Photo credit: United Soybean Board
The U.S. Soy industry has updated its national sustainability continuous improvement goals to meet the growing demand for sustainably produced soy. Using 2020 as the benchmark, the new goals build on a history of sustainability improvements and aim to achieve the following by 2030:
- Reduce the 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% (calculated as British Thermal Units or BTUs per bushel)
- Reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated in U.S. Soy production by 5% (calculated as pounds of CO₂ equivalent per bushel)
Jim Sutter, CEO of the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC), said, “The positive momentum of the national sustainability improvement goals has helped secure U.S. Soy’s ability to produce the lowest carbon footprint soy in the world. This gives U.S. Soy a clear market advantage at a time when our global trade partners are looking to improve the sustainability of their product sourcing.”
The competitive advantage of U.S. Soy is demonstrated by Agri-FootprintTM 6.3, a life cycle inventory database from Mérieux NutriSciences | Blonk released in 2023. The database found that soybeans grown in the United States have a significantly lower carbon footprint than soybeans grown in Argentina and Brazil, U.S. Soy’s closest competitors.
Sutter added, “Developing the U.S. Soy sustainability improvement goals through 2030 ensures USSEC can continue to deliver on a vision of U.S. Soy as the most trusted, sustainable source of nutrition and energy around the world.”
Sustainability Track Record
U.S. Soy’s revised sustainability goals build on decades of progress achieved through the commitment of soybean farmers and the continuous improvement of their practices.
“The U.S. farmer’s vision of sustainable soy solutions isn’t just a catchphrase; it’s a way of life,” said Lucas Lentsch, CEO of the United Soybean Board (USB). “At USB, we’re proud of the accomplishments our soybean farmers have achieved, year over year, and are committed to supporting the U.S. Soy industry in achieving these updated sustainability goals with access to the tools, technology and technical assistance they need for continuous improvement.”
According to Field to Market data, U.S. soybean farmers made significant strides in sustainability between 1980 and 2020. Per bushel of crop, they:
- Produced 43% fewer greenhouse gas emissions
- Improved land use efficiency by 48%
- Boosted soil conservation by 34% per acre.
Over the same period, U.S. Soy farmers increased soy production by 130%.
“U.S. soybean farmers are always looking for ways to improve their operations while maintaining profitability,” said Steve Censky, CEO of the American Soybean Association (ASA). “ASA is confident U.S. soybean producers will reach these goals by 2030, improving upon the sustainability practices they already employ with the support of voluntary and incentive-based policies that encourage even greater environmental and economic gains.”