Funded by the Illinois Soybean Checkoff
Moving the Piles Delivering Illinois’ harvest to the world
By Mace Thornton
T
odd Main is on a mission to sell Illinois soybeans. The Director of Market Development for the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) knows his work is segmented into many tactics, and on many fronts, but it is guided by one over-riding strategic principle — move the piles! That’s for good reason. Illinois is the nation’s largest soybean producing state, accounting for about 15 percent of the national total. Even with this year’s crop being down about 7 percent, that’s still a lofty pile of soybeans to move to market. So, as the combines of 2023 roll across the Prairie State, Main has already been working months, even years, in advance to find a home for all those Illinois soybeans. “My job is about taking barriers away from getting our soybean products out to feed the world,” he said. “Every day I get up excited about that because food security really is the foundation of geopolitical security.” Since 60 percent of all Illinois soybeans are destined for international export, a good share
24 November 2023
of Main’s attention is on rapidly growing and urbanizing regions of the world, where there is a “rising demand for low-cost protein sources,” including for livestock feed and human food. ISA collaborates with the United States Soybean Export Council (USSEC) and international partners to capture that demand. USSEC’s establishment of Soy Excellence Centers is increasing demand for soy-based livestock feed in countries around the world. “They host small producers, who maybe have 100 chickens running around in their backyard and say, ‘Hey, we're going to train and certify you with the latest technology and best practices, so maybe you can set up a house where you can have 1,000 chickens,’” Main says. Main identifies Turkey, the Middle East & North Africa region, South Asia, India in particular, and the Southeast Asia markets of Vietnam, Cambodia, and the Philippines as key growth areas for Illinois soybean sales. He also emphasizes Mexico and South America, due to the close-by transportation advantage.
ISA At-Large Director Scott Gaffner, who farms near Greenville, credits trade missions focused on building relationships with foreign buyers as essential in all those key markets. “We want buyers in other countries to be our friends and business partners,” he says. “That’s an important aspect for ISA as an association. We visit those buyers in their countries and do the best job possible representing all of our 43,000 Illinois soybean farmers. We share information face-to-face about the positive aspects of Illinois soybeans, and by establishing that relationship, they not only become active buyers but also avid buyers.” Having that diverse marketing network is vital, according to Gaffner. If something goes wrong in one market, such as China, other nations are ready to step in and take up the slack. While discussing China's profile in Illinois soybean exports, Main acknowledges its significance as the largest market. However, faster export growth will come from many of those other nations with emerging economies.
“This long-term approach involves educating and cultivating relationships in less mature markets to secure lasting market share for the future,” Main says. Steve Pitstick, ISA Government Relations Committee Chairman, also believes Market Development is critical to moving the pile. “It’s a long, slow build, and there are no easy things that just happen,” says the Maple Park farmer. “Today, we are seeing the coming of age of dollars spent years ago to teach users in foreign nations the benefits of U.S. soy protein.” When talking about exports, one must also talk about competitors. Main knows anytime he is applauding the virtues of Illinois soybeans to buyers, he is up against Brazilian counterparts. “It comes down to quality,” he says. “We're probably not going to be competitive on price with Brazil. What makes us competitive is quality and our transportation system. One value proposition is U.S. soy makes sense in terms of animal agriculture. We have studies that document the advantage of our amino acid profile, and we can show growth charts that
