Soy Is A Sustainable Protein Source

Sustainability is a major buzzword in today’s media. However, sustainability is more than just a buzzword; it it a critical part of meeting the future food needs of the world’s population.

• Water Conservation – production of protein from soy uses less water than similar processes with animal sources. Soy uses 2,500 gallons of water per ton of protein produced. This is dramatically lower than beef (nearly 21,000 gallons) and also lower than protein produced from eggs, chickens, and pork.

• Energy Efficiency – based on return of energy use, soy protein (415 kilocalories) is more efficient than milk (21 kilocalories), chicken (18 kilocalories), eggs (11 kilocalories), beef (6 kilocalories), and pork (4 kilocalories).

• Production Efficiency – according to the information on the Solae website, more usable protein is produced from soy beans (356 lbs per acre of land) than many other plant and animal sources, including rice (265 lbs per acre), corn (211 lbs), milk (82 lbs), and beef (20 lbs).

With the growing interest in and importance of environmental conservation, consumers are making more choices based on ethical and sustainable practices that don’t place large demands on the world’s natural resources. With the growing world population and ever-expanding need for nutrient-rich foods, sustainable sources that leave a small carbon footprint are both desired and needed.