South Dakota Farmer Sees U.S. Soy in Action on Africa Trip

David Iverson, a South Dakota farmer from Astoria, is in Africa this week showcasing the benefits of soy. Through his work as chairman of the South Dakota Soybean Checkoff and chair of the American Soybean Association’s WISHH Committee, David hopes to help spur market development for soy by sharing it’s nutritional value with people in Africa.

WISHH stands for the “World Initiative for Soy in Human Health,” and the organization brings the benefits of U.S. soy protein to developing countries where it can make a difference in lives today and in the future. Over 800 million people worldwide, including 200 million children are undernourished. Soy is well suited to provide the protein, calories and other nutritional needs of such people.

David, along with ASA Director John Heisdorffer (IA) and USB Director Larry Marek (IA) started their three-country trip to Africa in Uganda this week. They met with Charles Nsubuga, General Manager of SESACO which imports U.S. textured soy protein, defatted soy flour and isolated soy protein. The team saw SESACO sales and training team demonstrating products at a “street kitchen” and local boarding school. The group also met with USAID and visited local soybean farms. “It’s amazing how people here can do a lot with a little,” said David. The team will be in Uganda through Friday and will then travel to South Africa and Ghana to see WISHH programs in operation and meet with program partners.

Iverson, Hershey and Nsubuga stir up 14 kilos of TSP to feed 800 high school students at a local boarding school run by the Adventist Church.