The U.S. Soybean Export Council has established environmental standards as part of the soy sustainability protocol established 2013.  This program documents and verifies that U.S. soy production is carried out in accordance with established principles of sustainability. Currently 40 percent of U.S. soy exports are verified under the protocol.

The U.S. Soybean Export Council considers that the sustainability protocol represents a differentiator benefiting U.S. soy producers. The contention that investments and efforts by farmers and the Association place U.S. soybeans at a competitive advantage on the international market has yet to be quantified.  The U.S. Soybean export Council has the obligation to demonstrate to producers that the protocol generates incremental income commensurate with the expenditure and effort involved.  Soybeans are essentially a commodity subject to international standards relating to quality and price, subject to supply and demand and are more influenced by availability at a point in time, logistics, shipping costs and prices are determined by mercantile exchanges.