WISHH recently brought a trade team of food business leaders from Sri Lanka to the Northern Crops Institute for its Baking with Soy short course. The course is a five-day, hands-on training program that explores the use of soy ingredients in commercial baking. Participants gained practical experience incorporating soy flour into a variety of baked products while learning about soy’s nutritional and functional benefits, food safety, characteristics and current soy market trends.
Through hands-on baking sessions, tours of local soy processing and production facilities, and a collaborative “Great Soy Bake Off,” the team gained technical knowledge and firsthand exposure to the versatility of U.S. soy for food ingredients.
Sri Lanka is a growing market for U.S. soybean farmers. So, this trade team could continue to open new opportunities for U.S. soy by equipping Sri Lankan food industry leaders with the knowledge and connections to incorporate soy into commercial food products. As participants explore new formulations and commercial applications, it strengthens demand for U.S. soy and trade relations in South Asia. WISHH leveraged funding from USDA’s Regional Agricultural Promotion Program to create this trade opportunity.