By Laura Crowley
The American Soybean Association (ASA) is calling for improved
international market access for soybeans and European acceptance of
biotechnology to enable freer trade.
Delegates of the ASA, which represents some 22,000 soybean growers,
met on Saturday in its annual process to revise and review its policy
direction for 2008 to 2009.

The main challenges facing the industry and profitability were found
to be enabling easier trade, overcoming the damaging effects of the farm
bill, achieving sustainable production, embracing the use of biodiesels and
the group's organizational issues.

Trade
According to the ASA, 50 percent of US soy production is exported to
overseas customers, and therefore trade is an extremely important issue for
soybean producers.

It said: "ASA strongly supports Congressional passage of the Colombia,
Panama and South Korea Free Trade Agreements, and strongly opposes any
product exclusions from Free Trade Agreements on the grounds that they serve
as negative precedents for countries seeking to exclude soy or livestock
products."

Additionally, the group said it wants to see improved market access
for soybeans and soybeans products, which it agrees such be a top priority
for the Doha Development round under the World Health Organization (WHO).

Regarding Europe, the ASA said it supported "an expedited process for
approval and acceptance of biotechnology products in the European Union".

In January, the ASA warned of retaliation on Europe if the bloc does
not speed up a system for approving GM crops.

At the moment, industry has been loosing millions because producers
who use GM crops are restricted in exporting them to the EU, because of a
bans in member states, such as France and Austria, on the use of GM crops.


Following a complaint by the US in 2003, the World Trade Organisation
(WTO) ruled that some European countries were breaking international trade
rules by stopping the import of GM foods and crops.

The EU has still not complied with this ruling and the bans have
reduced US exports of bulk commodities such as corn and soybeans into
Europe.

Sustainable production
Sustainability appeared to be a great concern for the ASA. To achieve
production methods that are both sustainable and meet the growing food, feed
and fuel demand, the voting delegates agreed their support for
biotechnology, commercial fertilizer and commercial crop protection
products.

It said it "believes that any definition of 'sustainable agriculture'
include the use of these products."

It added: "ASA supports full disclosure of all information concerning
germination, vigor and quality, and strongly encourages all companies to
enter their varieties in independent university variety trials."

It also supports the permanent extension of the biodiesel tax
incentive at existing levels, and the authorization of a bioenergy program
in 2008.

Farm policy
The ASA is against the new version of the farm bill proposed last
month, saying it is damaging for soybean and corn farmers as well as
biodiesel producers.

The new suggestions apply stricter limits on farmer subsidiaries and
slash extra spending for farm programs and conservation over a 10-year
period.

In developing the direction for this year's policy, the ASA said it
opposed the proposals. It said the farm bill "would undermine the safety net
provided by the marketing loan in times of low prices, result in lower
harvest-time prices since producers would have less incentive to store their
crop in anticipation of higher prices during the marketing season, and
disadvantage soybean, feed grain and wheat producers relative to cotton and
rice producers".


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