As the District 2 director and treasurer of the Nebraska Soybean Board, Oakland farmer Tony Johanson has benefited from many trips abroad. These international travels have helped him look at global agricultural issues in a new way.

"Being on the NSB board has allowed me to travel to many different countries to promote Nebraska soybean uses," Johanson says. "I have been to Vietnam, Philippines, Chile, Brazil, Costa Rica, Colombia, Mexico, Japan and Ecuador. Most of these international trade missions are to visit feed mills, soybean meal buyers and local animal producers to talk about the benefits of U.S. soybeans."

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: Nebraska soybean producers gather for a group picture on their trip to Mexico. (Photo courtesy of NSB)

According to Johanson, these missions are designed to help educate the international customers and consumers of our U.S. products and to gain access into markets where our soybeans have not yet reached. Johanson has also personally hosted several groups of international buyers back in the U.S. on his farm near Oakland. "The unique and exciting part of these missions is when these consumers come back to Nebraska to visit our farms and local communities," he says. "When these buyers have an emotional connection to where their products are produced, it almost always leads to increased sales of U.S. and Nebraska soybeans. The NSB has had trade teams come from Mexico, Japan, Philippines and Colombia this summer."

The invaluable part of the missions is that emotional and personal relationship with our buyers, says Johanson. "Some of the best moments are when we take other Nebraska soybean producers with us on these trade missions to broaden their horizons when it comes to international marketing of their products."

You can learn more about how NSB works to build international relationships and markets at nebraskasoybeans.org.