At the 2025 Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) Global Summit in Amsterdam, AI innovations and retail strategies may have taken center stage. Still, one presentation brought the sustainability narrative back to its roots: the farm. The U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) showcased how U.S. Soy’s sustainable practices align with global ESG commitments and carbon-conscious sourcing.
Connecting with new audiences
During their presentation, “From Seed to Store: Connecting U.S. Soy Farming Practices to Consumer Preference,” Abby Rinne, USSEC Director of Sustainability, and Iowa soybean farmer Randy Miller, who also serves as a director for ASA and USSEC, shared how U.S. farmers are helping consumer packaged goods brands meet their ambitious sustainability targets. Tom Frisch, Minnesota soybean farmer and USB director, also joined the event and together with Miller engaged in meaningful conversations with conference participants.
In the TED Talk style presentation known as an “I-Talk”, Rinne covered the impact of soy on our everyday lives and the sustainable footprint of U.S. Soy alongside that of other soy export leaders.
“U.S. soybean farmers don’t think of sustainability as much as a destination but as a process, and every year they are improving what they are doing on their farms,” Rinne said.
Miller shared his personal experience as a soybean farmer who has demonstrated a long-term commitment to sustainable protection. Together, they highlighted a combination of precision agriculture, conservation practices, and verified data.
USSEC’s presentation covered key topics including the significance of soy in our daily lives, major producers of soy and carbon footprint data, the U.S. Sustainability Assurance Protocol (SSAP), precision farming practices and the fact that U.S. cropland decreased between 1982 and 2017, while U.S. forestland increased.
U.S. soybean farmers Randy Miller and Tom Frisch talk with a participant at the 2025 Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit in Amsterdam.
As a U.S. Soy farmer, Miller and Frisch represent hundreds of thousands of U.S. soybean growers who have adopted ambitious 2030 sustainability goals to:
- Reduce Land Use Impact by 10%
- Reduce Soil Erosion by 25%
- Reduce Energy Use by 10%
- Reduce GHG Emissions by 5%
These metrics – all formally verified via the SSAP - demonstrate U.S. soybean farmers’ commitment to transparency and continuous improvement.
Building credibility for ESG-conscious brands
USSEC also spotlighted how sustainability translates into commercial advantage:
- SSAP-verified soy now represents over 70% of U.S. Soy exports, thanks to a reliable, transferable verification system that allows for up to four transfers along the value chain after export.
- The Sustainable U.S. Soy (SUSS) label is now featured on over 1,000 products from over 100 companies worldwide, demonstrating brands' commitment to verified sourcing claims.
Such third-party verifications give procurement teams confidence in ingredient-level credibility.
Showcasing farming’s role in consumer goods
As CPG companies grapple with Scope 3 emissions, biodiversity mandates and consumer trust, USSEC offered a lesson in simplicity backed by science: sustainability starts with verified sourcing. On a global stage in front of representatives from the world’s largest consumer goods companies, U.S. Soy showed how it’s helping to define what’s possible, proving that sustainable farming can drive both environmental and commercial performance.
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This story was partially funded by U.S. Soy farmers, their checkoff and the soy value chain.
