Illinois Soybean Association hires containerized shipping campaign consultant

The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) Checkoff Program recently selected global marketing and communications firm Finn Partners Inc. to conduct a national education and thought leadership campaign focused on the global soybean supply chain, including logistics and transportation.

The ISA represents more than 43,000 soybean farmers in Illinois, the largest soybean-producing state. The association aims to support market development and expansion for soybeans globally.

Finn Partners will promote containerized shipping opportunities for growers, processors, brokers and exporters, ISA officials said in a press release. The agency will conduct a media relations and thought leadership program — including events, awards and content development — through August 2019.

The program will stress that containerized shipping represents only about 5 percent of Illinois soybean shipments, yet offers an efficient way to ship smaller, more diverse varieties of soybeans to customers with greater product integrity and a stronger chain of custody, ISA officials said. Expanding market and shipping opportunities are vital because of the current trade discussions between the United States and China, America's largest soybean importer, they added.

"Illinois has an incredible opportunity to capitalize on containerized shipping for international soybean export because of its rail and inland waterway proximity, plus access to empty shipping containers," said Amy Roady, ISA’s communications director.