The world can be a complex place, but regardless of current events, the soybean industry never stops building relationships. From the farmer to the end user and every industry in between, the impact of those connections were on full display at the U.S. Soybean Export Council’s (USSEC) Soy Connext conference in San Diego.
More than 600 attendees from 60 countries attended the conference. Participants heard from a variety of experts and perused the trade show, where Northern Soy Marketing (NSM) hosted a networking booth, accompanied by their member states – the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council, Nebraska Soybean Board, North Dakota Soybean Council, and the South Dakota Soybean Research & Promotion Council.
“Whether you’re a soybean producer, processor or international buyer or seller, we hope to make this your one stop shop for soy,” USSEC Chairman Doug Winter said.“We want to catalyze (the) three C’s: conversation, connections and collaboration.”
Participants attended breakout sessions that covered a range of topics, including sustainability in the feed industry, geopolitics, high protein feedstuffs and freight strategies. When not in session, attendees worked on developing the three C’s through networking, which was enhanced with palm trees and string lights swaying in the breeze during the outdoor reception on Wednesday evening.
During the conference, NSM staff and board members sought out foreign buyers, encouraging them to sign up for their soon-to-be launched e-newsletter and fill out a soybean buying habit survey. But above all, NSM leaders engaged with industry leaders from across the globe, promoting the high-quality soybeans and soybean meal destined for export from Pacific Northwest (PNW) ports.
As a sponsor of the conference, NSM’s presence at Soy Connext ensures the expansion of Minnesota soybeans to new markets.
“Conferences like Soy Connext give us the opportunity to continue building relationships with foreign buyers,” said NSM board chair and Minnesota farmer Patrick O’Leary. “By each member state investing checkoff dollars in NSM, we have the ability to highlight our northern-grown soybeans on the world stage.”
