Soybeans in Tennis Shoes?

Appointed to the United Soybean Board of Directors in early 2026, Rob Schaffer says that among the board work is continuing to find and support new uses and technologies for US soybeans.

“Stuff for putting the soybean additive to put on blacktops and pavements to make them last longer, whether that's going into Sketcher shoes, you know, they use soybean oil in that tires, Goodyear tires, there's they put a soybean additive in there to make the tires last longer, that kind of stuff. We're always looking for new ways to incorporate. We've got a lot of animals that eat soybean meal. The other good one is now is biodiesel and renewable diesel with 40 5z okay, as far as soybean oil going into the to biofuels, whether that's renewable diesel or biomass-based diesel, so that's a big one too. Now that the government's got that stuff figured out, and a big demand for soybean oil.”

On an interesting note, Shaffer says that soybean use demand has changed.

“I used to raise a bean to feed pigs, chickens, and turkeys, and dairy cows in the meal side, and not the oil so much, and that's why, as the farmer started biodiesel back in 30 plus years ago, was to find the demand for that, the oil, because it was a drag on the soybean, now the oil is taking precedent, and now we've got a meal, we got to figure out, get a meal, you know, get meal moving.”

Other USB work includes finalizing the budget this month, and he says they hope to announce their new executive director in the coming weeks. The USB is made up of 77 members.