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USSEC: China eyes sustainable US soybeans

Some Chinese companies have committed to purchasing certified sustainable U.S. soybeans, according to United Soybean Export Council Board Member Lance Rezac.

“Three aquaculture feed companies in China recently agreed to buy sustainable U.S. soy,” he says. “That means if they buy at least 60 percent U.S. soy they can get a label and put it on a bag of feed that says sustainable U.S. soy,” he says.

International buyers of U.S. soybeans can request verification of sustainability through the U.S. Soy Sustainability Assurance Protocol. USSEC says the verification is provided by a certificate of sustainability associated with exported shipments of U.S. soybeans.

Rezac says it’s a big deal as China is the biggest buyer of U.S. soybeans.

“When other countries like that start looking at sustainability that really means a lot because U.S. soy has a huge story to tell with being more sustainable than Brazil, for example, which is our competitor exporting soybeans,” he says. “We have an advantage with soil conservation, less labor, and fewer inputs.”

Brownfield interviewed Rezac during Trade Talk at the 2021 NAFB Convention.

Audio: Lance Rezac