Soy Foods Month Regional Highlights
As Soy Foods Month continues, we highlight the global impact of U.S. Soy. From hands-on training to high-level summits, USSEC is driving innovation, nutrition, and sustainability. Worldwide efforts are strengthening partnerships and expanding market opportunities. Explore recent highlights across USSEC regions including East Asia, the Americas and Europe, China and the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia.
North & Southeast Asia
USSEC hosted the U.S. Food Bean Buyers Conference on March 20 in Seoul, Korea. The program covered soy market updates, non-GM acreage, Sustainable U.S. Soy label (SUSS) adoption, IP soybean procurement and soy’s role in healthy aging. A panel of growers and exporters shared insights on the U.S. soy food bean market, followed by one-on-one meetings connecting suppliers and buyers.
The 2026 Asia Soy Excellence & Food Summit was held March 25 to 27 in Bangkok, Thailand, under the theme: “Unlocking Nutritious and Sustainable Soy Benefits – Differentiate and Elevate U.S. Soy for Nourishing Asia.” Attendees included U.S. farmer leaders, suppliers, researchers, health professionals, culinary experts, government officials and food innovators. Discussions focused on sustainability, product innovation, supply reliability and evolving consumer demand, reinforcing U.S. Soy’s role in the region’s food sector.
The Americas
USSEC Americas advanced the use of soy flour in bakery applications in March through technical workshops in Colombia, engaging professionals from across Latin America. The program encouraged incorporating soy flour, ground from U.S. soybeans, into products like bread and was developed with soybean importers and processors.
Through hands-on training, recipe development, and technical support, the program has led to new soy-based products in the region, demonstrating how soy boosts protein and enhances the nutritional value of staple foods.
Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA)
USSEC MENASA hosted the first of four Nutrition Dialogue webinars on March 31 in partnership with Soy Nutrition Institute Global. The inaugural webinar, “Breaking through the food infodemic noise with credible, science-driven insights,” highlighted strategies for promoting evidence-based nutrition messaging and examined the hormonal effects of soy foods in women. This session was approved for one continuing professional education unit (CPEU) for registered dietitians (RDNs) in accordance with the Commission on Dietetic Registration’s CPEU prior approval program. USSEC is now able to provide CPEUs for these webinars, showcasing world class speakers, and educating RDs around the world. The next Nutrition Dialogue webinar is scheduled for May 31.
China
USSEC China organized two Soy Innovation Center (SIC) IP Soy Deep Processing Science Training sessions in 2025, attracting more than 100 participants, including next-generation CEOs from leading Chinese soy food companies. The program covered the full farm-to-catering supply chain and emphasized the importance of consistent soybean variety selection to maintain product integrity.
From April 15 to 17, the China team is hosting the 2026 SIC Soybean Oil Quality Control Training Course in partnership with COFCO Academy. USSEC CEO Jim Sutter and other senior leaders are attending.
Partially funded by the Soy Checkoff