Did you know that almost every bite of commercially produced meat and chicken that you eat, along with most eggs and dairy products, contains soy, a crop which has been linked to deforestation in valuable ecosystems?
Solving the soy problem
See how what we do matters in the amazing Cerrado savannah
Soy oil, which comes from processing soybeans, is used extensively in processed foods such as margarines, dressings and mayonnaise. More recently, soybean oil has also been used to produce biofuels for car engines and power plants.
So if you eat meat, cheese or eggs, or drink milk, chances are you’re indirectly consuming soybeans grown in biodiverse ecosystems that have been greatly reduced and fragmented to make space for soy plantations.
These include the Cerrado in Brazil, the Chaco Region in Argentina and the Atlantic Forest in Paraguay. Soy cultivation is even moving into the Amazon, the world’s biggest rainforest and a major carbon sink.
In other parts of the world where soy is also grown, such as India, China, and the US, the crop can also cause negative environmental impacts such as soil erosion and water contamination.
► More on the connection between soy & you
► BLOG: Hungry for change? Saving the Cerrado savannah, one bacon butty at a time…[WWF-UK]
One tool to tackle the problem is the Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS). A multi-stakeholder initiative involving companies and civil society groups like WWF, the RTRS is the best available global solution with the potential to move the mainstream soy industry to adopt less destructive, more responsible practices.
Meanwhile, WWF tackles the impacts of soy on many fronts. Among other efforts, we are:
Soy and you
You may not consume large quantities of soy directly. But the animals you eat do. 80% of the world’s soybean crop is fed to livestock, especially chickens.So if you eat meat, cheese or eggs, or drink milk, chances are you’re indirectly consuming soybeans grown in biodiverse ecosystems that have been greatly reduced and fragmented to make space for soy plantations.
These include the Cerrado in Brazil, the Chaco Region in Argentina and the Atlantic Forest in Paraguay. Soy cultivation is even moving into the Amazon, the world’s biggest rainforest and a major carbon sink.
In other parts of the world where soy is also grown, such as India, China, and the US, the crop can also cause negative environmental impacts such as soil erosion and water contamination.
► More on the connection between soy & you
► BLOG: Hungry for change? Saving the Cerrado savannah, one bacon butty at a time…[WWF-UK]
Unacceptable impacts, urgent solutions
At WWF, we are deeply concerned about irresponsible soybean plantation expansion. We are especially worried about deforestation, which leads to the loss of valuable natural habitats such as forests and savannahs, and the negative impacts on communities and workers.One tool to tackle the problem is the Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS). A multi-stakeholder initiative involving companies and civil society groups like WWF, the RTRS is the best available global solution with the potential to move the mainstream soy industry to adopt less destructive, more responsible practices.
Meanwhile, WWF tackles the impacts of soy on many fronts. Among other efforts, we are:
- strengthening law enforcement and land use planning in producer countries
- encouraging the use of degraded land for agricultural expansion
- promoting more responsible consumption of livestock by consuming countries
- investigating the potential of alternative, sustainable protein sources
Do you represent a company that buys meat or other products using soy?
► See WWF's guidance for companies
► See WWF's guidance for companies
Consumers' purchasing decisions play a major role in influencing the way soy is grown and produced.
