From railroad imperialism to neoliberal reprimarization: Lessons from regime-shifts in the Global Soybean Complex

Abstract

Soybeans are ubiquitous in the global food system. As a major forest risk commodity, they are also at the heart of efforts to untangle the dynamics of land use change and associated impacts resulting from distant drivers. However, land system science has so far largely ignored the historically and socially embedded nature of these entanglements. This results in snapshot-like representations relying on neoclassical approaches to production and consumption. Here, we trace the evolution of the global soybean complex (GSC) since the late nineteenth century. We analyze how in the context of external developments soybeans have been channeled into different provisioning systems. This has occurred in a series of socio-ecological fixes, facilitated by socio-technological innovations and public sector interventions, motivated by different impediments to capital accumulation. Today, several emerging socio-technological practices promise to transform the GSC towards sustainability. We argue that the contemporary GSC inherits defining properties from the past, particularly the postwar strategy of using industrial animal farming to add value to surplus grains and oilseeds. The expanding GSC is therefore not merely a result of increasing demand, but rather the outcome of different provisioning systems’ continued dependence on soybeans. Future transitions will depend on public interventions and the influence of vested interest in current socio-metabolic patterns.

Enhancing sustainable soybean production in Indonesia: evaluating the environmental and economic benefits of MIGO technology for integrated supply chain sustainability

“…Ensuring the welfare of smallholder farmers and indigenous communities is fundamental. Certification systems, exemplified by the Roundtable on Responsible Soy (RTRS) and ProTerra, aim to verify and promote sustainable soybean production, enabling consumers to make informed choices (Mempel et al, 2023). Technological advancements from precision agriculture to data analytics and biotechnology bolster sustainability by increasing resource efficiency and diminishing environmental impacts (Gras & Cáceres, 2020).…”