Soybean Trade: Balancing Environmental and Socio-Economic Impacts of an Intercontinental Market

Abstract

The trade in soybean, an important animal feed product, exemplifies the environmental and socio-economic impact of global markets and global agricultural policy. This paper analyses the impact of increasing production of soybean in the exporting countries (deforestation and grassland conversion) as well as in importing regions (decrease in permanent grassland by substitution of grass as feed). Ecosystem services monetary values were used to calculate the environmental and socio-economic impact of observed land use changes. This is balanced against the economic value of the global soybean trade. The results prove that consumption choices in one region have real effects on the supply of ecosystem services at a large spatial scale. Conclusively, solutions to make this global market more sustainable are discussed.

Gradual Provision of Live Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) Larvae to Older Laying Hens: Effect on Production Performance, Egg Quality, Feather Condition and Behavior

“…Import of soy from South American countries has been a subject of debate in recent years. Increasing soy plantations in these countries has been frequently associated with deforestation, which further translates into increasing threat to indigenous people and human right violations [29]. Major drivers of soy-trade linked deforestation in South America are: (1) increasing profit per hectare from soy plantation; (2) development of infrastructure for e.g., roads to facilitate soy transport; and (3) badly fabricated regulations [26].…”

Simulation of changes in land-use/land cover on wetlands through CA-Markov model

“…Although considered as a PA, the lack of a management plan makes the agricultural activities within the EPABG continue to progress rapidly, jeopardizing the marsh areas and the biodiversity present in the APABG. Boerema et al (2016) points out that the expansion of soybean cultivation occurred mainly in field areas, moving livestock to other forested areas. However, in recent years, soybean cultivation has also shifted livestock to uncultivated ecosystems, including wetlands such as EPABG.…”

Identification of spectral disease signatures and resistant QTL for charcoal rot infection in soybean

“…Charcoal rot is an economically important disease that negatively affects soybean yield (Allen et al 2017;Boerema et al 2016;Hartman et al 2015;USDA 2016a). The causal agent of charcoal rot, Macrophomina phaseolina, has proven difficult to address as this fungal pathogen affects over 500 species worldwide restricting crop rotation management strategies due to the large host range Romero Luna et al 2017).…”

“…Soybean is used to produce biofuel, cooking oil, soy foods, and animal feed, among many other uses and generates an estimated 34 billion dollars annually in the United States (Boerema et al 2016;Hartman et al 2015;USDA 2016a). Due to the economic importance of soybean, yield protection from abiotic and biotic stresses is necessary especially as soybean yield is threatened by at least 35 economically important pathogens .…”

“…max (L.) Merr.] is the major oilseed crop produced in the United States and is used in the production of biofuel, cooking oil, soy foods, animal feeds and many other uses generating an estimated 34 billion dollars annually in the United States alone(Boerema et al 2016;Hartman et al 2015;USDA 2016a; USDA 2016b). Because of charcoal rot's economic importance, yield protection is a serious issue in soybean breeding and production as yield can be impacted by disease infections.…”