Soy Partner Pledge

Soy Partner Pledge

By Olivia Key

Illinois Soybean Growers (ISG) is committed to advocating for Illinois farmers through influencing key legislation at the local, state and national levels. The work conducted by ISG staff and the ISG Political Action Committee (PAC) helps to secure policies to enable Illinois soybean farmers to be the most effective soybean producers in the world, and they are well on their way.

However, checkoff funds cannot be used to lobby or advocate on initiatives and issues, which is where the Soy Partner Pledge (SPP) program comes into play. SPP members help to fill the gap by creating a network of agriculture industry partners to fund legislative work in both Washington, D.C. and Springfield.

The program gives Illinois first purchasers the opportunity to influence legislative decisions imperative to their business and Illinois agriculture. Issues such as favorable trade agreements, market access, transportation infrastructure, biotech acceptance overseas, and Farm Bills that will maximize production in Illinois are all topics ISG will be able to better influence with the help of SPP members.

Partners also have the opportunity to provide insight into what is happening in the soybean industry and are provided with direct communication to grassroots policy work. Through these efforts, the program gives industry partners the ability to help maximize profitability for growers and the soybean industry as a whole.

The SPP program is an important source for ISG, ISA’s non-checkoff organization, as it aims to garner support for their efforts. ISA Director of Government Relations & Strategy, Andrew Larson, says, “Each year agriculture plays defense on thousands of bills in the General Assembly. Having ISG grow its efforts to engage on legislation and politically represent agriculture is more critical now than ever with over two thirds of the General Assembly coming from districts that have few, if any, farmers. Funds from SPP go directly to support this effort and grow the voice of agriculture in Springfield.”

SSP Partners are asked to reinvest the two percent credit against the quarterly soybean checkoff which puts those dollars back to work for them and the rest of Illinois agriculture. Partners receive automatic membership in ISG, plus the opportunity to participate and provide input at special invitation events such as policy education, advocacy training, research forums and marketing and education tours.

Additionally, partners will receive targeted and timely information with regular email updates along with a subscription to the Illinois Field & Bean magazine. Plus, ISA acknowledges their efforts at farm shows and other publications across the organization.

Partners receive automatic membership in ISG, plus the opportunity to participate and provide input at special invitation events such as policy education, advocacy training, research forums and marketing and education tours.

Current SPP Partners include ADM, Bayer, Big River Resources, Cargill, The Equity, Pioneer, Rumbold & Kuhn, and Standford Grain Company. If your organization is interested in becoming a SPP Partner, visit www.ilsoygrowers.com/ soy-partner-pledge/ to learn more.