SSGA will offer more presentations on the U.S. Identity Preserved system and go further in depth on the quality, characteristics and performance customers can expect from specialty soybeans and grains from the United States. The program will be emceed by Hoa Huynh, SSGA’s Southeast Asia technical adviser. Panels will feature buyers, industry leaders, SSGA staff and Michigan farmer David Williams, who has grown Identity Preserved soybeans on his sixth-generation farm. Officials from the USDA’s Foreign Agriculture Service in Ho Chi Minh City are also expected to attend. A wrap up video of the event’s first day can be viewed here.

“Those of us who grow Identity Preserved field crops understand the importance of providing consistent, high-quality products to our customers,” said Williams, a United Soybean Board director. “It starts on the farm where we put extra work into our production to preserve a variety’s identity.”

The work advancing Identity Preserved has only just begun, as SSGA looks ahead to hosting its next global gathering: the Identity Preserved International Summit Jan. 11-13, 2023 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

“The Identity Preserved brand is more than merely a mark,” Wenberg said. “It’s a movement to advance food traceability.”

First-of-its-kind specialty ag conference set for Hawaii

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First-of-its-kind specialty ag conference set for Hawaii

SSGA to host Identity Preserved International Summit Jan. 11-13 in Honolulu

Identity preserved soybeans and grains cross the Pacific Ocean throughout the year, as the finest ingredients from the United States are delivered to food manufacturers throughout Asia. That is why there is no better location to hold a conference about identity preserved and specialty field crops from the United States than in Hawaii – literally the “Crossroads of the Pacific.”

The Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance presents the inaugural Identity Preserved International Summit to be held Jan. 11-13, 2023, at the Hilton Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii.

This is an opportunity for food manufacturers and their buyers from around the world to gather with processors, exporters and farmers of identity preserved and other grains and oilseeds from the United States for three days of education, conversation, networking, business opportunities and more.

Strategically scheduled for the peak of the shipping season, as well as the beginning of the buying season for the 2023 specialty crop, the Identity Preserved International Summit is an opportunity for in-depth discussions about trends in the identity preserved and specialty markets and the needs of the international customer and the availability of high-quality U.S. IP products.

“These are the best companies in the world who do this – on both sides of the ocean,” said Eric Wenberg, SSGA executive director. “We are giving them a chance to have real dialogue about one of the fastest-growing sectors of agriculture – the IP and specialty space.”

Besides being centrally located as a convenient meeting spot for guests from the U.S., Japan, Korea, Taiwan and countries throughout Southeast Asia, Hawaii has other great amenities (And we’re not just talking about the weather!): Hawaii’s top agricultural commodities are seed crops, including corn and soybean seeds. Holding the Summit in the 50th U.S. state will give guests opportunities to see firsthand the development of new varieties.

The Summit will also include a workshop on the U.S. Identity Preserved assurance plan, which was launched by SSGA in December 2021, and panels on ocean shipping, ag manufacturing equipment and trade.

SSGA is working with Hawaii’s Department of Agriculture, as well as with the support of Qualified State Soybean Boards from Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota and Michigan.

The U.S. Identity Preserved quality assurance plan and its accompanying designation offers assurance to customers looking for grains with specific traits or qualities such as variety, protein and sugar levels, color, bean size or flavor. Customers can be assured the grains are traceable from their fields of origin throughout the process of production, processing, packaging and distribution, which provides the knowledge and assurance customers need.

“We think our Summit will bring new experiences and opportunities to all participants, and we’re happy to offer a special rate to Hawaii residents,” Wenberg said. “We look forward to uniting the identity preserved industry and saying ‘aloha’ to our guests in January.”

Registration for the event is now open at https://soyagrainsalliance.org/international-ip-summit/.

U.S. Identity Preserved gets international launch

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In December 2021, the Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance (SSGA) launched a new mark, designating premium crops with verifiable origins. The U.S. Identity Preserved quality assurance plan and brand mark symbolizes a significant advancement in the verification of trust, traceability and value for food manufacturers, processors and exporters. Since the unveiling, 10 U.S. companies have joined the program and are using the mark – with several more companies currently going through the application and qualification process.

It’s now time to officially introduce U.S. Identity Preserved to the world:

On Nov. 1 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, SSGA will hold a special event to launch the U.S. Identity Preserved brand internationally and build global awareness of the assurance plan that ensures the high quality that comes from the U.S. system. Please join us for an in-person media and industry event at the Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers or online, as the launch will be broadcast throughout the region and the world via YouTube.

“We’re excited to come to Vietnam and launch the U.S. Identity Preserved brand there and throughout the region where there is a growing market for high-quality, variety-specific soybeans and grains,” said Eric Wenberg, SSGA executive director. “While these products may cost more than conventional crops, they provide efficiencies that save time and money during production. We’re looking forward to telling that story in person to an international audience.”

As food producers seek higher quality and better consistency in their ingredients and consumers focus on traceability and safety in the foods they purchase, U.S. Identity Preserved products fulfill those wants and needs.

