Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, leaders at the United Soybean Board say farmer-driven investments will continue to focus on demand growth, sustainability, and research across the soybean value chain.
In an interview with the American Ag Network, United Soybean Board CEO Lucas Lentsch said the organization’s priorities remain rooted in producer leadership and long-standing checkoff investments.
Lentsch noted that the United Soybean Board is made up of 77 farmer leaders appointed by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, representing 31 soybean-producing states. Those farmers oversee the investment of soybean checkoff dollars, a program that has been in place for 35 years.
“For your listeners, about one half of one percent of the value of a bushel of beans is collected as a checkoff,” Lentsch explained. “For simple math on a $10 bushel, that’s basically a nickel.”
Lentsch said half of that checkoff stays in the state where it is collected, while the other half flows to the national organization, where farmer board members oversee the broader investment portfolio.
As producers look toward a new crop year and into 2027, Lentsch said ongoing investments continue across multiple areas, including work with land-grant universities and research focused on sustainable production challenges such as pests and soil health.
“If you take a step back and look at the buckets of investments, we have food, we have feed, we have fuel, we have industrial uses, we have sustainable production, and then of course, exports,” he said.
Exports remain a critical focus, Lentsch added, noting that soybeans are the largest exported commodity in the United States and are shipped to more than 80 countries. That global reach requires personnel working directly in international markets to support demand.
As the board builds its investment portfolio for 2027, Lentsch said the overall structure of those investment categories will remain, though farmers may adjust priorities within them.
“There may be nuances of investment areas, but the farmers are picking that direction,” he said.
Lentsch also acknowledged the broader pressures facing agriculture, including high input costs and uncertain marketing opportunities, but said the organization remains focused on supporting farmers behind the scenes.
“At the end of the day, that crop is going to go in the ground this spring,” Lentsch said. “Everything behind the scenes, the people that I work with, my co-workers, my colleagues, the partners across the organizations, we’re focused on driving volume through domestic and international demand and value so that at the end of the day we can have that economical sustainability for the farmer themselves.”
He added that the organization is proud to work on behalf of soybean producers as they navigate ongoing challenges in the ag economy.
Listen to Corryn La Rue’s interview with Lucas Lentsch here.
