WISHH News

More Soy-fortified & Blended Products Go to Food Assistance Programs

Grain Industry Credits WISHH for Increase

The U.S. grain industry is noting a trend in increased use of soy-fortified and blended products in U.S. foreign assistance programs and is giving credit for such growth to the World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) Program. During the last six months, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has tendered for more than 169,000 metric tons of soy-fortified and blended products, including corn-soy blend, wheat-soy blend, soy-fortified corn meal, soy-fortified bulgur, corn-soy milk, wheat-soy milk, and soy-fortified sorghum grits. In July alone, USDA has made plans to purchase an additional 56,000 metric tons of soy-fortified and blended products.

“We are pleased to see greater use of soy-fortified and blended products,” says Bunge Vice President for Sales and Transportation Rodney Perry. “The World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) and the North American Miller’s Association’s (NAMA) work is paying off as the federal agencies are increasing the nutrition content of the foods they offer through food assistance programs. Greater use of these products is good for the recipients who need the nutrition, and at the same time, their use is good for U.S. commodity markets.”

The majority of these products are headed to destinations in Africa for use in relief of the ongoing food emergency in the Horn and Southern regions of the continent. Corn-soy blend accounted for more than 100,000 metric tons of the soy-fortified and blended products procured since the beginning of 2003. Industry officials note that several tenders have shifted from pure corn meal to soy-fortified corn meal. In fiscal year 2002, USDA purchased only 1,150 metric tons of soy-fortified corn meal for the various food assistance programs. Tenders to date this year exceed 35,000 metric tons.

The World Food Programme (WFP) is using many of the products in their efforts in Africa to fight famine as well as the HIV/AIDS crises. HIV/AIDS is magnifying the importance of nutrition programs. “Existing therapies require sound nutrition,” said WFP Executive Director James T. Morris. “Adequate food is essential for prolonging lives of parents and enabling them to have a few more precious weeks, months or maybe even years to work and spend time with their families.”

“One of the early WISHH achievements was to provide the nutritional information to the government that led to greater recognition of the benefits of soy,” said WISHH Program Director Jim Hershey. “We are pleased to work with soybean processors as well as the many hunger-fighting organizations that use millions of pounds of soy annually throughout the world.”

Numerous state soybean organizations support WISHH along with the ASA and the United Soybean Board. Soybean growers launched the WISHH program in 2000. WISHH is helping America’s soybean growers build more bridges between America’s bounty and sustainable nutrition programs in countries where rapidly growing populations of all income levels can benefit from soy in their diets.