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It’s no big secret that in Illinois, agriculture is vital to our economy. With Illinois being in the top five in soybeans, corn, wheat and pork production for 2021, we play a huge role in feeding our state, country and the world. Farmers know this and understand the role they play in food systems.
As our state and nation’s population has shifted to urban and suburban areas, so have the elected officials making decisions on policy that affects farmers and rural Illinois. These elected officials have fewer contacts with farming and the role agriculture plays in the systems their constituents rely on.
The Illinois Soybean Association is actively working to educate and inform key elected officials about the issues that make a difference for Illinois farmers. In April, ISA is opening an office in Lombard.
Lombard is not known for its soybean fields, but it is located at the epicenter of many elected officials in the Chicagoland area. Over two-thirds of the Illinois General Assembly is located within the greater Chicago area.
Many agriculture groups work to bring elected officials to farms so they can see firsthand how farms work and hear directly from farmers. Engaging elected officials on their home-base is a strategic move.
ISA’s office in Lombard will allow for greater outreach and develop dialogue on issues like food security and energy independence that matter to urban constituents and are key demand drivers for all of Illinois’ agricultural products.
Another strategic effort is engaging elected officials during legislative session. This March as part of the annual Ag Legislative Day, Illinois Soybean Growers leaders and staff went to Springfield to tell the story of Illinois farmers and the key issues that impact their production.
One of those key issues is ISG’s legislation to extend and expand the state sales tax exemption on biodiesel blends.
For over 20 years, Illinois has exempted diesel fuel sold that contained over a 10% blend of biodiesel from state sales tax. This policy has effectively driven Illinois to be a leader in biodiesel consumption at around 250 million gallons of B100 annually.
Not only has this helped farmers’ bottom line by increasing demand for soybean oil, corn oil and animal fats, it has allowed Illinois to make meaningful progress at reducing dependence on foreign oil and meeting climate goals.
Through interactions with legislators at Ag Legislative Day, ISG was able to see several new notable urban co-sponsors join the biodiesel legislation which would expand sales tax exemption and help move it towards blends of B20 over the next few years.
Conducting outreach and educating elected officials is one of the best tools we have to ensure our voices are being heard.
It’s no big secret that agriculture matters to all of Illinois, to the nation and to the world. But that won’t keep us from delivering that message again and again.
Andrew Larson is director of market development for the Illinois Soybean Association.