What is soy, and why should companies in the UK explore their soy supply chains?

This guide is a collaborative effort between Efeca and Proforest, as part of the Soy Toolkit.

Purpose of this guide

The purpose of this guide is to provide an introduction to soy, how we use it, why we should source sustainable soy and to suggest some initial steps a company can take to develop and implement a policy on sustainable soy within their organisation and supply chain.

What is soy and where is it grown?

The soybean or soya bean is a species of legume widely grown for its edible bean, which has numerous uses. Some food uses include some obvious products such as soymilk, tofu, soy sauce and soy oil and less evident products, such as soy lecithin. However, the increased demand for soy has been primarily driven by the meat and dairy industries since most of the world’s soy is used in animal feed. The global production of soy has grown rapidly from 27 million tonnes in 1961 to 349 million tonnes in 20182. Global soybean production is highly concentrated, with about 80% originating from three countries alone: the United States, Brazil and Argentina (Figure 1).