To answer increasing demand for sustainably grown soy, the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC), American Soybean Association (ASA) and United Soybean Board (USB) announced today updated national sustainability continuous improvement goals with a 2030 target date. Using 2020 as the benchmark year, the new sustainability goals aim to:
- Reduce the land use impact of U.S. Soy by 10 percent (calculated as planted acres per bushel)
- Reduce soil erosion in U.S. Soy production by 25 percent (calculated as tons of soil loss per acre)
- Reduce energy use in U.S. Soy production by 10 percent (calculated as BTUs per bushel)
- Reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated in U.S. Soy production by 5 percent (calculated as pounds of CO₂ equivalent per bushel)
“The positive momentum of the national sustainability improvement goals has helped secure U.S. Soy’s ability to produce the lowest carbon footprint soy in the world, establishing a clear market advantage for U.S. Soy at a time when our global trade partners are looking to improve the sustainability of their product sourcing,” said Jim Sutter, USSEC CEO. “Developing the U.S. Soy sustainability improvement goals through 2030 ensures USSEC can continue to deliver on a vision of U.S. Soy as the most trusted, sustainable source of nutrition and energy around the world.”
Agri-FootprintTM 6.3, a Life Cycle Inventory database from Mérieux NutriSciences | Blonk released in 2023, found the carbon footprint of soybeans grown in the U.S. to be significantly lower than soybeans grown in Argentina and Brazil. U.S. soybean oil is responsible for just 0.73 kilograms of carbon per kilogram of product, compared to 7.95 kilograms of CO2 for Argentina and 7.90 kilograms of CO2 for Brazil.
Updated Goals Expand on U.S. Soybean Farmers History of Sustainability Achievements
The updated sustainability improvement goals build upon decades of sustainability improvements achieved through the hard work of U.S. soybean farmers and continuous improvement of their practices.
“The U.S. farmer’s vision of sustainable soy solutions isn’t just a catchphrase, it’s a way of life,” said Lucas Lentsch, USB CEO. “At USB we’re proud of the accomplishments our soybean farmers have achieved, year over year, and are committed to supporting the U.S. Soy industry in achieving these updated sustainability goals with access to the tools, technology and technical assistance they need for continuous improvement.”
Between 1980 and 2020, U.S. soybean farmers significantly improved their sustainability metrics. Per bushel of crop, U.S. soybeans farmers produced 43 percent less greenhouse gas emissions, improved land use efficiency by 48 percent, and increased the amount of soy being produced by 130 percent.
“U.S. soybean farmers are always looking for ways to improve their operations while maintaining profitability, said Steve Censky, ASA CEO. “ASA is confident U.S. soybean producers will reach these goals by 2030, improving upon the sustainability practices they already employ with the support of voluntary and incentive-based policies that encourage even greater environmental and economic gains.”
About the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC):
The U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) focuses on differentiating, elevating preference, and attaining market access for the use of U.S. Soy for human consumption, aquaculture, and livestock feed in 80+ countries internationally. USSEC members represent the soy supply chain including U.S. Soy farmers, processors, commodity shippers, merchandisers, allied agribusinesses, and agricultural organizations. USSEC is funded by the soy checkoff, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service matching funds, and industry. Visit ussec.org for the latest information and news about USSEC and U.S. Soy internationally.
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