More than 150 U.S. soy stakeholders from every part of the soy value chain participated in a WebEx call on March 31 to discuss the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic on the global soy industry as USSEC works to engage the use of technology to reach broad audiences.
Jim Sutter, USSEC CEO, gave a brief overview of the effects of the virus, explaining that the situation highlights the need for a strong supply chain. The Department of Homeland Security has designated agriculture as a critical industry, and USSEC teams have engaged with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as inspections are particularly important to keep the U.S. soy supply chain moving.
USSEC isn’t standing idle during this period of uncertainty and will be leveraging its technology capabilities to further engage key audience stakeholders. Upcoming virtual global webinars will be launching in April, focusing on the supply chain, supply and demand, and other issues, in addition to updates from U.S. soy farmers on planting. These types of forums, among other efforts, will allow USSEC to continue to build preference for U.S. soy while promoting its competitive advantage.
Additionally, USSEC’s regional directors provided insights about the impacts of the novel coronavirus on ports, supply chains, animal agriculture production, various governments’ management of the crisis, and opportunities for U.S. Soy. They reported that USSEC’s “boots on the ground” are healthy and continuing to stay engaged with customers remotely, utilizing technology to stay connected.
USSEC will continue to provide information about new opportunities to members and industry stakeholders as it strives to create new ways of conducting business during this time. Each week, regional opportunities for U.S. Soy will be highlighted in the Global News Update, providing greater detail about the feasibility of the U.S. soy industry to capitalize on such prospects.