New Study Proves Significant Benefits to Soybean Farming in U.S.-

As it turns out, soybeans are not only delicious and extremely beneficial for health reasons but are considered environmentally-friendly as well. As soy is renewable by nature, it has been used as an ingredient in a wide variety of biobased products – such as biodiesel that fuels vehicles, resins that fit into the exterior panels of cars and farm machinery, lubricants for various uses, and even spray foam insulation for buildings. “This profile is the first comprehensive life cycle study covering U.S. soybean production through four major biobased products,” said Wynne, Arkansas soybean farmer John Cooper, a USB Director and Member of the USB Domestic Marketing Committee. “U.S. soy already delivers environmental and energy benefits. It’s exciting to see the trends point to even more in the future.” The environmental advantages of soybeans to are colossal, as they eradicate deadly greenhouse gases from the atmosphere while they grow. According to the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator, the 3.36 billion bushels of soybeans that sprouted in the U.S. throughout 2009 removed the carbon equivalent of taking 21 million cars off the road. To add, soybean crop yields are on the rise, with a 12 percent increase over 1998-2000 – and as of now, plant breeding companies expect new soybean varieties will allow farmers to increase yield by 40 percent in the next ten years. New data shows that roughly 20 percent less direct energy is used in soybean farming attributed to reduced diesel and gasoline usage, and soybean processing plants also slashed their energy consumption by 45 percent when analyzed with 1998 data. As part of the study, a life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) was concluded, demonstrating that these four soy-derived feedstocks significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions and had lower fossil fuel depletion impacts when compared to petroleum-based products. “At BioBased Technologies® we develop, manufacture and sell renewable-content polyols for the polyurethane industry,” says Sales Manager for Polyols, Shelly West. “We believe this LCA information from USB and Omni Tech will help our customers see the bigger life cycle perspective to improve their product sustainability profile by choosing renewable-based materials that are price and performance competitive and made in the U.S.A.” Video below is a soy biodiesel ad spot, courtesy of the National Biodiesel Board.