VOL. 7, No. 1, February, 2000
  As the crossroads of the global soybean industry and home to the Board of Trade, Chicago served as the ideal location for Global Soy Forum 99. |
Global Soy Forum 99: Special Issue
Celebrating the Past and Future Successes of Soy
From August 4 to 7, 1999, more than 1,800 people from 61 countries came together at Global Soy Forum 99 to celebrate the past successes and chart the future of the soybean industry. This event represented a truly unique gathering of the entire global soybean community--researchers, producers, agribusiness representatives, industry leaders, policy makers, and consumers--under one roof in Chicago, Illinois at the heart of the U.S. soybean industry.
Two conferences, the Sixth World Soybean Research Conference and the Fourth Midwest Soybean Confer-ence, served as core components of the Forum. The event also included major symposiums on soy and human nutrition and on soy and animal nutrition. In addition, it featured a knowledge management center and a major industry exposition.
Global Soy Forum 99 was organized by the National Soybean Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois and the Soybean Research Development Council, a joint venture of the Illinois Soybean Checkoff Board and the Iowa Soybean Promotion Board. Sponsors of the event included major agribusiness, the Illinois and Iowa Checkoff Boards, and the United Soybean Board.
Gaining a Real-life Introduction to the Future
In his welcoming address, Earl D. Kellogg, Associate Provost for International Affairs at the University of Illinois, declared that Global Soy Forum 99 should best be viewed as a real-life introduction to the future, which will be characterized by increasing globalization in all spheres of human activity. He noted that the future will be shaped most of all by forces that lead to human interactions in networks, forums, and alliances.
"The vision of the Global Soy Forum was to have a worldwide event that would cut across borders of all kinds," Kellogg said. "People were to be included who were involved with soybeans in science, input supply, production, marketing, processing, and consumption. It also was designed to cut across geographical borders all around the world where soybeans are present."
He further emphasized that, although the histories of people involved in the soybean industry in different parts of the world may be very different, our destinies will be more common and linked than ever before.
"This globalization, therefore, is not a choice," he said. "It will continue whether we choose to engage with it or not. While we cannot stop the process, we can become responsibly involved and help shape globalization to improve the lives of all people and those of our children and others to come in the future."
Creating Global Partnerships for the Future
The Sixth World Soybean Research Conference, which served as a major component of Global Soy Forum 99, continued the tradition established by the five previous meetings, where scientists from around the world have shared research results and discussed ways to increase the value and profitability of the industry. The first of those conferences was held at the University of Illinois in 1975. Subsequent meetings were held in Raleigh, North Carolina; Ames, Iowa; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Chiang Mai, Thailand.
This conference, which once again was hosted by the University of Illinois, brought together the largest, most distinguished group of soybean researchers every assembled at one time and in one place. Global Soy Forum provided researchers from more than 60 different countries a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to interact with soybean policy makers, industry leaders, producers, agribusiness representatives, and consumers and to gain a clearer vision of the critical role research will play in shaping the industry of the future.
 An exposition highlighting the latest in new technologies and extensive sessions on the issues and challenges facing U.S. producers served as the focus for the Fourth Midwest Soybean Conference. |
Responding to a Rapidly Changing Global Economy
Another key component of Global Soy Forum 99 was the Fourth Midwest Soybean Conference. This event offered soybean growers a special opportunity to explore the issues and challenges facing the industry. Concurrent sessions focused on topics of vital interest to U.S. producers, such as risk management in the global economy, biotechnology and genetic engineering, component pricing, global competition and industry cooperation, and maximizing production efficiency.
Growers from throughout the country learned first-hand about the latest progress in soybean research and the market trends that will affect the crop in the coming years. By exchanging ideas with other producers and industry leaders and with soybean customers from around the world, participants gained valuable insights into how international markets affect what they grow and the profits they make.
Exploring the Revolution in Human Nutrition
Another important part of Global Soy Forum 99 was an in-depth examination on why more and more consumers are looking for soy in the foods they buy and how industry and science are responding with new and better ways to incorporate soy into our diets. In fact, the use of soy in human foods is projected to increase soybean demand by at least 50 million bushels a year in the near future.
A wide variety of presentations and roundtable discussions offered a comprehensive review of the latest developments in one of the most dynamic areas of the soybean industry. The program included plenary sessions on soy food marketing and human health, research presentations by internationally known scientists, and success stories from soy food entrepreneurs from around the world. In addition, participants attended a special food editor's program featured consumer-oriented news on soy nutrition and health issues, a soy symposium, and a forum for food manufacturers and marketers.
 Among the highlights of the Forum was a tour of The Chicago Board of Trade, where much of the activity is driven by the worldwide demand for feed. |
Building Partnerships for Profitability
Recognizing that nearly 80 percent of all processed soybeans go into animal feed, Global Soy Forum 99 featured a special symposium on soy and animal nutrition with broad appeal to both scientific and agricultural processing audiences. Throughout the program, internationally known researchers shared their knowledge on topics such as the nutritional value of soy products in animal nutrition and the opportunities and constraints for increased use of soy in animal nutrition.
By interacting with colleagues from around the world, participants gained invaluable information on how to make their operations more profitable and more responsive to both processors and consumers.
Joining the Information Technology Revolution
The need to efficiently manage knowledge has never been more critical than today. Farmers, scientists, soybean processors, agri-businesses, and other industry members must rely on a wide range of sources of information and technologies to help them make business decisions. In response to this urgent need, the Knowledge Management Center at Global Soy Forum 99 showcased the latest developments in information technology specific to the soybean industry.
The center included special exhibits, computer kiosks, interactive demonstrations, and hands-on experimentation with these new technologies. Among the featured attractions were the Rabobank exhibit on knowledge management in the oilseeds industry, the Cyberfarm display on accessing and sharing information technologies, the Consumer's Corner on soy foods and consumption, the Software Showcase on decision-making software for soybean producers, the Protein Con-sumption display on the demand for protein around the world, the StratSoy display on strategic tools and resource, and the Varietal Information Program for Soybeans (VIPS).
The NSRL Bulletin is published three times a year by the National Soybean Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois, 170 National Soybean Research Center, 1101 W. Peabody Drive, Urbana, IL 61801; telephone (217) 244-1706; e-mail nsrl@uiuc.edu; FAX (217) 244-1707. Steven T. Sonka, director; Robert J. Wynstra, editor; Lynn Hawkinson Smith, graphic designer.
The National Soybean Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois is an affirmative action and equal opportunity institution. Copies of invited presentations at Global Soy Forum 99 are available at http://www.gsf99.uiuc.edu. Information on purchasing Proceeding of the World Soybean Research Conference is available by e-mail at gsf99@uiuc.edu.