WISHH News
International Food Aid Representatives Coming to Illinois and Indiana for
WISHH Workshop on Use of Soy to Fight Global Hunger and Disease
May 8, 2002… International organizations, such as Save the Children and
Africare, are seeing and tasting news ways to use thousands of tons of soybeans
and soy protein products this week as they participate in a workshop hosted by
the soybean checkoff-supported World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH).
Representatives of these Private Voluntary Organizations (PVOs) are attending
the program being held May 8-10 at the National Soybean Research Laboratory in
Urbana, Illinois. They will also visit a soybean farm, Central Soya facilities
in Gibson City, Illinois and Fort Wayne, Indiana as well as a Bunge plant in
Danville, Illinois.
“This is a great opportunity for groups to gain first-hand knowledge of how
soy and soy protein products can play an even larger role in fighting hunger in
countries throughout the world,” said Bryan Hieser, an Illinois soybean farmer
and United Soybean Board director. “This program also allows the participants to
interact with industry representatives and see how soybeans can fit into their
long-term economic development programs.”
"Central Soya takes great satisfaction in creating products that enhance
nutrition for people around the world, so we are happy to share our research and
product development expertise with these respected food aid programs. Adding soy
products to food relief programs not only expands the marketplace for soybean
farmers, it can help alleviate world hunger and
provide needed protein to people whose lives and health are at stake," said Jeff
Fritz, director of corporate affairs for Central Soya.
The Midwest Workshop program includes demonstrations and evaluations of soy
foods made from defatted soy flour, textured soy protein, soymilk and other soy
protein products. Participants will also discuss how soy fits with new
government initiatives to fight world hunger as well as how soy can provide
much-needed protein for those with HIV/AIDs.
More than a million metric tons of U.S. soybeans have annually gone into food
aid in recent years, representing 3 percent of total U.S. soybean exports.
Furthermore, former food aid recipients, such as the Philippines and Korea, are
now important long-term commercial customers of U.S. soy.
Most future growth in food demand will be in developing and middle-income
countries. Almost all of the world’s projected increase of 1.2 billion people by
2020 will be in these countries, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture
report: Food and Agricultural Policy Taking Stock for the New Century. The
report also finds that by 2006 middle-income classes of developing countries
will have grown by 68% from mid-1990s levels and that increase is equal to the
current combined populations of Japan and the European Union.
Introducing new 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, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota,
Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Wisconsin
and soybean producers from the Northeastern United States. More information
about WISHH is available at www.wishh.org
Contact:
Jim Hershey at the American Soybean Association 1-800-688-7692 (SOYA)
or Karen Coble Edwards 703-281-7600 (cell phone 703-625-8230)
Jane Ade Stevens for Indiana Soybean Board, phone 317/926-6272
Theresa Miller, Illinois Soybean Association, phone 309/663-7692
Jeff Fritz, Central Soya, phone 260-425-5882
Rob Wynstra, University of Illinois, phone 217/333-9446.
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