“The mission of U.S. Identity Preserved is to bring together the United States’ IP industry and establish the U.S. as a quality origin for identity preserved crops,” said Bob Sinner, president of SB&B Foods, one of the first companies to join the U.S. Identity Preserved program. “The assurance plan highlights the great care and attention to detail that goes into every shipment of our high-quality, premium agriculture products and ingredients.”

The November 1st press event will include in-person-only business-to-business meetings and offer networking opportunities between U.S. exporters and Vietnamese and other southeast Asian importing companies. The following day, SSGA will offer presentations on the U.S. Identity Preserved system and go further in depth on the quality, characteristics and performance customers can expect from specialty soybeans and grains from the United States. Please join us on November 1-2 in person or on-line.

Learn more and register for the event here.

International soyfood leaders complete week of learning

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For Yan Small, specialty soybeans grown and processed in Minnesota are perfect for her tofu.

Sure, they’re conveniently located, as her business, MinnTofu, is based in the heart of the North Star State. But, she says, “there’s something about the soybeans here.”

Speaking to an international trade team during the Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance’s “Fork to Farm” event at the historic Oliver Kelley Farm in Elk River, Minnesota, on June 10, Small showed off her locally sourced, handmade tofu and soymilk products, talked about the growth of her young tofu and sprouts businesses and touted the beans that go into them.

Attendees sampled air-fried tofu cubes with various sauces, along with chocolate and strawberry and unflavored soy milk or “juice.”

“There’s something about the soybeans here that are very pure,” Small said. “I don’t know why it’s different.”

Small’s message seemed to resonate with the international guests, who were capping a week’s worth of learning about identity preserved soybeans and the procurement of food-grade soybeans from the United States. The trade team, one of the first from southeast Asia to come to the Upper Midwest since prior to the pandemic, included food company representatives from Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. They spent the first part of the week attending a course at Northern Crops Institute in Fargo, N.D. SSGA was one of the sponsors of the course and was well-represented in its presentations.

The Fork to Farm event, sponsored by the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council (MSR&PC), included a lunch, as well as opportunities for the trade team to have informal discussions with SSGA-member companies – Grain Millers, SB&B and Scoular – and an identity preserved soybean farmer, SSGA board director Keith Schrader.

Thom Petersen, Minnesota Department of Agriculture commissioner, attended as well, along with deputy commissioner Andrea Vaubel.

“In Minnesota, we have 68,000 farmers and almost 26 million acres of farmland,” Petersen said, “and identity preserved is one of the most exciting things, I think, that has the potential to grow in the coming years.”

Schrader, who raises IP soybeans and non-GMO corn, among other crops, explained the tough, late-spring planting conditions farmers have gone through, along with the transportation issues foreign buyers need to be aware of.

“For me, as a farmer, it means as much to me to get that product to you as it means to you getting the product from us,” said Schrader, who represents MSR&PC on the SSGA board. “We’re looking forward to being able to send you some really high-quality soybeans.”

Afterward, the group moved into the farm’s teaching kitchen for Small’s tofu demonstration and the opportunity to taste her products made from Minnesota soybeans.

“She’s always open to trying new varieties to see if they will improve her product or make her product more consistent,” said Craig Tomera, identity preserved crop specialist at Grain Millers. “She wants consistency, so it’s very important to her that the first batch is the same as the last batch. Using identity preserved, we can find a variety that remains identity preserved and that ensures her that there isn’t going to be any comingling of other varieties that can ruin that texture or flavor for her.”

Earlier in the week in Fargo, the caps and gowns came out, as eight members of a trade team from Myanmar were awarded certificates as “the first graduating class of SSGA University.”

The eight Burmese representatives took online classes from the Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance along with more than 20 others during an event sponsored by ASA WISHH (World Initiative for Soy in Human Health) in May. Those classes were a primer for those who traveled to the United States to participate, along with several other international guests, in NCI’s Food Grade Soybean Procurement Course that began on June 6.

After participants from the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Cambodia received completion certificates from NCI, there was a surprise for the contingent from Myanmar as SSGA Manager of Strategic Programs Shane Frederick and WISHH Asia Director Alan Poock donned mortarboards and robes and took the stage to present them with their SSGA University certificates, along with their NCI awards.

“This was the first trade team to come to NCI in more than two years, since before COVID,” Frederick said, “and we wanted to make it extra special and a little fun with some pomp and circumstance. Working with our partners at WISHH and NCI and others this week, it was a joy to be around this group that was so eager to learn.”

Besides putting on the SSGA University course for WISHH and Myanmar, SSGA helped recruit other participants to the NCI course. Some of them participated in SSGA’s IP B2B events held virtually in 2021.

