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WISHH News
ASA Welcomes U.S. Agency for International Development Approval of Five
Value-Added Soy Protein Products for Food for Peace Programs
July 11, 2002… Saint Louis, Missouri… The American Soybean Association (ASA) is
pleased that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has approved
five value-added soy protein products for use in Food for Peace programs. The
decision is based on extensive nutritional information provided by the World
Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) program, which is supported by ASA,
the United Soybean Board and state soybean organizations. USAID’s approval will
allow food assistance groups, such as Africare and the World Food Programme, to
request defatted soy flour, textured soy protein, soy protein concentrates,
isolated soy protein and soy milk replacer through the $1 billion Food for Peace
Program administered by USAID.
Lauren Landis, director of the USAID Office of Food for Peace, notified ASA of
the decision and specifically cited defatted soy flour for being economical and
practical for use in USAID’s work in developing countries throughout the world.
“USAID’s decision creates new opportunities for U.S. soy to help fight the
global battle against hunger,” said ASA First Vice President Dwain Ford, an
Illinois soybean farmer. “Furthermore, the Food for Peace program can help
foster long-term commercial customers for U.S. soy. Some of our leading export
markets, like the Philippines and South Korea, are proof that U.S. food
assistance can also build trade relationships.”
“Groups that deliver food aid applaud this decision since it offers them new
tools to combat global malnutrition that affects more than 800 million people,
including 200 million children under age five,” said Ellen Levinson, of
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, who serves as executive director of the Coalition
for Food Aid. “Soy protein is a valuable resource for nonprofit voluntary
organizations and cooperatives in their efforts to improve the quality of the
food supply in developing countries.”
Last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) made a similar approval of
these soy products for use in its food assistance programs based on information
from the soybean checkoff-funded WISHH and the National Soybean Research
Laboratory (NSRL) in Illinois. WISHH will continue its work to assist Private
Voluntary Organizations (PVOs) and other food assistance groups in developing
proposals that they can submit to USAID and USDA. Many organizations are already
familiar with the products because of WISHH providing technical information and
the help of consultants to develop pilot projects. WISHH, NSRL and soy
processors have also cooperated to introduce products and have hosted PVOs at
two workshops to demonstrate the value and uses of soy.
Introducing soy protein products to food aid programs is one of the top goals of
WISHH. Activities range from developing new ways soy can increase the protein in
breads offered in Afghanistan relief programs to identifying new uses for
soy-wheat noodles in Indonesian school lunches. The initiative also demonstrates
the nutritional role soy-based foods offer to the millions of people affected by
HIV/AIDS worldwide. WISHH routinely leverages soybean checkoff funds by
cooperating with humanitarian groups and government agencies as well as the
ASA’s international marketing staff.
In addition to support from the United Soybean Board and the American Soybean
Association, the WISHH program has received funding from state soybean
organizations in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota,
Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and
Wisconsin, and soybean producers from the Northeastern United States. More
information about WISHH is available at www.wishh.org.
For more information contact:
Dwain Ford, ASA First Vice President, 618/292-7498
Jim Hershey, WISHH Director, 314/754-1314
Karen Edwards, KCE Public Affairs Associates, 703/281-7600
Jill Wagenblast, ASA Communications Specialist, 314/754-1310
American Soybean Association
12125 Woodcrest Executive Drive, Suite 100, Saint Louis, MO 63141
Phone: (314) 576-1770, Fax: (314) 576-2786
Click here for more information on Value
Added Soy Products
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