YOUR PROMISE TO THE WORLD: Responsibly grown economically reliable unmatched quality

YOUR PROMISE TO THE WORLD: Responsibly grown economically reliable unmatched quality

OUR PLEDGE U.S. soybean farmers pledge that we are 100 percent committed to do everything possible to ensure that U.S. soybeans continue to be produced in a sustainable manner consistent with sound environmental objectives, are socially responsible, promote economic growth and embrace best agricultural practices. On behalf of the more than 279,110 U.S. soybean farms, the U.S. soy family has adopted the U.S. Soy Sustainability Assurance Protocol. This protocol is part of the U.S. commitment to providing the highest quality soy value system in the world. It protects your freedom to operate. It ensures that global demand for our product will remain strong. It will help domestic and international customers gain confidence in our work. And it s a promise that you can keep through responsible production and continuous improvement. As U.S. soybean farmers, we are 100 percent committed to ensuring U.S. soybeans continue to be produced in a sustainable manner consistent with: Sound environmental objectives Social responsibility Promotion of economic growth Continuous improvement in agricultural practices Through your soybean checkoff, the U.S. soy family is showing our international customers how U.S. farmers are living up to the sustainability protocol. Global buyers want high-quality soy products produced in a sustainable manner. We provide that and have the data to prove it. But we need your help. When you think about everything U.S. soybean farmers do to ensure sustainable soybean production, the list is long and impressive. We should be proud of it. We should talk about it. We should be sure our international customers understand the value we offer, so that global demand for U.S. soybeans will continue to grow. How can you and other soybean farmers help do that? Keep reading to discover some compelling facts about your sustainability efforts that are important for our customers to know.

U.S. FARMERS HAVE SOUND ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES

SOUND ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES As farmers, we are stewards of abundant, renewable natural resources from which we provide a reliable supply of high-quality products with minimal impact on the environment. Research conducted to quantify the sustainability of U.S. soybean farming shows that producers are meeting increasing global demand while reducing environmental impact per bushel of soybeans we produce. (Market, Environmental and Socioeconomic Indicators for Measuring Outcomes of On-Farm Agricultural Production in the United States: Second Report, 2012) Farmers have enrolled approximately 85 percent of U.S. soybean acres in USDA programs, and many of these acres are monitored and audited by the U.S. government. (Claassen, 2012) Through use of soil conservation practices, farmers have reduced soil erosion per bushel of soybeans produced by 66 percent since 1980. (Market, Environmental and Socioeconomic Indicators for Measuring Outcomes of On-Farm Agricultural Production in the United States: Second Report, 2012) In the last 30 years, farmers have reduced our energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and irrigation water use per bushel of soybeans by more than 40 percent. (Market, Environmental and Socioeconomic Indicators for Measuring Outcomes of On-Farm Agricultural Production in the United States: Second Report, 2012) Through our soybean checkoff, U.S. farmers have adopted a peer-reviewed, internationally accepted life cycle assessment, which can measure the environmental and energy impacts of U.S. soybean production and processing. (Pollack & Greig, 2010) Because of continuous improvement in soybean yields, we farmers are helping meet the world s growing need for protein without putting additional acres of environmentally marginal land into production. (Market, Environmental and Socioeconomic Indicators for Measuring Outcomes of On-Farm Agricultural Production in the United States: Second Report, 2012) The amount of land needed to produce a bushel of soybeans has decreased by 35 percent since 1980. (Market, Environmental and Socioeconomic Indicators for Measuring Outcomes of On-Farm Agricultural Production in the United States: Second Report, 2012) The U.S. soybean industry has reduced our overall carbon emissions by an average of 104.23 million pounds each year since 2000. This is the equivalent of removing more than 31,000 cars from the road each year. (Market, Soybeans: Producing More with Less, 2010)

FARMERS TAKE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY SERIOUSLY

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY As farmers, we know better than anyone that sustainable farming is more than complying with rules. It is an investment we make to ensure our children and grandchildren can continue to operate in a socially responsible manner. The decisions we make every day help ensure our farms will continue to be productive for many years to come. As family farmers, we pass our legacy of stewardship of the land from generation to generation. We embrace the U.S. government s long-term commitment to the protection of workers rights, including fair wages, safety precautions and insurance. We provide annual information on labor-related factors, such as overtime hours and farmrelated injuries. (BLS, 2011) We comply with the Environmental Protection Agency s Worker Protection Standard for Agricultural Pesticides, which offers protections to agricultural workers and pesticide handlers. We are committed to improving human health worldwide through better access to safe, nutritious food. Often, we farmers employ commercial applicators for pesticides. When we do apply pesticides ourselves, we must be current with licensing and training. (Agency, 2004) We actively participate in local, state and national decisions and programs designed to protect and improve water quality. We use the latest life science technologies and farming techniques to protect the soil and keep our waterways cleaner, protecting these vital resources for future generations. We are continually reducing tillage in order to keep crop residue in place for erosion control and to create healthier soil conditions. (Towery & Werblow, 2010)

