Soybean is a major export from the U.S. to China

Soybean is a basic ingredient in much food consumed today in China and worldwide.  Paul Burke is Director of Northeast Asia for the U.S. Soybean Export Council.

In today's feature Paul talks first of 'tofu' - a staple food produced mainly from beans grown in Dongbei.

Paul is very enthusiastic about the beans and its uses. He explains how also Japanese miso is derived from beans originally grown in China.

Soybeans are cultivated not only in China and the U.S. but also countries such as Argentina and Brazil. China purchases around 25% of soybeans grown in the US. Today, because of Chinese demand, soybeans now have a greater acreage of growth than corn in the US Midwest.

Paul has worked within the US soybean industry for over 13 years. His entire career has been involved with promoting US agricultural products for export. He has been coming to China regularly since 1984.

More about the world of soybeans at www.ussec.org