The executive committee introduced new staff members, Liz Hare and Ashley Wightman, who each provided updates on their current work in programming and communications. Also, each sub-committee had a chance to present on areas such as administration, finance and current/future projects and programming.

WSF directors attending the March meeting were (left to right) Dave Iverson (SD), Jim Hershey (ASA/WISHH), Scott Fritz (IN), Peter Golbitz (Industry), Randy Van Kootern (IA), Jack Trumbo (KY), and Dave Poppens (SD). Not pictured are Kent Holt (Industry), Roy Bardole (IA),  Chris Erickson (Industry), Annette Higgins (Industry), Natasha Webster (Industry) and Bob Metz (SD). Photo by Ashley Wightman

Eight trustees were in attendance in addition to World Soy Foundation staff. The next meeting will be held in St. Louis in late July, where an election for at-large members will take place.

Trustees members represent soybean growers and ag industry leaders.

The World Soy Foundation(WSF) was formed in 2006 by the board of directors of the World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH), a program of the American Soybean Association. The World Soy Foundation, a 501 c3 corporation, is strictly humanitarian in its work and not oriented to market development.

The core purpose of WSF is to reduce malnutrition through the power of soy.

The WSF notes on its website that according to a recent report published by the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), world hunger is projected to reach a historic high, with 1.02 billion people — one sixth of humanity — going hungry every day. The FAO reports that the current world economic crisis, with its rising unemployment and lower incomes, has reduced access to food by the poor.

The World Soy Foundation (WSF) is a charitable organization dedicated to helping relieve hunger and malnutrition in the world by funding, supporting and helping to coordinate programs that recognize the importance of the use of soybeans in developing sustainable food solutions.

Recently, the WSF received an exciting update from the field that emphasizes how the power of soy is helping children. The World Soy Foundation provided 1,266 bags of soybeans to Food for the Poor and partners in Guatemala where the soybeans nourished 13,895 people, including kids like Hector and his classmates.

Hector and his classmates love the soy milk and other foods made with soy in their remote community in Guatemala. Support of the World Soy Foundation helps children grow and learn so they can someday reach their lives' potential.

Hector lives in a hardworking and remote farming community where the children’s education is getting a boost from soybeans. Recognizing that children need proper nutrition to learn as well as grow, Food for the Poor helped the community install a small processing machine to make soy milk and other foods for the children from the soybeans.

The soy is also the source of a business education. They trained two young women to make the soy foods as well as manage sales of the foods to the community of about 100 people.

In addition to Hector, beneficiaries of the soybeans ranged from orphanages to a vocational school for 1200 boys.

Fund raising is a key role of the WSF, and its current outreach program is touching many of the world’s largest corporations, and in particular, those with knowledge and interests in food and agricultural production and processing. Farmer support has been, and continues to be, strong, as demonstrated by the success of the on going “Acre Challenge” program in which a farmer donates the proceeds from the sale of an acre’s production of soybeans to the Foundation. In addition, many individuals from around the world have already become contributors, with fundraising programs now being developed to expand this effort.

To learn more about World Soy Foundation, visit its website: http://www.worldsoyfoundation.org.