BENSON, Ill. – It isn’t every day one gets to visit the Egyptian pyramids or tour the historic sites and streets of Cairo and Alexandria. But those cultural pilgrimages took a distant second place to the thrill of accomplishment felt by Ali Gibbs following a recent trade mission to Egypt with 30 other farmer-leaders representing the United Soybean Board (USB) and the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USEC). The trip, financed through soybean checkoff funds and focused primarily on Egypt’s aquaculture sector, was Jan. 16-24, 2026.

“Seeing historical wonders like the pyramids was cool, but I think everyone on the trip would agree that the coolest part of the trip was the industry side of it,” said Gibbs, who grows corn, soybeans and specialty crops with her husband, Nathan, outside Benson in Woodford County. “I did get to go inside a pyramid, and we rode camels at the pyramids. We got to see some churches, tour some markets and experience a lot of different cultural aspects of Egypt.”

After being named to the Illinois Soybean Association’s (ISA) 2025 “Top 20 Under 40” list of young agricultural leaders, Gibbs was permitted to apply through the ISA to accompany the USB delegation on the trip, which was part of the ‘See for Yourself’ program offered through the USB and the Soy Checkoff Program.

“The purpose was for young farmers to see where their checkoff dollars are being utilized and how our soybeans are utilized in other countries. There was a focus on (Egypt’s) aquaculture industry, which is now a subject I am very passionate about,” she said.

The contingent of 31 USB and USEC delegates, composed of 12 farmer-leaders and 19 USB-USEC representatives, departed from O’Hare Airport in Chicago. The group transferred planes in Frankfurt, Germany, for the final leg of the journey to Cairo, where they immediately visited a research facility called World Fish.

“They are funded through USEC and soy checkoff dollars, and USEC works closely with World Fish and research institutes to intensify prawn (and other aquatic species) production in Egypt and to promote aquaculture because the fish are fed U.S. soy. This is why USEC is putting a lot of research dollars into this program,” Gibbs said.

Aquaculture accounts for around 6 percent of global soy demand, with around 874 million bushels of demand in the 2023-24 marketing year, according to Gibbs. The market for soybean meal for aquaculture is expected to continue to expand, especially in Egypt, where pork is not a menu item. Egyptian buyers prefer U.S. soy over other countries, she said, due to the four D’s: Dried-naturally soybeans as opposed to wood-fired drying that leads to protein and amino acids-depleting cracks in soybean hulls, less Damage than other countries, better Digestibility due to a better product, and Deforestation – which the U.S. does not engage in to produce soy.

“Soy has all the nutrients a fish already needs, and it is lightweight. When they formulate the (food) pellet, they want it to float,” Gibbs explained. “Almost 100 percent of their fish products remain in-country. They use (soy-based fish meal) to feed their people by producing fish such as tilapia, and their population is booming so the aquafeed and aquaculture section is growing rapidly. They don’t eat pork, so fish is a very common food source there.”

Though birth rates declined slightly in 2025 after several years of upward growth, the Egyptian population had enjoyed year-over-year growth at least since 2020. The 2026 population growth rate is expected to increase by 1.47 percent, according to data from the United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, to 120,101,175. The population is expected to reach 136,097,217 by 2035 and soar to 161,630,192 by 2050.

“Egypt is on track to be a global leader in U.S. soy purchases. There is an expected 10 percent increase in aquatic animal production expected by 2032, and it’s being driven by aquaculture,” said Gibbs, adding that around 80 percent of buyers and business owners the group met with indicated their preference for U.S. soy. “I think there is a lot of hope for the market in Egypt, and I think that is a credit to the checkoff program and to the work that USEC and U.S. Soy are doing to expand markets in places people may not be aware of.”

The group was able to meet with the Minister of Agriculture of Egypt, Alaa Farouk, in the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. The meet and greet included a discussion about the future of Egyptian aquaculture and the role of U.S. soy in Egypt. Poultry feed is another up-and-coming market for soybean meal in Egypt, Gibbs added.

In addition to Gibbs, the U.S. contingent included USB Chair Brent Gatton, of Kentucky; USB CEO Lucas Len Lucas Lentsch; USEC Executive Director (Middle East) Kevin Roepke; Indiana farmer Stewart Douglas; and Ohio farmer Becca Waldo.