Procurement Strategies to Improve and Assure Higher Quality Soybeans

This study compares purchasing strategies for meeting essential amino acid (EAA) requirements for soybeans in the Pacific Northwest export market. The analysis shows that specifying minimum EAA requirements in purchase contracts is the most reliable and cost-effective strategy and instills a sense of security and trust in meeting high-quality EAA end-user requirements. Additionally, purchasing based on minimum protein and oil specifications meets EAA requirements about 80% of the time, with the odds increasing to 93% when targeting origins based on soybean quality survey reports, albeit with added testing costs.