American Soybean Association (ASA) President Richard Wilkins confirmed 15 soybean growers from 11 states to serve as ASA’s World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) program committee in 2016-17.

Officers are: Chairman Daryl Cates (IL), Vice Chair Levi Huffman (IN); Treasurer Stan Born (IL); and Secretary E.L. Reed (MO).

New WISHH Committee members include: Tim Bardole (IA); Roberta Simpson-Dolbeare (IL); Kurt Maurath (KS); and Dawn Scheier (SD). Returning members include the officer team as well as: Ryan Cahoon (N.C.); George Goblish (MN.); Jeff Lynn (IL); Steve Reinhard (OH); Jim Wilson (MI) and Art Wosick (ND). Keith Kemp (OH) serves as an ex-officio member representing the United Soybean Board (USB), along with U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) Marketing Director Marypat Corbett.

“We commend these soybean growers who lead WISHH’s important work that builds long-term international markets for U.S. soy by leveraging U.S. farmer investments with U.S. Department of Agriculture and other programs,” Wilkins said. “WISHH has a winning strategy that benefits both U.S. soybean growers and WISHH’s developing country partners, who make their nations more food secure by adding U.S. soy protein to their livestock feed rations and diverse human foods.”

WISHH was formed in the early 2000s as a way to create trade with developing countries, where a growing middle class would have the buying power to purchase protein foods and feeds. WISHH is focused on creating markets for soy where the need exists but the business does not. WISHH and the USSEC pave complementary trade routes that grow U.S. soy markets.