FARMERS ARE COMMITTED TO ECONOMIC GROWTH

ECONOMIC GROWTH Through continuous increases in soybean yields and quality, we farmers are meeting the needs of our international customers through an effective supply system and superior service before and after the purchase. More soybeans are grown in the United States than any other country in the world more than three billion bushels annually. (Service, 2012) Not only are we the world s number one source of soybeans, but more than 60 percent of our soybean crop is exported around the world. (Service, 2012) In the last 30 years, U.S. farmers have increased our soybean yields by 55 percent. (Market, Environmental and Socioeconomic Indicators for Measuring Outcomes of On-Farm Agricultural Production in the United States: Second Report, 2012)

FARMERS STRIVE FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT IN AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT With assistance from our prolific public and private research organizations, professional agronomists and technology providers, we continually adopt new products and practices to increase the yield and quality of our soybeans and protect natural resources. We invest in new technology, such as satellite positioning equipment, which allows us to be extremely precise with seed planting and application of fertilizer and crop protection products. This means less waste, more efficiency and higher yields for our customers. We work with specialized experts who assist with practices such as soil testing, plant tissue analysis and scouting for pests. This helps us be timely and exact with the use of necessary crop protection products and fertilizer to sustain the crop, avoid waste and produce higher yields. Soybean seed technology and crop protection products continue to improve, preventing disease, decreasing insect and weed damage and protecting against harsh weather. U.S. conservation programs provide high levels of confidence that our soybeans are produced in a manner compliant with the sustainability performance demands of global customers.

HOW WE VALIDATE OUR SUSTAINABILITY U.S. soybean farmers have been measuring our sustainability for more than 20 years. Independent, peer-reviewed research verifies our industry has been, and continues, improving its sustainability performance. (Pollack & Greig, 2010) To measure the environmental impact of our soybean production, we use internationally accepted Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tools to measure the environmental and social impacts of our soybean production. The U.S. soy LCA is housed in the leading repositories for life cycle information, including the Department of Energy s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the USDA National Agricultural Library and the Ecoinvent Centre, the world s leading supplier of consistent and transparent life cycle inventory data. To ensure credibility and objectivity of data and results, the LCA study was peer-reviewed by an international panel to ensure conformance with ISO 14040 and 14044 (ISO 2006a and 2006b) requirements. We provide annual compliance statements that the USDA Farm Service Agency audits each year. USDA uses its annual Compliance Status Review (CSR) to monitor farmer performance with conservation standards. We know that federal farm program payments may be at risk if we do not meet compliance requirements. (Claassen, 2012) According to the CSR, overall compliance is high with 98 percent of U.S. producers subject to compliance actively applying approved conservation systems. The compliance level has increased from 95.9 percent in 1997. (Stubbs, 2012) Since 1996, the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has published accurate chemical use statistics, including fertilizer and nutrient applications, pesticide applications, pest management practices and irrigation. This database helps federal agencies assess the benefits and risks of pesticide use and helps state agencies determine how well actual agricultural practices correspond to environmental quality standards. Through surveys, interviews, field observations and electronic data reporting, USDA NASS conducts the Census of Agriculture every five years, providing the only source of consistent, comparable and detailed agricultural data for every U.S. county. The information farmers provide to NASS is the source of timely and accurate statistics, which accurately quantify the sustainability of our farms. As farmers, we are ensuring international customers that our Sustainability Assurance Protocol is more than words and comparisons with other systems of which they may be aware. It is a promise that we will deliver healthy soy products for human consumption and animal feed, with superior nutritional profiles. And as farmers, we keep our promises.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Agency, E. P. (2004, September 1). Worker Protection Standard for Agricultural Pesticides. Retrieved January 22, 2013, from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: http://www.epa.gov/agriculture/twor.html BLS, U. D. (2011). Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities. Washington D.C.: United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Claassen, R. (2012). The Future of Environmental Compliance Incentives in U.S. Agriculture. Washington DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. Market, F. t. (2010). Soybeans: Producing More with Less. Chesterfield, MO: United Soybean Board. Market, F. t. (2012). Environmental and Socioeconomic Indicators for Measuring Outcomes of On-Farm Agricultural Production in the United States: Second Report. Keystone, CO: Field to Market. Pollack, J., & Greig, A. (2010). Life Cycle Impact of Soybean Production and Soy Industrial Products. Midland, MI: OmniTech International. Service, U. F. (2012). Major Oilseeds: World Supply and Distribution (Country View). Washington D.C.: United States Department of Agriculture. Stubbs, M. (2012). Conservation Compliance and U.S. Farm Policy. Washington D.C.: Congressional Research Service. Towery, D., & Werblow, S. (2010). Facilitating Conservation Farming Practices and Enhancing Environmental Sustainability with Agricultural Biotechnology. Indianapolis: Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC).