In keeping with USSEC's longstanding commitment to support industry growth and help our industry partners and customers progress and navigate the latest trends shaping the food and agriculture industry, we are organising an inaugural two-day industry service virtual event dedicated to promoting dialogue and awareness on building sustainable food supply chains for the future, "SE Asia Food and AG Sustainability Symposium", on December 14-15, 2021.

We are pleased to welcome all agribusinesses, policy-makers, food retail professionals and all related food industry participants to join us at this registration-free event.

Hear and learn from our distinguished panel of international keynote speakers and panellists comprising of subject matter experts, thought leaders, as well as industry frontrunners as they share their knowledge, expertise and experiences on the latest developments in sustainable food and agriculture production and supply.

US soy producers have been practitioners of sustainability for over 80 years.

USSEC established its Singapore regional office in 1979 and have been privileged to participate in the region's growth and development providing service and support to our customers. Having served this region for over three decades advocating the use of soy protein for food production and animal feed for the livestock and aquaculture sectors, the evolution of attitudes and practices towards sustainability developed rapidly across food production to consumer preference, a movement that has taken center stage and accelerated during the pandemic as the stresses on our food systems become apparent.

On April 27, 1935, the US Congress passed Public Law 74-46 which led to the establishment of the Soil Conservation Service (SCS), marking the start of US soy's journey towards sustainability.

SCS later became the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and under the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), NRCS oversees national conservation programmes through its force of around 12,000 employees situated in 2,900 locations across the United States.

USDA invests over US$6 billion annually in conservation programmes. US soybean production is based on a national system of sustainability and conservation laws and regulations combined with careful implementation of best production practices by the nation's 280,000 soybean producers. In addition, US soybean producers participate in numerous certified and audited voluntary sustainability and conservation programmes. US soy is uniquely positioned to provide sustainable solutions for the complex challenges presented by a rising global population.

The vast majority of US soybean farmers follow the conservation regulations and latest advancements in farming practices outlined in the US Soybean Sustainability Protocol (https://ussec.org/resources/ssap-2/), or SSAP.

According to the latest Field to Market Report[1], US farmers have increased soy production by 120% since 1980, mostly due to yield increases. At the same time, US soybean farmers have improved resource efficiency per bushel since 1980[2], seeing a 40% land use efficiency improvement, 32% irrigation water use efficiency improvement, 35% energy use efficiency improvement, 38% greenhouse gas emissions efficiency improvement and 47% per acre soil conservation improvement.

In 2014, about 6,845 metric tonnes of US soy were shipped with a SSAP certificate but demand has grown exponentially whereas in 2021 alone, 65 US exporters have issued SSAP certificates for 25.8 million metric tonnes of US soy, cumulatively reaching a milestone of 100 million metric tonnes of SSAP certified US soy shipped internationally from 2014-21.

As part of US soy's role as a leader in global sustainable food and agriculture practices, USSEC led a global stakeholder engagement process to prioritise economic, social and environmental aspects for ensuring future global success of sustainable US soy. These priorities were then mapped to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The areas identified where US soy has the greatest impact in supporting progress toward global sustainable development are Goal 2: Zero Hunger, Goal 6: Clean Water & Sanitation, Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, Goal 13: Climate Action, Goal 15: Life on Land, and Goal 17: Partnerships.

In the meantime, SSAP, a third-party verified programme developed by multiple stakeholders in the US soy industry, continues to gain wide acceptance as a recognised sustainable soy sourcing standard by aquaculture and feed manufacturing organisations around the world, and it was most recently selected as one of only three sustainability systems that passed the independent benchmarking process required by the European Feed Manufacturers' Federation (FEFAC).

Through SSAP certification, US soy was also recognised by the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organizing Committee as compliant with the sustainable sourcing code for agricultural products.

In addition, sourcing SSAP certified US soy gives our customers assurance that they are meeting their own environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives by sourcing their food and feed ingredients sustainably.

In terms of quality and cost savings, US soybeans, soybean meal and soy products offer a superior bundle of essential amino acids and metabolisable energy, important promoters of growth, accompanied by higher quality, reliability and product consistency.

US soy's partnership and commitment to its customers is supported by USSEC and the trade and technical services that we provide.

Find out more, and register to attend this event for free, at: https://cvent.me/71ENb9.