WISHH – World Initiative for Soy in Human Health – recently invited 15 or so potential buyers to Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota to see what makes soybeans so special.
Posted on August, 29, 2022 at 07:50 am
Soybean fields are usually beautiful in August – that makes it a good time to invite international delegations to visit and learn more about U.S. soybeans.
WISHH – World Initiative for Soy in Human Health – recently invited 15 or so potential buyers to Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota to see what makes soybeans so special.
The group included people from six countries – Uganda, Kenya, Ghana (Sub-Saharan Africa), El Salvador, Guatemala (Central America) and Cambodia (Southeast Asia).
The guests explored ideas for soy-based foods and snack foods, soy as a supplement to fortify foods, and soy as animal nutrition. They also learned about soybean production in the United States.
One of those invited was Professor John Kinyuru, Ph.D., food technologist, who started his trip from Nairobi, Kenya, on Saturday, Aug. 6.
His first 8-hour flight took him to Amsterdam, and then he took another 8-hour flight to Minneapolis arriving on Sunday – about 32 hours after he left home if you add in that Nairobi is eight hours ahead of Minneapolis.
By 4 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 8, Kinyuru was visiting the Lichtsinn family farm out in Traverse County – the least populated county in all of Minnesota.
He was very happy to be visiting the farm.
A member of academia who has published 82 publications, Kinyuru is very interested in human nutrition. Many of his papers involve eating insects for protein.
Another novel product – soy – may help feed many people, too.
“We don’t produce much soya in Kenya – we don’t grow much,” he said, adding that he wants to learn how soybeans are grown and harvested, as well as opportunities for processing and use.
In addition to teaching at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Kinyuru is a food technology consultant for Prosoya Kenya that focuses on fighting malnutrition, poverty, and unemployment.
The company produces various types of food for humans, and animal feed premixes.
“We process soy into a number of things – soy chunks, soya flour,” he said. “There are many other uses, novel uses, so really I want to see what creative things are being done that we can do technology-transfer back home.”
When considering the purchase of soy, he wants raw ingredients or products that have high quality and no mold or mycotoxins – nothing that will make anyone sick by eating.
He also wants as low of a cost as possible.
“Especially in the Sub-Saharan of Africa, the buying power of our consumer is low,” he said. “We want to provide a nutritious product, but also something that is affordable – keep the cost down from the source.”
The Lichtsinns
Farming at the base of the Red River Valley, a single field can take up a section. The Lichtsinn’s farm in such a remote area that some of the township roads are minimum maintenance. Just 35 people have a vote in their township, said Craig Lichtsinn, 67.
Craig is slowly retiring from farming, and enjoying time with his wife, Patty. His son, Adam, is taking over the corn and soybean farm. Adam, 38, is married to Katy Lichtsinn, a massage therapist.
Meeting with Kinyuru and the others, Craig explained some of the history of the farm. He talked about how production has changed over the years – and mostly for the better.
The farm was very diversified until the mid-1960s, when they decided to focus on crop production and beef cattle. They also fed hogs for many years. First the hog enterprise came to an end. In the last year, the beef enterprise was ended.
With a large dairy just north of them, and another large dairy in the works south of their farm, the Lichtsinns sell most of their crops to the dairies.
He told the trade team about how much safer farming is today than in the past. He was exposed to a strong chemical many years ago and spent about six months in the hospital recovering from the exposure.
The products and chemicals today are not so dangerous, he said.
He talked about the value of using traited crops that require fewer chemicals.
The trade team was impressed with the farm, said Marypat Corbett, director, Latin America Division & Special Projects Lead.
“They have been astounded by how tidy everything is,” Corbett said. “They can’t believe there is hardly any people – because they are so used to populated towns. The green – everything is so lush, and look at all these lakes.”
American Soybean Association’s WISHH used Minnesota soy checkoff dollars as well as USDA Market Access Program and Agricultural Trade Promotional dollars to fund the trip.
North Dakota and South Dakota soybean growers also hosted the event. The tour included a Northern Crops Institute course on soy – hands-on training in processing soy foods and feeds, touring soy production facilities, and learning about the properties for soy.
Corbett said that the academics, company owners, consultants, and ministers of education on this trip will bring soy protein knowledge back to their countries. They are especially interested in innovating and expanding their soy food and/or feed product lines.
“We’re talking about tofu, maybe having a meat alternative – like texturized soy protein – or using meat and soy to make a sausage,” she said. Soy pudding, soy flour in combination with wheat flour to make tortillas, and soy protein isolate fortification are potential uses for soy in food products.
In addition, soybean meal is an excellent feed ingredient for dairy, eggs, fish, poultry or livestock.
“We have entrepreneurs here who have worked successfully in their countries, and they are interested in filling the gap in their country’s food supply. They are also protein-deficient, as well as food-insecure countries,” she said. “So, what better product to promote than one that will not only help them solve their food insecurity situation, but one that is also the most versatile protein product on the planet – soy.”
Corbett added that she is very proud of the U.S. soybean farmers who started WISHH 21 years ago.
Farmers were the ones to say they needed to proactively go out and grow new export markets. Farmers decided to focus on the development of emerging markets where soybeans could help children grow and help adults to stay healthy and well-fed.
Another of the trade team members was Edith-Casely Ndidi Fordjoe. She is an environmentalist and the marketing executive for The Little Cow Consulting, Ltd. WISHH is among her clients in Ghana and Uganda. She launched a “Go For Soya Chunks” campaign that encouraged schools to learn about how to use soy in meals.
The campaign has been successful and will now focus on teaching consumers the benefits of soy.
On this trip, Ndidi Fordjoe hoped to learn much more about the product she is promoting – and all the various uses for soy.
“We should really be able to help our communities,” she said, “especially in Africa.”
Source: Farm Guide