During the weeklong course, they heard from, among others, several SSGA-tied individuals and organizations, including Frederick; technical advisers Hoa Huynh, Raquel Hansen and Bruce Abbe; board chairman Rob Prather of Global Processing; board directors Adam Buckentine of The Redwood Group and Bob Sinner of SB&B; past chairman Curt Petrich of HC International; and Tomera of Grain Millers. The group toured SB&B’s facility in Casselton, N.D., as well as Brushvale Seed in Breckenridge, Minn., and visited Scoular’s Minneapolis headquarters.

Besides SSGA and WISHH, the course had the support of MSR&PC, North Dakota Soybean Council and South Dakota Soybean Checkoff.

Myanmar importers participate in SSGA U courses

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SSGA University held its first in-person class on May 3, as a group sponsored by ASA WISHH (World Initiative for Soy in Human Health) gathered in a hotel meeting room in Myanmar to take the first of two courses.

Photo courtesy of ASA WISHH.More than 30 people representing tofu and soymilk companies, importers, food science technologists and food science university faculty met in person, while others joined online to complete SSGA U’s Getting on the IP Highway class.

On May 10, the group gathered again to take the Value of Using Identity Preserved Soybeans: Soymilk & Tofu course.

SSGA staff ran the classes virtually, presented additional information, including information on the U.S. Identity Preserved assurance plan and brand mark, and answered questions about IP crops from the U.S. WISHH staff organized the event at the site and arranged translation services.

“This was the first time we had a large group take the SSGA University courses together, and it was a very successful educational event,” said Shane Frederick, SSGA manager of strategic programs. “I believe we’re just scratching the surface of the programming and information this platform can provide to potential buyers of identity preserved field crops from the United States and many others interested in the U.S. IP system.”

Some of the Myanmar participants used the courses as a primer, as they will be traveling to the United States with WISHH next month for Northern Crops Institutes’ Food Grade Soybean Procurement Course. Their participation in the SSGA-supported course will include participation in SSGA’s Fork to Farm Day event on June 10 in Elk River, Minnesota.

SSGA launched SSGA University in November 2021, providing online learning modules on the U.S. Identity Preserved system as well as the benefit of using IP crops in different food manufacturing.

To take an SSGA University course or for more information on the course offerings, please visit ssga-university.thinkific.com. If you are an international buyer, please reach out to SSGA first at info@soyagrainsalliance.org to see if you are eligible for a discount.

SSGA to hold webinar, IP B2B for China

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On the heels of our virtual, business-to-business matchmaking meetings in Southeast Asia in 2021, the Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance will host a U.S. Specialty Soya and Grains Webinar and IP B2B – China on March 30 (March 31 in China).

The informational webinar portion of the event will take place 8-9:30 p.m. CDT (9-10:30 a.m. China Standard Time) and is open to all. The webinar will showcase the U.S. Identity Preserved system and highlight the traceability, reliability and safety of IP soya and specialty grains from the United States.

IP B2B matchmaking sessions will start immediately after the informational webinar. IP B2B provides SSGA member companies that supply U.S. Identity Preserved field crops one-on-one meetings with foreign food manufacturers. IP B2B is limited to pre-registered importers and exporters.

The event will be held in coordination with U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) and China Chamber of Commerce of Import and Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce and Animal By-Products (CFNA) and will include presentations and remarks from IP experts, representatives of SSGA and industry members.

An agenda can be found on the registration page.

SSGA brings IP message to Commodity Classic

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The Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance met with farmers from all around the United States and others about the organization and the U.S. Identity Preserved assurance plan and mark during 2022 Commodity Classic in New Orleans earlier this month. SSGA invited trade show attendees to “have a seat at the table” and join us at one of our custom U.S. Identity Preserved-branded picnic tables to talk about IP opportunities in their states and regions.

“With growing demand for identity preserved field crops from the United States, Commodity Classic presented a prime opportunity for SSGA to speak directly to farmers about considering IP as part of their production,” said Eric Wenberg, SSGA executive director. “The conversation never seemed to stop over the 2 ½-day trade show.”

SSGA board director and farmer Andy Bensend talks about growing identity preserved crops in Wisconsin as Eric Wenberg looks on during Commodity Classic.

Identity Preserved growers and SSGA board members Keith Schrader of Minnesota and Andy Bensend of Wisconsin assisted in the booth and talked about their own farming practices, explaining that, although IP crops require extra steps in the process, it does offer growers an opportunity to increase the diversity and value of their products and derive premiums.

SSGA Chairman Rob Prather of Iowa-based Global Processing, also worked in the booth, along with Wenberg, Manager of Strategic Programs Shane Frederick and Membership Manager Jodie Arndt.

SSGA handed out Fork to Farm utensil sets made from wheat straw that promoted USidentitypreserved.org and the traceability and feedback aspect of identity preserved field crops from the United States. The tableware quickly proved to be one of the more popular giveaways at Classic, and one farmer from Oregon declared that the SSGA booth was one of the most interesting at the trade show.

SSGA held a drawing for two custom picnic tables, and the winners were Mary Beth Adam of Harper, Iowa, and Stan Ryan of Blue Mound, Illinois. The foldable tables and benches will be shipped to the winners later this spring.