An in-focus interview with Kevin Roepke, Executive Director at the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC), along with USSEC’s Vice Chair and soybean farmer, Roberta Simpson-Dolbeare, as they discuss trade, sustainability, and building resilient supply chains.As Saudi Arabia strives to meet its ambitious Vision 2030 goal of achieving self-sufficiency in poultry, access to reliable, consistent, high-quality feed ingredients, such as U.S. soybean meal, remains key. Since January this year, The Kingdom’s imports of U.S. soybean meal have grown, signaling a preferential shift towards U.S. origin, a relationship built on trust, quality, and reliability. Learn what’s sowing the seeds of preference from the fields to the tables.Q: Saudi Arabia has pivoted back to buying U.S soybean meal. What encouraged buyers in Saudi Arabia to make this transition?Kevin Roepke: Saudi Arabia is back on the map as a strategic market for U.S. soybean meal. We are proud to see this growth trajectory. Customer relationships remain central to this success. Earlier this year, a delegation of our U.S. soybean farmers and I had the opportunity to visit Riyadh. This in-person engagement with our customers helped strengthen relationships, and we are excited to see the market growth following our visit. We are also looking forward to hosting our customers from Saudi Arabia this August at our U.S. soybean farms in the U.S.Currently, 90,000 metric tons of U.S. soybean meal have been imported into Saudi Arabia for the current 2025/26 marketing year, and we are optimistic that this will continue to grow. Saudi Arabia and the United States already share a strong bilateral trade relationship, with total U.S.services trade valued at $13.5 billion in 2024. U.S. soybean meal can further deepen this mutually beneficial partnership.Q: Why should customers choose U.S. soybean meal when cheaper alternatives are available?Kevin Roepke: It’s not always about the price; it’s about value. Choosing U.S. soybean meal means that you are investing in a higher value and, in turn, a higher quality product. The advantage of U.S. soybeans starts in the fields, and it is unmatched. While South American soybeans are grown in wet tropical climates, the climate in the United States allows for natural drying of soybeans – something we refer to as solar-dried U.S. Soy. While competitors’ soybeans require mechanical wood-fired driers to remove excess moisture – a paradoxical process that also damages the beans,U.S. soybeans do not need any additional drying. This means that their nutritional integrity also remains intact.Soybean meal made from U.S. soybeans has lower damage, higher dryness, and higher digestibility.Q: What benefits does consistency play in feed formulation?Kevin Roepke: With recent geopolitical developments, producers around the world are prioritizing efficiency and cost optimization. Poultry feed made from U.S. soybean meal is consistently high-quality and packed with essential amino acids. This consistency provides confidence to feed formulators while making operational decisions. Since U.S. soybean meal offers a higher nutritional profile than competitors, it requires fewer added ingredients, further reducing production costs. U.S. soybean meal provides the precision feed formulators need to reduce safety margins, keep costs down and improve feed conversion ratios.The U.S. also has a robust supply chain to ensure customers in Saudi Arabia receive the highest-quality soybean meal. From the farm to processing to shipment, U.S. Soy is exported with the greatest care, ensuring the best quality reaches our customers and end users.Q: How can buyers benefit from U.S. Soy’s sustainability advantage?Kevin Roepke: We are proud of our U.S. Soy farmers’ dedication to sustainability. U.S. soybeans are verified sustainable and have the lowest carbon footprint when compared to soy from other origins. While countries around the world are deforesting to increase cropland, the U.S. has increased its forest land through afforestation. U.S. Soy is produced under the U.S. Soy Sustainability Assurance Protocol (SSAP). The SSAP is a robust third-party audit that ensures sustainable practices. It provides international customers with assurance that soybeans and soy products are produced in compliance with environmental regulations, conservation laws, and responsible farming practices.U.S. Soy customers globally can request free SSAP certificates to meet their ESG goals while strengthening customer confidence.The journey toward supply chain sustainability begins at U.S. soybean farms like Roberta Simpson-Dolbeare’s. By leveraging technologies such as precision agriculture and soil conservation techniques, U.S. farmers like Roberta produce sustainable feed ingredients, such as U.S. Soy, that nourish the world.Q: What impact has technology had on the evolution of U.S. Soy farming and on your farm in particular? Which technologies have had the biggest impact on your operation?Roberta Simpson-Dolbeare: Technology has transformed U.S. Soy farming from being largely reactive to much more proactive and precise. Today, we can collect and use data to make better decisions throughout the season, from planting and nutrient management to crop protection and harvest. On our farm, precision agriculture has probably had the biggest impact. GPS guidance, yield mapping, variable-rate technology and precision planting all help us put the right inputs in the right place at the right time. That improves efficiency, helps us manage costs and supports our sustainability goals by reducing waste while maintaining productivity.Technology doesn't replace experience; it enhances it. We still rely on our knowledge of the land, but today's tools allow us to make more informed decisions that benefit both our operation and the environment.Q: Why is soil conservation not a one-size-fits-all approach?Roberta Simpson-Dolbeare: Soil conservation isn't about following one recipe; it's about understanding the land you're farming. Every farm, and every field, has its own characteristics, whether that's soil type, slope, drainage, or local weather patterns. Successful conservation means adapting your approach to the specific conditions of each field while keeping the same goal in mind: protecting the soil so it remains productive for years to come. As U.S. Soy farmers, we're constantly evaluating what works best for our land because healthy soil is the foundation of everything we do.Soil is one of our most valuable resources, so caring for it is a year-round commitment, not something we think about only during planting or harvest. Every season is an opportunity to learn and improve. We continuously evaluate our management practices and look for ways to protect soil structure, reduce erosion, improve water infiltration, and build long-term soil health.Healthy soil benefits everyone. It supports productive U.S. Soy crops, improves resilience during changing weather conditions and helps ensure our land remains productive for future generations.Q: What are the strategies for different soils, topographies, and geographies?Roberta Simpson-Dolbeare: One of the biggest lessons in farming is that every acre is different. Soil type, topography, and geography all influence how we manage our fields. Some soils hold moisture better than others, while some are more prone to erosion or require different nutrient management. That's why we tailor our management practices to the unique characteristics of each field instead of applying the same approach across the entire farm.Precision agriculture has made that even more effective, allowing us to match management decisions to the specific needs of each area while improving both productivity and sustainability. Our farm includes a variety of landscapes, and each requires its own management strategy.River bottom ground is often some of our most productive land because of its rich soils, but it also comes with the risk of flooding, so water management is always top of mind.Hill ground requires a greater focus on protecting the soil from erosion. We use conservation practices like no-till or strip till, where seeds are planted directly into crop residue with minimal disturbance or turning over the soil. This prevents erosion, preserves moisture and builds healthier, microorganism-rich soil. Flat ground presents different challenges, particularly around drainage and water management. Ensuring water moves efficiently through those fields helps protect soil health and supports strong U.S. Soy yields.The common thread across all of these landscapes is that there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution. We manage each field according to its unique conditions, with the goal of producing high-quality U.S. Soy while protecting the natural resources that make it possible.Q: What is the process of exporting soybeans from your farm to international markets like Saudi Arabia?The United States has a diverse and well-connected transportation system, including waterways, freight rail, and trucks. My farm back home in Illinois is close to the river, which makes crop movement to global markets fast and efficient. We also have storage bins on our farm to store soybeans after harvest and deliver them throughout the year. Illinois has the advantage of three waterways. The barge transportation system helps us ship our soybeans to export terminals, allowing for short shipping windows and minimal handling to preserve quality.
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