USSEC’s India Human Utilization program conducted a one-day national conference, “Soybean Oil for Health and Industrial Applications,” on June 6 in Hyderabad. This seminar, which promotes soybean oil in India, was held for the first time in two decades and was co-hosted by the Oil Technologists Association of India (Southern Zone).
The conference was held against the backdrop of increasing imports of edible oils to bridge the ever-widening edible oil gap in India. Consumption of soybean oil for food uses in India is currently 3.4 million metric tons (MMT) representing around 15 percent of the total consumption. 50 percent of soybean oil demand is met by import. There is a distinct opportunity to further enhance the share of consumption of soybean oil through increased imports.  The objective of this national event was to increase the awareness of soybean oil as a healthy cooking oil and expand its consumption as a standalone healthy oil as well as in the form of blended vegetable oils.

Dr. Martin Kropp, Managing Director, ADM Agro Industries, India gave the inaugural address, highlighting supply and demand aspects as well as the advantages of soy and soybean oil. He also discussed the extremely tight supply situation in India, and the high process cost that makes India noncompetitive in the world market. USSEC Director International Program Strategy & Research/Regional Director – ASC Dr. Drew Klein delivered the keynote address on global experiences with retailing soybean oil and strategies for reinvigorating the product growth through innovative market campaigns and appropriate market centric product diversification. He also drew attention to the value differentiation of U.S. origin soybean oil, especially from the point of sustainability assurance. Industry experts from India and abroad presented on supply and demand, market dynamics, and new and emerging technologies for more efficient extraction and refining of soybean oil. R & D scientists presented information on the health and wellness attributes of soybean oil and soy protein, expanding the use of soybean oil as a standalone oil as well as by blending and inter-esterification with other edible oils and industrial uses of soybean oil.
Other national organizations and allied industry, trade and professional associations – Association of Food Scientists and Technologists India, Soy Food Promotion and Welfare Association of India, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology and Soy Processors Association - actively supported the event and interacted with and shared their experience with the participants during discussions. R & D Scientists from leading companies in the soybean oil industry chaired and moderated the technical sessions. USSEC Director – India Soy Food Program Dr. M. M. Krishna welcomed the participants and summed up the event with a call to the stake holders and opinion leaders to position soy and soybean oil as integral components of India’s food and nutrition security programs.

The national conference on soybean oil was successful in improving awareness of the benefits of soybean oil among a broad spectrum of stakeholders and opinion leaders. The forum also provided a platform for networking and meetings between industry and technology and R & D resource persons. The event was covered in the English and local language press.