First U.S. Food for Peace Purchase of Defatted Soy Flour Bagged at Cargill

Yesterday, 150 metric tons of defatted U.S. soy flour enough to provide 5 million servings of protein flowed into bags emblazoned with the American flag at the Cargill Cedar Rapids facility.

This massive shipment of defatted soy flour is the first ever purchased under the U.S. Food for Peace Program. It is destined for the West African nation of Burkina Faso, which is 5,000 miles from Iowa. Once the soy flour arrives in September, the non-profit organization Africare will use it to boost the nutrition of severely malnourished mothers and children at the provincial hospital and a rural health clinic in Zondoma, Burkina Faso. Africare will also use some of the defatted soy flour to help people living with HIV/AIDS.

The U.S. Food for Peace Program has made friends for America and fed millions throughout the world since 1954, when President Eisenhower signed it into law. The story of how Americas first shipment of U.S. defatted soy flour for this program came about is an example of cooperation between U.S. soybean farmers, the U.S. soy processing industry, Africare and the federal government.

Photo caption: America ’s first shipment of defatted soy flour under the U.S. Food for Peace Program was bagged to promote America’s generosity and withstand the elements, including wet weather, for three to six months. The 150 metric ton shipment is enough to provide 5 million servings of protein.

"Without everyones dedication, Africare's request for the high-protein soy would not have been fulfilled," says Jim Hershey, director of the World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) program that state soybean organizations launched in 2000.

Africare was eager to find foods that would bolster the well-being of severely malnourished infants and children who cannot benefit from rehabilitation programs offered at the village level. These infants and children are referred to the care of the state-run nutrition rehabilitation center at the provincial hospital. WISHH worked with Africare on possible dietary solutions and found that defatted soy flours high protein and other nutrients can be incorporated readily into foods already popular with Africans. Defatted soy flour is made by reducing the fat content of the soy flour to 1 percent fat. The resulting defatted soy flour offers about 52 percent protein and can readily boost the protein content of a wide array of foods around the world. Therefore, Africare requested defatted soy flour in its proposal to the Food for Peace Program, managed by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

After USAID approved Africares proposal, a new government requirement for how products are bagged came into effect. The federal government required tougher bag that can withstand the elements, including wet weather, for three to six months. They also expected adherence to new marketing requirements, including a new brand mark and tag line identifying the contents as a gift from the American people.

 Africare had a negative experience with changes in bag quality for other food products in the past. Those problems lasted for more than a year. "When we heard there were bagging issues, we had a very bad deja vu," says Africares Harold Tarver. "Without WISHH, we might still be waiting."

WISHH quickly contacted industry representatives and had discussions with USDA employees about how the problem could be resolved. Jim Hershey and WISHH used their knowledge of the government to help, says Cargill Texturizing Solutions Market Manager Gregg Nelson who is based in Cedar Rapids. Cargill was pleased to cooperate so this landmark shipment could become reality.

Denny Friest, chairman of WISHH's board of directors and an Iowa soybean grower, witnessed the product being bagged on June 1. He said such humanitarian efforts also promote U.S. soybeans. "It opens doors for new markets," Friest said. "Once people see the value in soybean protein, it will be a lot easier for us to expand marketing needs to other people in the world."

Photo caption: Cargill’s Gregg Nelson hosted Iowa soybean growers and WISHH board members Denny Friest and Roy Arends on June 1 to witness the bagging of defatted soy flour at Cargill’s Cedar Rapids facility. The shipment resulted from WISHH’s work with soybean processors, Africare and the U.S. government.

Photo caption: Once the defatted soy flour arrives at its destination in the West African nation of Burkina Faso in September, the non-profit organization Africare will use it to boost the nutrition of severely malnourished mothers and children at the provincial hospital and a rural health clinic in Zondoma, Burkina Faso. Africare will also use some of the defatted soy flour to help people living with HIV/AIDS.

Africare and WISHH also collaborated to make sure the product is programmed for maximum impact for its intended beneficiaries. The National Soybean Research Laboratory in Illinois has given Africare several recipes incorporating defatted soy flour into foods that are already preferred in Burkina Faso. Training on how to prepare the foods will follow. WISHH will also provide ongoing assistance to Africare as it reviews the nutritional impact of these foods, including for mothers and children who have HIV/AIDS.

WISHH is headquartered at the American Soybean Association in St. Louis, and it creates sustainable solutions for the protein demands of people in developing countries through the introduction and use of U.S. soy products. WISHH has worked in 23 countries, ranging from Africa to Asia to Latin America, to improve diets as well as encourage growth of food industries. For more information about WISHH, please visit www.wishh.org.


 

Photo caption: The U.S. Food for Peace Program has made friends for America and fed millions throughout the world since 1954, when President Eisenhower signed it into law. The first shipment of U.S. defatted soy flour for this program resulted through cooperation between U.S. soybean farmers, the U.S. soy processing industry, Africare and the federal government. “Without everyone’s dedication, Africare’s request for the high-protein soy would not have been fulfilled,” says WISHH Director Jim Hershey.

For more information, contact: Karen Edwards, World Initiative for Soy in Human Health 703-281-7600

 

For more information about Africare, go to www.africare.org