SSGA Chair Bob Sinner presents at Asia Soy Excellence Summit

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Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance (SSGA) growers and exporters listen to their customers and ultimately provide them with the specific varieties they need for their food products, Bob Sinner explained during  the U.S. Soybean Export Council’s (USSEC) inaugural Asia Soy Excellence Summit.

“The decision is yours, not ours,” said Sinner, SSGA chair and president of SB&B Foods. “Our responsibility Is to listen and to provide you options.”

Sinner represented SSGA and its member companies, presenting during the virtual event, which was the launch of the U.S. Soy Excellence Centre in Singapore. The audience included around 60 invited guests from several Asian countries – key stakeholders from the soy food and soy beverage industry.

“At the end of the day, it’s all about the customer,” he said, “understanding what each food manufacturer wants in a variety.”

After an introduction from Hoa Huynh, SSGA I.P. technical adviser for Southeast Asia, Sinner explained how SSGA members work to meet customers’ needs throughout the I.P. process, including: research and testing, forward contracting, storage and shipping. He touched on challenges, such as the current container shipping crisis and urged the audience to plan ahead with suppliers to minimize the impact of those logistical issues. He also discussed opportunities such as the I.P. branding program that SSGA is undertaking.

Sinner praised the work being done on the Soy Excellence Centre, saying it “can be the vehicle to improve information exchanged between suppliers and buyers.”

Other avenues to improve that exchange of information, Sinner said, include Northern Crops Institute’s Soy Procurement Course for importers, which is scheduled to take place in October, and the U.S. Soyfood Variety Database.

Prior to Sinner’s presentation, Will McNair, USSEC’s director of oil and human protein, discussed the database as part of his talk on quality and sustainability. The database is a project led by several U.S. stakeholders, including USSEC and SSGA, and will act as a “catalogue” of soya varieties. It is scheduled to go live in 2021.

Following their talks, Sinner, McNair and presenters on consumer trends, nutrition and health, beverage processing, and innovation, participated in a Q&A panel discussion.

SSGA encourages all its members to take part in events such as this, as well as our organization’s own live and virtual events designed to educate the public, including potential buyers, about the I.P. system and industry. Members interested being presenters and sharing their expertise and experience can find more information as well as a short survey here.

 

SSGA annual meeting kicks off with robust agenda

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Eager to see the progress of a U.S. identity preserved (IP) brand image and strategy project – as well as to hear insights and information about shipping and trade, food grade soya, and specialty grains, more than 70 people logged on and participated in the Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance’s (SSGA) 2020 Annual Meeting on Wednesday afternoon.

Wednesday was the first day of the two-day meeting, which is being held virtually on Zoom due to COVID-19 gathering restrictions.

Most attendees were getting their first chance to see some initial creative concepts and hear about the research and data behind them as Emilie Hitch and Alex Bausch of Rabbit/broadhead reported on the brand project, which strives to communicate to foreign buyers that the U.S. is a high-quality origin for U.S. IP crops and differentiate them.

“This is the reason SSGA exists,” SSGA Executive Director Eric Wenberg said.

Hitch, Rabbit’s vice president of brand strategy, said the strategic platform centers around three “pillars of premium”: food safety, verifiable and American grown.

The next steps will involve discussion of brand usage, and SSGA is planning a webinar in early January.

The busy day began with sponsor speaker Vijay Harrell, founder and CEO of Tradelanes. Harrell’s presentation focused on resiliency and the challenges and opportunities that exist along the IP value chain for SSGA members.

“Technology is a key to achieving resiliency,” said Harrell, whose SSGA-member company is dedicated to transforming global commodity trade digitally to decrease costs and time.

Ed Beaman, chief operating officer of the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC), spoke next as part of SSGA’s Food Grade Soya Action Team meeting. Beaman reported on the success of and stellar reviews for the U.S. Soy Global Trade Exchange & Specialty Grains Conference (GTE), held virtually in August, and gave an update on the U.S. Soyfood Variety Database, which is scheduled to go live in early 2021.

Beaman also led a discussion on market access in India, a “perennial potential’ market.” He said USSEC and SSGA both need to be involved in work to open the Indian market where “there’s a keen and growing interest in U.S. IP soy among soy food processors.”

