U.S. soybean farmers work tirelessly to protect and conserve the land. They have adopted a range of farming practices to decrease carbon emissions and support their ongoing efforts toward soy sustainability.
Is U.S. Soybean Production Sustainable?
Soybean sustainability is a priority to U.S. soybean farmers. As stewards of the land, farmers follow sustainable soy farming practices such as:
- Crop rotation: Rotating different crops on fields during each growing season to improve soil health, enhance nutrients, prevent weed and disease pressures and increase yields.
- Reduced-till or no-till: A farming practice that minimizes or eliminates soil disturbance before planting and after harvest
- Water and nutrient management: Uses proper levels of water, fertilizers, or amendments to keep the soil and plants thriving
- Precision farming technology: An approach to farm management that uses technology to ensure crops and soil receive what they need at the right time
- Cover crops: Non-harvested crops are planted between growing seasons to protect the soil, reduce erosion, and maintain soil health
These techniques help farmers improve efficiencies, yield more crops, and produce sustainable soy. These practices also help to:
Improve nutrient efficiency of soil
Use less pesticides
Boost crop productivity
Conserve water
Enrich soil qualityU.S. Soybeans are certified sustainable,
contributing to a cleaner label and lower carbon footprint.
By leveraging U.S.-grown soybeans’ shorter supply chain, the food industry reduces its carbon footprint and transportation costs, which helps keep soy sustainable.
80 MILLION
acres of U.S. soybeans means that sustainable soy products, like soy protein and soybean oil, are always readily available to meet food company ingredient needs.
4X MORE
refining facilities for U.S. grown conventional and high oleic soybean oil, compared to other oilseed processing facilities.
Reducing the U.S. Soybean Carbon Footprint Through Carbon Sequestration
U.S. soybean farmers are committed to employing new sustainable production practices to continuously advance sustainability efforts.
Agri-FootprintTM 6.3, a Life Cycle Inventory database from Mérieux NutriSciences | Blonk released in 2023, found the carbon footprint of soybeans grown in the U.S. to be significantly lower than soybeans grown in Argentina and Brazil. U.S. soybean oil is responsible for just 0.73 kilograms of carbon per kilogram of product, compared to 7.95 kilograms of CO2 for Argentina and 7.90 kilograms of CO2 for Brazil.
This showcases how U.S. soybean farmers are part of the solution to reduce the impact farming has on the environment.
How U.S. Soy Producers Are Committed to Sustainability
United Soybean Board and U.S. Soy are actively advancing national sustainability continuous improvement goals that focus on making the biggest difference at the farm level and through our value chain. With a 2030 target date and 2020 as the benchmark
year, these goals aim to:
- Reduce land use impact of U.S. Soy by 10% (calculated as planted acres per bushel)
- Reduce soil erosion in U.S. Soy production by 25% (calculated as tons of soil loss per acre)
- Reduce energy use in U.S. Soy production by 10 percent (calculated as BTUs per bushel)
- Reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated in U.S. Soy production by 5 percent (calculated as pounds of CO2 equivalent per bushel)
Between 1980 and 2020, U.S. soybean farmers significantly improved their sustainability metrics:
- Produced 43% less greenhouse gas emissions (per bushel)
- Improved land use efficiency by 47% (per bushel)
- Increased the amount of soy being produced by 130% (per bushel)
Discover U.S. Soybean Farm Sustainability in 360°
Learn about soybean sustainability and the practices that put sustainable soybean production at the forefront of the farming industry. Virtually tour U.S. soybean grower Nancy Kavazanjian’s family farm:
Discover more about soybean farming and the innovative technology and practices U.S. soybean farmers use to produce a more sustainable soybean. Ask questions, find soy recipes and explore health and nutrition resources at Soy Connection.
