Public Affairs

We are driven to leverage non-checkoff resources to develop and secure local, state and national policies and regulations that allow you and the industry to flourish. While you're busy running your operation, our Public Affairs team is where you can’t be to make, shape, implement or fight commonsense laws and regulations that impact your farming operation. We...

  1. Convene and lead state policy staff interaction for idea sharing and generation across the soy family.
  2. Deliver timely and relevant policy news and analysis through our email updates.
  3. Streamline grassroots policy development process, delegate engagement and policy presence to ensure Iowa’s soybean farmers’ voices are heard.

Recent Local, State & Federal Work 

  • Playing a critical role in securing direct support for Iowa’s farmers amid rising trade tensions, including the first and second rounds of Market Facilitation Program (MFP) payments.
  • Protecting a key domestic market and growing soybean demand by securing a three-year extension of the $1.00/gallon biodiesel tax credit supporting B11 and higher blends, the longest extension in history.
  • Actively working to fight back against EPA’s attempts to expand small refinery exemption waivers to oil companies and encouraging Governor Reynolds to enact pro-biodiesel policies such as an executive order in December 2019 requiring state agencies to purchase vehicles that can support at least a 20% blend of biodiesel (B20)
  • Fighting for farmers’ ability to apply existing stocks of dicamba products this growing season after a federal court vacated and cancelled three product registrations.
  • Responding to your immediate needs since the Covid-19 outbreak by pushing for maximum program flexibility and clear guidance, leading timely interactions with state and federal officials, and helping secure Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds’ emergency proclamation that suspended truck weight limits and hours-of-service regulations.
  • Leading timely interactions between soybean farmers, Iowa’s congressional delegation and high-ranking officials, including U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, USDA Undersecretaries Bill Northey and Ted McKinney, USDA FSA Administrator Richard Fordyce and USTR Chief Ag Negotiator Gregg Doud.

ISA also leverages non-checkoff resources to support ISA’s commitment to invest and be involved with the American Soybean Association.