Wenberg and Food Grade Soya Action Team chair Todd Sinner then reported that SSGA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have been discussing ways that could, in a limited way, facilitate a phytosanitary process that helps reconcile the issues faced in certifying for export from remote or hard-to-reach, expensive, and logistically challenging locations in the United States. This was a continuation of discussions that were precipitated by the certificate crisis earlier this year with Japan.

“We need to find ways to keep a project manageable and narrowly defined to fit within current eligibilities,” Wenberg said.

SSGA’s Specialty Grains Action Team presented next, led by Lee Steinhauer, SSGA market development project manager. Consultant Dave Miller spoke about market trends for specialty grains, saying “there is a ton of momentum, especially in baking and brewing” for these “unique products.” SSGA technical advisers Gene Philhower (Europe), Alyson Segawa (North Asia) and Hoa Huynh (Southeast Asia) then reported on international opportunities for specialty grains.

(To see video reports from SSGA’s technical advisers, please follow this link.)

The SSGA annual meeting continues Thursday at 1 p.m. CST (attendees should plan to log-in early so the meeting can start on time and stay on schedule). The agenda includes the SSGA business meeting and board elections, keynote speaker Polly Ruhland, CEO of United Soybean Board, as well as an interview with organic farmer Carolyn Olson.

FAS Manila to co-host ‘Ease of Doing Business’ webinar

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USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) Manila will co-host a webinar with ARTA, the Philippines Anti-Red Tape Authority entitled “Ease of Doing Business: Delivering Safe Food and Agricultural Products” on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 7-9:30 p.m. Central Standard Time (Nov. 25, 9-11:30 a.m. Philippine Time).

U.S. companies are encouraged to register for and participate in this event, which is free. Register at this link on or before COB Friday, Nov. 20.

SSGA Technical Adviser for Southeast Asia Hoa Huynh says webinar this could be a beneficial event for members looking for business opportunities in the Philippines.

During the webinar, representatives of various Philippine government agencies, such as the Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, and Bureau of Customs, will discuss their efforts to streamline the issuances of licenses, import permits, and product registration certificates, and the release of products from the ports.

Organizers are encouraging participants to ask questions during the webinar. For those who prefer anonymity, questions can be asked on the registration page. A USDA representative will read the questions during the Q&A portion of the event.

Click here to see the USDA’s Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards (FAIRS) annual country report, which outlines regulations and procedures for exporting to the Philippines.

About ARTA: The Anti-Red Tape Authority is an agency attached to the Office of the President to ensure the adoption of simplified requirements and procedures, as well as to establish effective practices aimed at efficient turnaround of the delivery of government services, that will reduce red tape and expedite business and nonbusiness related transactions in government. Visit their website here.

Farmers continue to grow IP message

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IP producers Keith Schrader, Nancy Kavazanjian, John Heinecke and SSGA Executive Director Eric Wenberg discussed IP field crops during a panel at the Organic & Non-GMO Forum.

If IP starts on the farm, the IP message starts there, too.

Continuing its commitment to including growers to tell the identity-preserved story, the Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance sponsored a producer panel during this week’s Organic & Non-GMO Forum, which was held virtually.

SSGA Executive Director Eric Wenberg moderated Monday’s hour-long session, which featured Nancy Kavazanjian, a partner at Hammer-Kavazanjian Farms in Wisconsin; John Heinecke, owner of Heinecke Ag Ventures in Missouri; and Keith Schrader, CEO of Wheeling Grain Partnership in Minnesota (Schrader is also secretary/treasurer of the SSGA Board of Directors).

“Farming is a tough way to make money but a meaningful way to make a living,” Wenberg said as he introduced the panel, who discussed the challenges of and tough choices that go with growing non-GMO soybeans and corn – from crop segregation and storage to finding new customers to the effects of late-season weed pressure – in order to get the most of out of their corps each year. They also spoke about how the premium for their crops makes the extra work worthwhile, as well as their desire to see more farmers join them in growing for a purpose.

“People need to see that non-GMO is no longer a niche market,” Heinecke said.

Said Kavazanjian: “We need better breeding and more diversity. We need some breeding focus.”

Kavazanjian and Schrader reported an excellent growing season in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

“The color turned out really well,” Schrader said. “We’ve delivered some already, and our processor was really happy.”

