The goal of the Soybean Checkoff is pretty simple: Increase profitability for soybean families.

The success of soybean families is at the heart of everything the Checkoff does. The Checkoff's most important role is to help you grow soybeans economically and sustainably and then find repeat markets for the soybeans you have produced.

The SD Soybean Research and Promotion Council (SDSRPC) and the national United Soybean Board members, farmer volunteers elected by soybean farmers, drive innovation by funding research at universities and private businesses to enhance existing uses for food, feed, fuel, and industrial uses. They also work to discover and bring consumers new uses for soy. Many of the ideas for new uses are sparked by suggestions from farmers themselves.

Your SDSRPC Board creates detailed, evolving plans of action that they continually review, renew, and execute. They look beyond what is possible to what might be possible. They think big and move proactively to uncover every potential use for soybeans, from new products to emerging markets. Their work fuels innovation through research and new strategies developed to provide economic benefits for soybean families, economic development in their communities, and renewable, environmentally friendly products for the world.

By establishing new international markets, farmers are also contributing to global stability. World trade fosters peaceful, cooperative relationships, and developing countries are increasingly looking for reliable sources of affordable, high-quality protein. Many high-ranking military leaders, past and present, regard international trade as the first line of defense for U.S. national security and a major component in maintaining world peace.

Developing countries are hungry for protein that provides human and animal nutrition with health benefits. In 2025, seven of the top ten countries with the fastest-growing economies in the world are in Africa. Many of those countries hold huge soybean meal and oil consumption potential.

Enter soy, a low-cost protein produced by South Dakota farmers, containing all of the essential amino acids needed for human and animal health. As demand for protein rises globally, soy is emerging as a smart, sustainable solution.

Checkoff dollars are used to support the World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH), which links U.S. soybean growers with developing and emerging markets. That simple step is the beginning of very impactful relationships. Leveraging Checkoff funds with federal aid, WISHH helps deliver soy protein food to poor, food-insecure countries, opening the door to long-term trade relationships. WISHH monitors global protein trends and works with local buyers in high-potential regions, helping build stable demand for U.S. soybeans while improving global food security.

As poor countries grow their economies, their people seek more valuable proteins in the form of fish, poultry, and other meats. Checkoff dollars are used to educate international buyers about the advantages of using high-quality U.S soy as a feed ingredient for their fish and animals. This strategy helps close the global protein gap and opens new markets for soybean growers that wouldn’t exist without the support of Checkoff investments.

You have recently seen or heard comments in news reports and on social media about “seed oils” being unhealthy. Independent, verifiable, and repeatable scientific research has consistently shown that soybean oil actually provides many health benefits with very few health concerns. A New York Times article dated November 9, 2024, challenges the anti-seed oil rhetoric.