We look into the far-reaching implications of soya grown for animal feed

In the time that you’ve been vegan, it’s highly likely that at some point you’ve eaten soya — it makes up many popular plant-based foods, including tofu and dairy-free yoghurts, and can, of course, be eaten in its natural form. However, the bulk of soya that is grown is not actually intended for human consumption — at least not directly.

Native to Asia, soya has been the fastest-growing global crop in recent decades, and its cultivation has spread to foreign territories, including the United States, South America, Canada, and parts of Europe. In the years to come, cultivation is set to rise exponentially, with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (fao.org) predicting that its production will double again by 2050. The reason for the global takeover? Ironically, it’s the meat industry that is driving the demand for this highProtein legume.

Long-time associated with eating soya-based products, the rising population of vegans frequently get the blame for creating the demand, and consequently, the far-reaching issues that mass soya cultivation causes, including deforestation and habitat destruction, species extinction, loss of biodiversity, and food poverty, as well as climate change, water pollution from pesticides, and flooding — the list goes on. Yet, the majority of soya grown is turned into soymeal for the feeding of livestock animals, whose Fate lie in the hands of the meat or dairy industry. Due to the soybean’s high levels of Protein, and relatively low oil content, it makes a Protein-rich feed meal for farmed animals like cattle, poultry and pigs, where high amounts are required to achieve rapid growth rates.

How much soya?

Worryingly, Friends of the Earth (FOTE, friendsotheearth.uk) have reported that the livestock sector is estimated to double in size by 2050, including in developing countries. As it stands, globally, the US consumes the most livestock produce, with the average American eating around 125kg of meat a year — that’s the equivalent to more than 400 sirloin steaks! As incomes rise in developing countries, and as there becomes more urban middle class citizens, meat consumption will also rise. For example, in China, meat eating has climbed from an average of 20kg per capita in 1980, to 52kg today. As the world’s appetite for meat and dairy grows, more feed for the extra livestock farmed will be required, and so, more soya will be grown to produce it. Consequently, more land will be cleared for its production, and numerous habitats and ecosystems destroyed in the process.