Heinecke said some weather setbacks impacted the yield in Missouri, but, otherwise, it was a “spectacular” soybean crop. All acknowledged the difficulties Iowa had with this summer’s devastating derecho.

The Organic & Non-GMO Forum was a two-day virtual even that gave attendees a chance to watch speakers, interact in presentations, take advantage of networking opportunities and participate in public forums.

On Tuesday Wenberg gave his own presentation on IP called “Traceability: The Value That Adds Value.”

SSGA highlights EU market opportunities for specialty grains

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Recent consumer research has shown that a majority of Europeans are willing to pay more when it comes to greater transparency in their food.

According to the research firm DNV-GL, 60% of global consumers are willing to pay at least 5% more for assurance of transparency in the foods they buy. Transparency is at the heart of the U.S. identity-preserved field crop system that SSGA promotes, along with consistency, quality and safety in those products exported worldwide.

“There’s clearly an appetite for (transparency) in the EU,” said Dave Miller, specialty grains consultant for the Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance (SSGA). “They’re hungry for more information on food safety, environmental issues and social issues.”

It’s because of that appetite that SSGA conducted a webinar for its members and others hoping to learn more about specialty grains export opportunities to Europe. The online event, which was held on Oct. 8, drew around 25 participants, including SSGA members who handle a variety of specialty grains.

“We’re building insights and building market development,” Miller said. “There are data sources we have access to that will help (members) better understand the markets and to work on their own market development.”

The webinar featured three presenters who each shared a perspective on the opportunity for IP specialty grains in the EU:

  • Jacob Golbitz, managing director of Agromeris, a food and agricultural industry consulting firm
  • Alyson Segawa, SSGA IP technical adviser and founder and CEO of Eliasan Consulting
  • Anne Dettmer, founder of Artisanne’s, a London-based public relations and marketing firm

Golbitz spoke about the growth of specialty grains usage in the European Union and the United Kingdom, using data from the Mintel Global New Products Database, a collection of information of consumer products that includes food products grouped by type (bakery, snacks, desserts, etc.) and searchable by product information (ingredients, flavors, sizes, etc.).

Using searches of specific specialty grain ingredients, information gleaned from the database was used to highlight intersections of the most-active European markets and top product categories. That information shows a very promising target market for U.S. suppliers of specialty grains.

Segawa gave an oversight of Europe as an upward-trending market for specialty grains, focusing primarily on a top six of sorghum, barley, oats, rye, triticale and quinoa.

Analyzing data and consumer trends from 2012 to 2018, Segawa echoed that EU customers are willing to spend more healthier choices, and that may present a unique opportunity for SSGA suppliers to continue building the U.S. market share in Europe.

Dettmer, who works with trade associations, focusing specifically on the United Kingdom and Ireland, talked about breaking into the UK market with a particular focus on planning and research. It’s imperative that U.S. exporters understand their target markets and how food manufacturers in those markets make their ingredient decisions.

SSGA Executive Director Eric Wenberg said the webinar had good participation and encourages feedback from attendees.

“We’re just getting started,” Wenberg said. “We have to figure out how to get, as we say in the West, ‘belly to belly’ with Europe and show that IP is the value that adds value. We know that, not from hunches anymore, not from instinct, but from the data that’s coming into us and the research that’s being done.”

SSGA to host EU specialty grains webinar

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Join the Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance (SSGA) for a webinar on Thursday, Oct. 8 at 10 a.m. CDT to explore the specialty grains market in the European Union. This informative event will highlight the grains, product categories and countries that are driving innovation, as well as highlight the opportunities, import sources and company perspectives on the specialty grains business in Europe. The event will also highlight two of the data resources available to SSGA members as they explore new markets.

Scheduled speakers include:

  • David Miller, moderator, SSGA Specialty Grains Action Team
  • Jacob Golbitz, Agromeris
  • Alyson Segawa, SSGA Technical Adviser – North Asia
  • Farmer – TBD
  • Overseas Market Representative – TBD

Use the link below to join the meeting.

SSGA Specialty Grains in the EU Webinar
Thu, Oct 8, 2020 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM (CDT)

Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/557247237

You can also dial in using your phone. For supported devices, use a one-touch number below to join instantly.

