The Nominees

The United Soybean Board was established by Congress in 1990 to promote soybeans.

This is a real thing. The Soybean Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Act authorized a checkoff program: soybean farmers pay a small mandatory fee for each bushel they sell. The money goes into a fund. The fund pays for soybean research, soybean promotion, and consumer education about soybeans. (I am not making up the Consumer Information part. It is in the name of the act.)

The board has 78 members, representing producers in 31 states and importers. They meet. They review research proposals. They allocate the funds. They promote the soybeans.

Members are nominated by the Department of Agriculture and formally approved by the President of the United States. This approval is required by statute. The President of the United States reviews the people who will oversee the soybean checkoff fund and says yes or no.

This week, the President said no to all four nominees. All four were women.

No explanation was provided. The White House did not explain which aspect of soybean promotion oversight had been found unsatisfactory. The Department of Agriculture selected the nominees. The nominees went through a review process. The process concluded. The President reviewed the conclusions and rejected them.

The soybeans were not consulted.

The board will continue to meet. The checkoff will continue to be collected. The research grants will continue to be reviewed. The promotional activities will continue. The four positions will remain open while replacements are identified.

In 31 soybean-producing states, farmers are currently paying a fraction of a cent per bushel into a fund that promotes their crop. Most of them are not thinking about who sits on the oversight board. This is understandable. The board has 78 members. The process that places people on it involves the Department of Agriculture, the Office of the President, a statutory review mechanism, and, as of this week, one additional step whose criteria have not been published.

The soybeans are being promoted. This part has not changed. The four nominees will not be involved.