Pork producers around the world are learning the benefits of soybeans, due to the research of two ISU professors.Robert Rust, professor emeritus of animal science, and Brad Skaar, associate professor of animal science, presented three seminars this fall to promote the use of soybeans as a valuable protein supplement in pork diets in South America.Rust said the seminars began as a one-time event to occupy pork producers visiting the World Pork Expo in Des Moines and expanded into an annual event. The seminars were designed by the American Soybean Association. The association has brought pork producers and pork processors from the northern part of South America to the World Pork Expo over the last five years to provide additional education on pork carcasses, the overall quality of pigs and to promote pork consumption. “The seminars are held a week before the Expo at the Meats Laboratory and swine teaching farms at Iowa State,” Skaar said. “Venezuela, Columbia and Peru are the primary countries, and Argentina is also becoming involved. The arrangements are made by ASA for producers and veterinarians to attend the seminars.”Skaar said the seminars are mutually beneficial. “The ASA sponsored the seminars because they want to increase soybean exports,” he said. “Iowa State helps sponsor the seminars, so they are remaining an international community university and gives them more opportunities to host and visit other countries. Personally, the seminars enable me to bring experiences into undergraduate classes.” Iowa is second in the nation in soybean production, and Rust said anything that can market soybeans helps market prices. The South American producers provide a place to help expand soybean export markets, he said.If pork becomes more popular, the world economy rises, he said. ASA believes supplementing soybeans into pork diets will improve the pork carcass quality and the quality of pigs, Rust said.”A number of people from South America have been inspired to expand or begin their own supply of pork,” Skaar said. “In November, we visited Columbia and Venezuela and saw that the producers were encouraged to expand and include soybeans in the swine’s diets.”Skaar said he and Rust discuss different aspects of the pork and soybeans at the seminars.”Professor Rust’s area of concentration is with meat, and mine is in live animal production to fresh pork, but I also talk about genetics and how they affect pork quality,” he said.