United States: +1 (408) 650-3123
– One-touch: tel:+14086503123,,557247237#

Access Code: 557-247-237

SSGA brings US IP suppliers, European buyers together

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The Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance (SSGA) launched its marketing efforts in Europe on Tuesday, Sept. 15 with the U.S. Identity-Preserved Soya and Specialty Grains Virtual Seminar.

The three-hour event was co-organized by the European company Bridge2Food and featured around 100 participants, including European traders and importers, food processors, ingredient companies and food producers and retailers.

The event featured three sessions moderated by Eugene Philhower, SSGA Technical Adviser for Europe. Todd Sinner, partner and vice president of SB&B Foods, presented “How to Buy Identity-Preserved (IP), High-Quality and Segregated Products.” Rob Prather, chief strategic ambassador for Global Processing presented “Why IP Crops Are Worth the Value.” And farmers Joe Morken and Tim Boring were part of a “Fork to Farm” discussion on how U.S. farmers grow and deliver what their customers order.

“We introduced SSGA to Europe,” SSGA Executive Director Eric Wenberg said, “and we also committed ourselves to providing messaging from our farmers and growers for the first time.”

The event also allowed participants to conduct live business meetings via chat and video conference. SSGA, Bridge2Food and 10 other companies and groups also participated as exhibitors in Bridge2Food’s unique online platform.

US Soy Global Trade Exchange & Specialty Grains Conference draws more than 1,000 attendees

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By Shane Frederick, SSGA Communications Manager

Staying connected during a global pandemic has been important in all facets of life, and that includes the business of U.S. Soy and specialty grains. Last week’s U.S. Soy Global Trade Exchange & Specialty Grains Conference (GTE) connected more than 1,000 buyers and sellers from more than 60 countries in a virtual event that, for years, had been held in person.

“We promised that we’d deliver the next best thing to being together in one geographical location by creating a unique online space for us all to gather virtually,” Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance (SSGA) Executive Director Eric Wenberg said. “I believe we did that.”

SSGA co-hosted the GTE with the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC).

“We’re grateful to our partner, USSEC, for its worldwide outreach, to all of our sponsors this week and to all of our trade partners we’ve established over years of relationship-building to make sure this critical event continued,” Wenberg said.

In total, more than 1,500 people registered for the GTE. The conference will remain open on-demand for the next month in case they missed the event or would like to see a session they missed or re-watch a presentation and one of the many other video features that were offered.

GTE speakers included: Ted McKinney, USDA Under Secretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs; Ken Isley, USDA Administrator of the Foreign Agricultural Service; Gregg Doud, U.S. Trade Representative Chief Agricultural Negotiator; Kevan Hueftle, U.S. Paralympic sprinter; Emily French, ConsiliAgra Managing Director; and Will Sawyer and Tanner Ehmke, CoBank Knowledge Exchange.

Other sessions included the Pro Farmer Crop Tour Report; media sponsor RFD-TV’s “State of the Industry” premier; SSGA breakouts on container shipping, traceability and the outlook for food soya exports; and USSEC breakouts on U.S. Soy sustainability, protein and oil.

Other highlights included a daily trade show featuring 34 exhibitors; a virtual field day that included tours of farms from all around the country; a virtual kitchen featuring the recipes of Chef David Bonom and daily live chats with the chef; as well as a live band, uRequest Live, which kicked off the GTE with a pair of performances.

“This was a complex show with many different activities under one banner,” SSGA Chair Curt Petrich said. “I was fortunate enough to lead the SSGA panel on traceability, and I was impressed with the way the event came together – although not surprised. We’re fortunate to be working in a tried and true industry like soya and specialty grains produced in the United States, where there’s real commitment to make sure meetings like this continue to take place year after year to keep everyone connected.”

SSGA is grateful to the GTE sponsors, including industry-level sponsors SB&B Foods, The Delong Company, The Redwood Group and IOM Grain; and state-level sponsors Illinois Soybean Association; Iowa Soybean Association; Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council; North Dakota Soybean Council; Ohio Soybean Council; and Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board.

