Pakistan joins global dialogue at US Soybean Export Council’s Soy Connext 2025

In mid-August in Washington, DC, the spotlight was on soybeans, a humble crop with a big impact on global food security. At Soy Connext 2025, organised by the US Soybean Export Council, more than 700 participants from 59 countries came together to discuss how soy can help feed a growing world.

Trade teams from 34 countries, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and others, toured American farms and ports, seeing first-hand the innovation and reliability that make US soy a trusted source. US soybeans are a reliable and sustainable source of food and energy around the world.

The scale of the soybean industry is immense. In 2024, US soy contributed $31.2 billion to the American economy and reached over 80 countries. Demand continues to rise, with global soybean use projected to reach 346 million metric tonnes this year, showing how central soy has become to poultry, dairy and aquaculture industries worldwide.

A delegation from Pakistan, representing the All-Pakistan Solvent Extractors’ Association, attended Soy Connext 2025. The delegation met with US soybean farmers and suppliers. At the forefront of these discussions was how Pakistan and the US. share strong trade relations, with US Soy providing Pakistan with consistent, high-quality and affordable protein for millions of families across the country.

Soybean meal, a by-product of the bean, is the main ingredient in poultry feed. Poultry accounts for nearly half of the meat consumed in Pakistan and is the most accessible and affordable source of protein for households. With a population of over 250 million, more than 60 per cent of whom are young people and a rising demand for nutritious and affordable food, these imports will play an important role in strengthening food security and supporting healthier futures.

On the sidelines of the event, Pakistan’s Dr Rai M. Sajid from Jadeed Group received global recognition as the STAR Award Winner for USSEC’s Soy Excellence Center (SEC) program. The SEC is a capacity-building initiative that trains the next generation of protein professionals across its aquaculture, poultry and feedmilling learning tracks in emerging markets like Pakistan.

Soy Connext shows that when global partners come together, the benefits are shared widely. For Pakistan, this partnership is not only about soybeans; it is about investing in people, empowering industries and unlocking the potential of a young nation ready to grow strong. The US Soybean Export Council’s Soy Connext provides a platform for global partners to work together to create a more nutritious, protein-enabled and food-secure world.

Tags: food security, demand, US Soybean Export Council, All-Pakistan Solvent Extractors’ Association, partnership, soybeans, Pakistan, Poultry, Feed, soybean meal, crop