IOWA (Northwestiowanow) — Representatives from Japan recently visited with Northwest Iowa farmers.

On Monday June 15, Kaz Suzuki and Hiro Kondo with House Foods America toured the area as part of an effort to strengthen ties with organic soybean growers and better understand how their crops move from the field to food products like tofu.

Suzuki says the company wants to build a stronger connection between farmers and their products.

 

 

House Foods America has produced tofu in the United States since the early 1980s and currently sources hundreds of truckloads of soybeans from the Midwest each year.

Still, Suzuki says many farmers don’t always see where their crops ultimately end up.

 

 

During the visit, Suzuki also admired Iowa’s landscape, calling it one of the most productive soybean-growing regions he has ever seen.

 

 

At the same time, Suzuki noted concerns about the long-term impact of climate change on agriculture, emphasizing the importance of protecting natural resources to sustain both farming operations and the industries that rely on them.

House Foods officials say this visit is just the beginning, with plans to continue building relationships with farmers across the Midwest in the years ahead.