For more about the 2020 GTE:

Day 3 recap: Virtual GTE comes to a close – sort of

Day 2 recap: Container shipping, traceability get focus

Day 1 recap: Virtual U.S. Soy GTE gets underway

GTE sponsorship remains important for industry leaders

GTE beat goes on, thanks to QSSB sponsors

GTE recap from USSEC

Container shipping, traceability get focus on Day 2 of GTE

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By Shane Frederick, SSGA Communications Manager

The Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance led the discussion on two topics vitally important to its members on Wednesday, Day 2 of the U.S. Soy Global Trade Exchange & Specialty Grains Conference (GTE).

SSGA, which is co-hosting the Virtual GTE with the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC), held two breakout sessions: “Container Shipping Landscape – The New Reality” and “Traceability – Trusting the Quality of Food You Demand.”

Shipping

The container shipping breakout, sponsored by the Illinois Soybean Association, was moderated by Bob Sinner, President of SB&B Foods, SSGA Vice-Chair and Chair of SSGA’s Competitive Shipping action team. Panelists included Roger Mortenson, Vice President of Grain Millers Specialty Products; Uffe Ostegaard, President, North America, of Hapag-Lloyd; Gene Seroka, Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles; and Peter Friedmann, Executive Director of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition.

The discussion centered around concerns about container availability and quality of containers for inland U.S. exporters; reliability of on-time service by ocean carriers; as well as logistics in the areas of truck, rail and ocean shipping, especially as consumer demands have changed and the coronavirus pandemic disrupted the marketplace and global supply chains.

The panel agreed that communication among buyers, suppliers, shippers and transportation providers as important as ever.

“Communication is the most vital aspect of our business,” Mortenson said. “Understanding all the pieces is critical. We need to take a team approach. As U.S. soybean suppliers, we have great relationships with our logistical partners. We’re talking, listening and working to support the common goal.”

Seroka advocated for more digital technology such as a data-driven, nationwide port communication system, one that lines up with trucking and rail schedules and can help get containers where they need to be in the rural U.S.

“It’s all about dialogue and collaboration,” he said. “It’s still a relationship-based business.”

Ostegaard said overall on-time reliability has been improving gradually, although canceled sailings could go up again in the fourth quarter. Ostegaard and Friedmann predicted ocean freight rates for exports to remain stable for the foreseeable future.

Traceability

Curt Petrich, SSGA Chairman, moderated the Traceability panel at the U.S. Soy GTE & Specialty Grains Conference.

The traceability breakout was moderated by Curt Petrich, founder of HC International and SSGA Chair. Panelists included Rob Prather, Chief Strategic Ambassador of Global Processing; Chris Crawford, Senior Market Manager for The Scoular Company; Jeff Fjelstul, Director of Sales for AGI Suretrack; and Will McNair, Director of Human Utilization for USSEC.

The panelists explained how the container and identity-preserved (IP) traceability system works and advocated for its benefits throughout the value chain.

Prather said he’s trying change perceptions of IP and traceability, showing farmers, processors, distributors and food producers alike that changes to their routines and extra work and costs are worth it in the end as consistency, efficiency and quality increase customer confidence, brand loyalty and profits.

“The positives greatly outweigh the negatives,” he said. “And it’s not as much trouble as you think.”

Crawford demonstrated an analysis of two varieties of tofu beans with similar characteristics. The bean in the traceable, segregated IP system had a significantly higher yield over time.

Technology is pushing the IP system forward with tools such as the AGI Suretrack system other new digital solutions.

“The market is demanding greater transparency,” Crawford said.

Also, McNair talked about a new U.S. Soyfoods Database currently in the works that will give an overview of varieties and quality. A workgroup of more than 15 stakeholders, including SSGA staff and leadership, has met six times already this year. McNair said the hope is to have some data available this winter and the Database up and running by the 2021 GTE.

What’s ahead?

Thursday is the final day of the GTE, and sessions include SSGA’s breakout session on the Food Soya Exporter Outlook. That session, which begins at 9 a.m. CDT (and again at 7:30 p.m. CDT) features SSGA Executive Director Eric Wenberg, The Redwood Group’s Adam Buckentine, Star of the West’s Steve Herr, Brushvale Seed’s Travis Meyer and Montague Farms’ Tom Taliaferro.

