By Jeff Hutton
If you’re a buyer or a consumer and you want the best quality soybeans, you look to the United States.
If you want to make sure those beans are raised sustainably and that those practices are conservation-minded, while also meeting a myriad of international standards, you turn to the U.S. Soybean Export Council’s (USSEC) Soy Sustainability Assurance Protocol (SSAP).
SSAP certification
The SSAP verifies that soybeans and soy products produced in the United States are compliant with a system of sustainability and conservation laws and regulations and farmer participation in the U.S. Farm Program, administered by the Farm Service Agency under the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
SSAP is one of the largest sustainability verification programs in the agriculture industry and has proven to be a highly reliable measure of U.S. soybean farmers’ commitment in areas like biodiversity, sustainable production practices, public and labor health, and continuous improvement of farming practices.
SSAP certification began in 2013 to meet international source guidelines (first in the Netherlands and then through parts of Europe), says Abby Rinne, USSEC director for sustainability.
“It brings together laws and regulations and the voluntary efforts that farmers are engaged in,” she says.
Relying on farmers’ enrollment in the U.S. Farm Program and meeting compliance rates through on-farm audits, international buyers can be assured that they are getting the best beans in the world.
“Considering 60% of the soy grown in the United States is exported, the SSAP is an important tool for farmers to get their products to foreign markets,” Rinne says.
In 2024, 72% of all U.S. soy exports had a SSAP certificate.
Beginning in Europe and moving toward northeast and southeast Asia, the Americas and in some African markets, buyers are demanding sustainability measures be met, ensuring soy is sourced properly for international consumers.
“With this benchmarking process, and with a number of U.S. laws and requirements that have to be met, (the SSAP) takes us a step further and lets customers know that our farmers are doing the right thing,” Rinne says.
“There’s no surprise there, but the SSAP shows what U.S. farmers do sustainably — they are good stewards of the land and protect their most valuable assets. This allows them to shine internationally.”
USSEC Board Member Randy Miller of Lacona, says the SSAP gives buyers around the world assurances that U.S. soy is the best.
“They know it’s not coming from deforested land; rather it’s grown under sustainable practices that are conservation minded,” he says.
Rinne says concerns how soy is raised continues to spread around the globe and says U.S. farmers demonstrate what a great tool SSAP can be.
“(Buyers) know U.S. soy is quite superior and they are getting a more consistent product,” she says.
USSEC notes that through SSAP, 126 companies, 1,100 products and 20 countries mark their goods with a sustainable U.S. soy logo. This allows consumers to see that the company they are purchasing from has a commitment to sustainability.
“And I think the interest in sustainability in how soy is raised is not going to go away, but will only increase,” she says.
Social responsibility and market access
Violet Wang, an import coordinator with Concourse International based in Taiwan, says there’s no question that U.S. soy is the preferred soy.
“U.S. soybeans are very good quality,” she says. “The protein levels of U.S. soy are very stable.”
Wang says U.S. soy also has an advantage over their global competitors thanks to the infrastructure in place, as well as shipping and transportation practices.
The SSAP certification process, she adds, is “part of our social responsibility by taking steps toward improving the environment and sustainability.”
Grant Kimberley, Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) senior director of market development, says the SSAP is a valuable tool for Iowa producers and makes good economic sense.
“The SSAP helps Iowa soybean farmers and U.S. soybean and soybean meal exporters assure international buyers that their products meet high sustainability standards and that is a market distinction we have over our competition in South America,” he says. “This opens up more markets and makes U.S. soybeans more competitive globally.”
Quality is key
Miller, a former ISA board president, says the protocol certification helps soybean farmers seek out more global markets.
He points to concerns with trade wars and tariffs and how China’s interest in U.S. soy has waned a bit.
“We need to use this sustainability platform to help us find other markets for our soy,” he says.
“This gives the American farmer an advantage. Consumers and buyers around the world are choosing U.S. soy because of the quality.”
Rinne says USSEC’s SSAP evolves as international buyers’ demands adjust for their customers’ preferences. This affects what might be required for certification.
She believes the SSAP will continue to be a useful tool for American soybean farmers, exporters and importers, and in the end consumers.
Miller says global competitors should be aware: “We will always have the quality product,” he says.
The SSAP is a national-scale, aggregate approach, audited by third parties, which verifies sustainable soy production in the United States. It outlines the regulations, processes and practices that ensure sustainable soy production. For more information, go to: ussec.org/u-s-soy-committed-to-sustainability