Soy Growers Express Strong Support for Legislation

 

 

The American Soybean Association (ASA) strongly supports new legislation from Reps. Dan Newhouse and Chellie Pingree to double funding for the MAP and FMD programs though the Cultivating Revitalization by Expanding American Agricultural Trade and Exports (CREAATE) Act.

 

“The MAP and FMD programs are two of the most impactful USDA export promotion programs for soybean producers across the country,” said ASA President and Illinois farmer Ron Moore. “The proposed increase to these market development programs through the CREAATE Act will provide an enormous return on investment for America’s agricultural community and the U.S. economy as a whole, and will ensure our continued ability to compete in the global marketplace.”

 

The $150 billion in U.S. agricultural exports that occurred in 2014 produced an additional $190 billion in economic activity for a total of $340 billion of economic output. This supported 1.1 million full time U.S. civilian jobs, including 800,000 in the non-farm sector required to assemble, process and distribute agricultural products for exports.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.