Soybean trade is made up of more than just buyers and sellers – growers, small businesses, families and relationships all bring a human element to the process. While many buyers already see the value of the quality, sustainability and reliability of U.S. Soy, trade teams visiting the state of Missouri help bridge the gap between business and the farm.
“We can’t overlook the human component of trade,” says Kyle Durham, previous Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council chair and representative from District 2. Durham and his family have hosted several trade teams of international buyers visiting Missouri on their farm in Norborne.
Trade Teams Visit Missouri
“A trade team is a group of buyers coming to the U.S. to see U.S. soybean farmers, see the quality of the soybeans, take a look at infrastructure and visit with industry partners,” says Matt Amick, Missouri Soybeans Director of Market Development. “These trade teams are coming from all across the world.”
The Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council works in coordination with national partners, including the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC), to host these delegations funded by the soybean checkoff. Their time in Missouri is well spent, with stops hitting every stage of the supply chain from input suppliers to soybean farms to grain terminals and more.
What makes a visit to Missouri unique? The Farm for Soy Innovation. In addition to experiencing U.S. Soy firsthand, buyers get to tour the research farm in Columbia, MO operated by Missouri Soybeans that makes forward progress possible. Each stop brings these international visitors a step closer to seeing the full picture of the Missouri soybean and the heart behind how it’s developed and grown.
“What the teams that come to visit seem to really enjoy the most is getting to know the farmers that produce the crop,” Durham says. “My parents, wife and kids all come out to meet the teams because I think it’s important for our story of sustainability that we continue to emphasize that we’re farmers that actually live in and amongst our farms and fields. We have a very close and personal relationship with the land.”
Durham believes the most important part of these trade visits is the opportunity to connect the farmers providing soy solutions with the buyers interested in sourcing their crop. In addition to handling soybean plants, exploring equipment and touring real Missouri soybean farms, these buyers are having conversations and getting answers to their questions from the farmers who plant and harvest the crop themselves.
“Farmers are the true suppliers of the soybeans these groups are buying,” Amick says. “Buyers are always interested in quality, but also now sustainability. Buyers want to know about conservation practices and sustainable efforts. Having farmers be the face that addresses these concerns is crucial because it goes all the way back to the farm.”
Durham has seen these relationships develop through trade teams firsthand.
This connection from Nepal recently became the first in his country to start using the Sustainable U.S. Soy (SUSS) logo on his packaging and is in the process of sharing the message with his buyers so they can use the logo on theirs as well.
“It’s a testament to the brand preference we’re building in Missouri and in the United States,” Durham says.
This brand preference is more critical than ever because of current trends in soybean prices, Amick says.
Missouri Farmers on Trade Missions
While bringing buyers to Missouri has its benefits, meeting those buyers where they are has its place as well.
“In an outgoing trade mission, groups of farmers and industry partners will travel to an international market and visit with buyers of U.S. Soy firsthand,” Amick explains. “We look at it like a business. You want to visit your customers and the customers also want to visit their suppliers. It works both ways.”
These efforts are supported by the soybean checkoff in partnership with organizations including USSEC, World Initiative for Soy and Human Health, U.S. Meat Export Federation, and the U.S. Poultry and Egg Export Council.
“Many of these organizations are looking for our farmers’ voice in these international markets,” Amick explains. “Having that farmer presence in international markets is crucial because they’re the true suppliers of soybeans.”
Trade missions are spent getting a sense of how buyers utilize soybeans, what their infrastructure looks like, and any regulatory issues that might hinder their ability to import U.S. Soy.
Recently, the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council wanted more specific opportunities to market Missouri soybeans and started its own trade mission for farmers and board members.
“We focus on Missouri-specific exports and things we are doing to capitalize on quality, logistics, conservation and sustainability,” Amick explains. “We’re trying to create new opportunities for Missouri soybean farmers and build preference for Missouri soy. It also helps our board members make more informed decisions on behalf of soybean farmers across the state.”
Relationships support exports, exports support demand and demand supports soybean farmers’ bottom line. Face-to-face connections and on-farm visits are the key human components to trade.
