Establishing a Solid Connection for U.S. Soy and Consumers

Americans’ connection to soy is limited. Unlike other commodities sold on grocery store shelves, soy often appears as just one part of a product. However, consumers benefit greatly from soy-based products, both food and nonfood related. These advantages can ultimately contribute toward improving individual lifestyles and well-being. Your checkoff is helping show consumers the value of their interactions with soy.

Soy Is Everywhere

From grabbing your Skechers^® shoes and lacing them up to conquer the day to hopping into a truck filled with biodiesel and comfy foam seats inside, there are many ways soy can be part of daily life. Meagan Kaiser, soy checkoff Vice Chair and Missouri soybean farmer, shares her insight regarding common interactions many have with soy.

“We believe soy is a sustainable choice for every life, every day — from thinking about the soy asphalt you drive on, the soy rubber in your Goodyear^® tires, the tennis shoes that you wear being made from a green, domestically produced renewable resource and offsetting the carbon footprint of all of us in our lives every day,” Kaiser says.

Even those who aren’t on the farm can encounter soy every day. Soy is used in a variety of products, and consumers may not realize how much they already rely on and benefit from it. From diesel engines to paint, soybean oil is found in thousands of household items. The versatility of this unique product makes it perfect for many applications.

Soy Is Helping

The U.S. soybean industry is both an enormous source of agricultural income and a major player in the sustainability movement. U.S. Soy serves as a key ingredient that provides sustainable solutions for some of the world’s most complex challenges. It helps meet growing global nutritional needs and provides products that enhance quality and sustainability in our lives, supporting the progress of communities worldwide.

Kaiser says soy can meet a wide variety of needs because it’s incredibly versatile, starting with the bean’s makeup.

“When you crush a soybean, you get meal, which goes into a lot of nutrition aspects, and you also get oil, which can be used for vegetable oil,” Kaiser says.

Soy’s versatility shines in the kitchen. Kaiser says soybean oil has heart-healthy qualities, making it a go-to choice for salad dressings and cooking oil, as well as providing solutions for a variety of packaged foods. The versatility, popularity and heart-healthy characteristics of soybean oil make it a kitchen staple to help consumers reach dietary goals.

Soy Is Showing Up

We recognize consumers may simply be unaware of how often they’re interacting with soy, so your checkoff continues to search for ways to raise awareness of its importance. Recently, U.S. Soy partnered with a music festival in the Midwest, the Open Highway Music Festival, to connect consumers with soy products and introduce consumers to U.S. soybeans as a key ingredient in every life, every day.

“Events like this one are a great way for the checkoff to open the door of curiosity for consumers,” says Kaiser. “It gives them a chance to interact with soy and its products in a fun, positive way.”

Data shows that sponsorships like this are beneficial for both the attendees and sponsors, as consumers are more engaged and attentive in live music environments. Sponsorships at events like the Open Highway Music Festival provide consumers with a strong opportunity to interact with or be introduced to U.S. Soy. One study has shown there is a 22% increase in consumer engagement and attention with event sponsors, and event attendees are 53% more likely to use the sponsor in the future.

Soybean nutrition is important to the health of the U.S. public, and we’re excited to continue taking advantage of opportunities to highlight the benefits of soy through sponsorships like the Open Highway Music Festival. Enhancing consumer education on the benefits of soy in our world is a key step in unlocking its boundless potential for consumers and for farmers.