Last week the American Soybean Association issued a statement regarding the formation of the U.S. Soybean Federation calling it a radical and ill-conceived move. The statement questioned the reasons for the establishment of the new group and claimed they were attempting to cut off any questioning or criticism of the national soybean checkoff.

"It is truly unfortunate that some checkoff and state leaders feel so threatened by ASA’s efforts to have an impartial investigation to find out the truth about national soybean checkoff operations that they are willing to go to such lengths," said ASA President Johnny Dodson.

In response to the ASA's statement, USSF leaders have put forward their own statement.

"We do not question the action taken by ASA in requesting an OIG audit of USB. It was the responsible action for ASA directors to take," says USSF President Lance Peterson. "However, we take great exception to how ASA chose to discredit the national soybean checkoff program in a coordinated media campaign that was launched last month. It would have seemed more prudent for ASA leadership to go directly to USB or USDA with their audit petition rather than launch this negative effort."

Peterson says the action of the ASA is another example of how ASA has lost its focus and that they need to be concerned with serving the best interests of their membership instead of spreading falsehoods about the reasons the U.S. Soybean Federation was formed.

"USSF is solely focused on policy and advocacy and delivering results that will best serve the interests of all U.S. soybean farmers," Peterson says. "Nothing more, nothing less."