Seeing a bigger picture: Indiana farmer’s journey through Egypt’s soybean market  

Stewart Douglas had never given much thought to Cairo. But when the corn and soybean farmer from Flat Rock, Ind., joined a Soy Checkoff See for Yourself trade mission to Egypt, he found a booming demand for U.S. soy, and a reflection of the same generational values that define farming back home. 

“We really got to see the full circle of that soybean,” Stewart said. “From the moment it entered the country at the port to where it ended up at the end users and out into the consumer market.” 

A next-gen moment 

One evening stands out above the rest. During dinner at the hotel, Stewart and fellow participants met with industry leaders, including the CEO of a local fish feed mill. The CEO brought along his son, Muhammad, a young man in his early 20s and roughly Stewart’s age, who represents the third generation of his family in the business. 

“That feed mill had been started by his grandfather, passed on to his dad, and now he’ll be the third generation to run it,” Stewart said. “Just the knowledge of that young man was really cool to see.” 

The feed mill is a meal and pellet operation that transforms soybean byproducts into fish feed, and it depends on quality U.S. soy as a primary ingredient. Seeing that connection up close got Stewart thinking about the parallel conversations happening back home about cultivating the next generation of agricultural leaders. 

“There aren’t too many industries that still operate the way farms do, very much a family business,” he said. “That’s something I’d look to pass on someday.” 

Why Egypt? Why now? 

Egypt is a market that deserves farmers’ full attention. With a population of around 110 million, its position as a gateway to the broader African continent, and the fourth largest export market for U.S. soybeans, the country represents enormous and growing demand for agricultural products. 

Poultry and fish are dietary staples, and both industries rely heavily on soy-based feed. As Egypt’s population grows and living standards rise, so does demand for affordable, high-quality protein, and U.S. soy is well-positioned to meet it. 

Stewart points to several competitive advantages that set U.S. soy apart, starting with sustainability. Deforestation remains a significant concern in other major soy-producing regions, while U.S. farmers operate under a vastly different standard. 

Another difference is that U.S. soy is naturally dried in the field instead of being run through a grain dryer, as is common in other soy-producing countries. Naturally drying increases digestibility and reduces damage, qualities that end users notice and value. 

Then there’s infrastructure. Our river system, road networks and grain handling capabilities give U.S. soy a logistical edge that’s difficult for competitors to replicate. 

“Every year, end users around the world need to be able to count on a consistently high-quality product from American farmers,” Stewart said. “That’s key.” 

The relationship behind the commodity 

One of the most eye-opening parts of the mission was meeting the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) staff working on the ground who cover the Middle East and North Africa region. Watching the people who represent the U.S. Soy team walk into facilities, greet owners by name, and ask about their families drove home where soy checkoff investments are going. 

“Seeing that relationship and the trust they have, those individuals representing U.S. soy as a whole, was really neat,” Stewart said. “And then to step back and think, we have people doing that same work in countries all across the globe.” 

Diversification as a safety net 

The broader economic lesson Stewart brought home is one of market diversification. In a global economy where conditions can shift quickly, whether due to a trade dispute or port closure, having strong relationships across multiple markets protects farmers from price volatility at home. 

“Just like farmers like to be diversified on their income streams so a tougher year in one enterprise doesn’t sink them, the same goes in the global marketplace,” he explained. “You don’t want to put all your eggs in one basket. If one country decides not to purchase one year, you don’t want the global price to tank.” 

More buyers and producers in the marketplace mean more stability for everyone. Egypt and the broader region represent exactly that kind of meaningful, high-volume demand, the kind that moves markets, even for a farmer who never ships a bushel directly overseas. 

Investing in what comes next 

Stewart came back from Egypt energized about the role young farmers can play in shaping the future of U.S. soy. 

Raised on farm family values and deeply involved in 4-H, FFA, and junior leader programs growing up, Stewart went on to study at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. There, he joined Alpha Gamma Rho, the agricultural fraternity, where the connections he made opened doors he couldn’t have anticipated. 

“That networking has taken me very far,” he said. “It opened up a lot of doors I wouldn’t have otherwise had the opportunity to go through.” 

A trip like this one does the same thing. It connects young farmers to the bigger picture, shows them where their soybeans go and why it matters, and builds the kind of global perspective that will be essential for the next generation of checkoff leaders. 

“The hope is that the next generation will have better technologies and better practices, so they can do it better than the one before them,” Stewart said. 

Whether it’s a young Egyptian entrepreneur like Muhammad, learning his family’s trade, or an Indiana farmer seeing the journey of his soybeans for the very first time, the future of U.S. Soy is being built one relationship, one generation, and one bushel at a time.