The ASA’s World Initiative for Soy in Human Health program hosted its Trade Opportunity Preview Summit in Taipei, Taiwan, in collaboration with the U.S. Soybean Export Council last week. The TOPS event brought together the top Asian food company leaders from WISHH markets in Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Cambodia to explore market innovations, technical insights, and trade opportunities with U.S. soy. WISHH brought the summit to Taiwan to showcase to companies how their businesses could evolve with U.S. soy.
Included in the summit were presentations by industry and academic experts intended to help business leaders gain a deeper understanding of U.S. soy’s reliability, functionality, and versatility across food applications. A highlight of the event was a presentation by Haley Oliver, Ph.D., on food safety, emphasizing global best practices and the importance of consistent standards in strengthening consumer confidence. Oliver, a vice provost at Purdue University, shared insights into the science systems that ensure the integrity of soy-based products worldwide. Other seminar speakers included Mike Koehne, an ASA Director and USSEC board member from Indiana, who presented virtually on how he grows Identity Preserved soybeans for export markets, Edil Vidal Torres, a Northern Crops Institute food technologist presented on advances in soy food processing.
WISHH executed the TOPS event with support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service through its Market Access, Foreign Market Development, and Regional Agricultural Promotion programs. The summit also served as a preview of trade opportunities designed to connect U.S. suppliers with Asian buyers.