Sustainable Soya

In 2006, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) published a report entitled ‘Livestock’s long shadow: environmental issues and options’, which highlighted that 18% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions originate from the livestock sector*. This is as high as the GHG emissions from transport. This report was one of the first to make people aware that food consumption habits are a significant contributor global warming.

The environmental impact attributable to the production of meat and milk includes direct emissions, such as methane emissions from cows, but also indirect GHG emissions caused by deforestation to extend pastures.

And increased global warming is not the only environmental consequences of livestock rearing, since water and land use should also be taken in consideration. It is estimated that 75% of agricultural land is used for cattle, be it for pastures or for growing crops to feed the cattle.

But if you are looking for a sustainable alternative, how can you be sure that the soya products you choose are ethically produced? The good news is that – thanks to the pressure of campaigners like Greenpeace – much of the conventional soya industry has cleaned up its act. A three year moratorium on soya production linked to newly deforested Amazon land was agreed in 2006 by major growers and manufacturers and earlier this year, extended into 2010. That’s great as far as it goes, but of course, it can’t guarantee that soya doesn’t come from the Amazon formerly forested before the moratorium!

It is possible however to source soya that has never been near the Amazon and you can find companies committed to this approach guaranteeing the origin and sustainability of their soya, with independent auditing from bodies such as IBD, Eco-social, Cert ID and Pro-Terra.

• * FAO Livestock’s long shadow: environmental issues and options. Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, Rome, 2006.

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