In October, 1999 John C. Baize and Associates contracted with Smith Bucklin& Associates (SBA) to undertake to carry out a global soybean meal sampling and analysis project (USB Project # 0586) on behalf of the Quality Committee of the United Soybean Board. With the decision by the USB to eliminate the Quality Committee in December 1999 management of the project was subsequently transferred to the American Soybean Association (ASA), the USB’s international marketing contractor.