Other sessions Thursday include:

  • 2021 Tokyo Paralympic-hopeful Kevan Hueftle’s inspirational story of overcoming adversity. Hueftle is a farmer and rancher from Nebraska, who has competed as a sprinter in the Para-Pan-Am Games and Para-Athletics World Championships.
  • USSEC’s breakout session on U.S. Soy oil.
  • Trade policy talk with U.S. Trade Representative, Chief Agricultural Negotiator Gregg Doud.
  • Market outlook and strategies to position with ConsiliAgra’s Emily French.
  • Closing remarks from Wenberg and USSEC CEO Jim Sutter.

Sessions are repeated each day starting at 7 p.m. CDT to accommodate busy schedules and multiple time zones.

Go to the GTE website to learn more and to see the full agenda. Use the hashtag #USSOYexchange on social media to find out more information.

Virtual US Soy Global Trade Exchange & Specialty Grains Conference gets underway

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By Shane Frederick, SSGA Communications Manager

Months of planning and coordination came together on Monday and Tuesday as the 2020 U.S. Soy Global Trade Exchange & Specialty Grains Conference (GTE) kicked off on a virtual platform.

More than 1,000 international buyers and sellers from over 50 countries are expected this week to participate in the GTE, which runs through Thurs., Aug. 27.

“Like you, of course, we wish we were gathering in person – shaking hands, visiting with old friends, making new ones, learning and doing business together – and the hope is we’ll be able to do that again next year,” Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance (SSGA) Executive Director Eric Wenberg said in his comments to close Tuesday’s general session. “But this week, we’ve been able to do the next best thing thanks to all of the hard work of so many people … who put in so much time, care and effort to pull this off in spite of the many challenges.”

The GTE started with style on Monday evening and Tuesday morning (U.S. times) with live performances by the band uRequest Live, which rocked song suggestions from attendees located throughout the world.

The event then began in earnest on Tuesday with a welcome from U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) CEO Jim Sutter and remarks from Ted McKinney, USDA Under Secretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agriculture Affairs.

McKinney, speaking from a farm in Indiana, talked about the U.S. Soy “advantage”: exceptional composition, consistent supply, sustainability and innovation “beyond the bushel.”

That was followed by a live Q&A with Ken Isley administrator of the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service and two general sessions: “Liquidity Surge! Its Impact on Supply & Demand and Global Markets,” featuring speakers from CoBank Knowledge Exchange, and the “Pro Farmer Crop Tour Report,” which shared insights from Pro Farmer’s just-completed 2020 tour.

Wenberg gave the day’s closing remarks before officially opening up the daily trade show, which features virtual booths from 34 exhibitors, including SSGA and 18 SSGA member companies and organizations.

Virtual GTE organizers have tried to give attendees the closest experience possible to an in-person show with opportunities to visit in a virtual lounge and chat both publicly and privately.

Besides the sessions and the trade show, there is a virtual kitchen where renowned chef David Bonom prepared four “soy-inspired” dishes specifically for the GTE. Bonom is also doing live, hour-long chats to “talk all things soy” with attendees. Bonom chatted on Monday evening and Tuesday morning and is scheduled to chat again at 6 p.m. CDT Wednesday and 7:30 a.m. CDT Thursday.

There also are also virtual field tours, giving attendees a chance to see farms, logistics and examples of sustainability from all over the United States.

On Wednesday morning, there will be two SSGA breakout sessions, including “Container Shipping Landscape: The New Reality” and “Traceability – Trusting the Quality of Food You Demand.”

In addition, Wednesday’s program features RFD-TV’s “State of the Industry” premier and USSEC breakouts on U.S. Soy sustainability and the use of U.S. Soy protein to increase profits.

And on Thursday morning, Paralympic hopeful and farmer/rancher Kevan Hueftle will tell his inspirational story to start the day. After that, an SSGA breakout, “Food Soya Exporter Outlook” will take place, along with a USSEC breakout on soybean oil from the U.S.

Those will be followed by a general session featuring U.S. Trade Representative Gregg Doud, the chief agricultural negotiator, as well as a market outlook and strategies discussion.

All morning sessions repeat in the evenings for convenience of attendees worldwide. The trade show is open for two hours following each session.

Go here more information on the GTE and to see the full agenda, and use the hashtag #USSOYexchange on social media to find more information.

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