U.S. Soy Reaches Zimbabwe, Africa to Provide 200,000 Servings
Soybean Growers Partner with Rotarians and Cargill

After traversing more than 8,700 miles across land and ocean, a 20-foot shipping container with 348 bags of textured soy protein (TSP) from Cedar Rapids, Iowa has reached its southern Africa destination in Zimbabwe. Now it can fulfill its mission of offering 200,000 servings of high-protein food for orphans, pregnant women, people living with HIV and others in need. Development Aid from People to People (DAPP) staff received the TSP on Feb. 24, 2005, a little more than two months after it left the Cargill Cedar Rapids facility thanks to a collaborative effort between Cargill and Rotary International with the World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) Program.

U.S. soy protein has traveled more than 8,700 miles to Zimbabwe where Development Aid from People to People is using it to offer 200,000 servings of food to people in need. The soy shipment was a collaborative effort between Cargill and Rotary International with the World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) Program that is supported by the Iowa Soybean Board.

Cargill donated the TSP while Rotary Clubs in Odebolt and Rockwell City, Iowa, as well as their Rotary District and Rotary International raised more than $6,000 for the transportation costs. The opportunity to share the protein-rich soy with people in need in Zimbabwe resulted from the support of WISHH, a program that works with organizations in Zimbabwe and other developing countries.

DAPP is a member and co-founder of Humana People to People’s Federation. Their Zimbabwe Chairman Ib Hansen expressed appreciation for the soy that DAPP will couple with its “Total Control of the Epidemic” (TCE) education program to stem the spread of HIV/AIDs. An estimated 24.6 percent of Zimbabwe’s adult populations are HIV infected. TCE’s health educators, called “Field Officers,” will help distribute the soy along with education materials on HIV/AIDS to community volunteers called “Passionates.” “The idea is that the Passionates are identified and trained in practical preparation of soy,” Hansen says. “Some of them go and start up soy restaurants. Others do soy promotion within the families.”

“It is great to see that U.S. soy can make a difference in lives around the world,” said WISHH Program Director Jim Hershey. “U.S. food assistance creates friends for America in general and American farmers who produce high-quality soy protein.”

TSP is well suited for integration into diverse diets around the world, according to Market Manager for Cargill’s Soy Protein Business Gregg Nelson. “TSP provides nutrients without affecting taste, so it can be incorporated into foods that are already liked by local communities” Nelson said. “It is gratifying to have the opportunity to make this donation, because it aligns so closely with Cargill’s stated purpose to be the global leader in nourishing people.”

U.S. soybean organizations launched the WISHH program in 2000. WISHH was designed to find new opportunities for U.S. soy in programs that help feed the hungry as well as stimulate economies for long-term sustainable development.
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To learn more about WISHH visit www.wishh.org or call Karen Edwards at 703-281-7600.

To learn more about Humana People to People go to http://www.humana.org
Cargill is an international provider of food, agricultural and risk management products and services. With 105,000 employees in 59 countries, the company is committed to using its knowledge and experience to collaborate with customers to help them succeed. For more information, visit www.cargill.com.