Leaders convene to shape future strategy, vision and goals to empower the next generation of protein professionals
The U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC)’s Soy Excellence Center (SEC) hosted its Regional Advisory Council and Global Advisory Panel meeting in Mumbai, India. This meeting provided a platform for SEC’s global leadership and regional committee to gather under one roof to outline strategies and highlight the vision for the program’s continued success. Discussions emphasized the critical importance of collaboration between SEC’s global team and the regional council to advance SEC’s mission.
Reflecting on the SEC’s transformative role in workforce development, Kevin Roepke, Regional Director at USSEC added, “As the world evolves, technology becomes a significant player in how industries operate including agriculture. With the SEC’s trainings, we envision a modern workforce that embraces these challenges and delivers sustainable cutting-edge solutions to meet the rising demand for protein.”
To address the challenge of feeding the world’s growing population sustainably and using lesser resources, USSEC strategically founded SECs in emerging markets where the population surge is taking place. Targeted towards early-to-mid career professionals, the SECs provide world-class trainings equipping the workforce with the skills needed to increase efficiency and positively impact the entire value chain.
Since its launched just ten months ago, SEC in India, is already taking significant strides. To date, it has trained more than 200 participants across its three learning tracks-poultry, feed milling and soy food for human food utilization. Aligned with Prime Minister Modi’s ‘Skills India’ initiative, SEC’s trainings aim to bridge the education gap and empower India’s young agriculture workforce.
Highlighting SEC’s impact in India, Vijay Anand, SEC Center Lead at USSEC commented, “While the SEC offers a global curriculum, our courses offerings are also tailored to meet India’s unique needs. With the support of our local 14-member Regional Advisory Council based in India, we provide a well-rounded practical learning experience to our participants.”
Notable participants at the meeting included: Mark Read, SEC GAP Vice-Chair and Illinois Soybean Farmer, Kellie Gypin, SEC Global Focus Area Advisor; Tori Sorensen, SEC GAP Chair; Reggie Strickland USSEC Board of Directors; Sridhar Murthy, President, National School of Business; Suresh Deora, Chairman CLFMA; Naveen Pasuparthy, Deputy Chairman CLFMA; D. Ramraj, Founder Member, Society of Aquaculture Professionals; Sumit Agarwal, Managing Director, Bionutrients; Suresh Itapu, CEO, Nutritech; Harshakumar Shetty, President, Institution of Veterinarians of Poultry Industry (IVPI); Ajit Ranade, retd. Professor – Poultry, Mumbai Veterinary College; Kanakaraj M, Consultant – Feed Mill Process Optimization.