A liquid oil extracted from the beans of a soya plant. The plant is approximately 50cm high and the soybeans are found in the pods, which contain between 2 and 4 beans. The beans vary in size and shape, and may be round or oval according to the variety. The colour varies from yellow to green. The harvest starts when the soybean ripens, which occurs with the shedding of the leaves. Harvesting usually begins around late September/early October in the Northern Hemisphere.
Soybean oil is the world's 2nd largest vegetable oil crop, at around 34 million tonnes. The crop is grown extensively in South America and the U.S.A. Today, the EU produces only a small amount of the soybeans it crushes - only 905,000 tonnes with the remaining balance imported, representing around 13.7 million tonnes. On crushing mature beans, the yield is on average only 18-20% oil with 78-80% meal obtained which provides a major, high protein ingredient for animal feeds.
Soybean oil is one of the world's most used vegetable oils for edible applications. It has a naturally light colour and little flavour; hence it is mainly used in applications like baking fats, mayonnaise, frying oil, salad and cooking oils and as an ingredient in margarine and spreads. Besides food applications, soybean oil is also used by the chemical and technical industry in applications like varnish and lacquer.
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Soybean oil is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and low in saturated fatty acids. The four major fatty acids in soyabean oil are Linoleic, Oleic, Palmitic, and Linolenic. The EU produces between 2.8 and 2.9 million tonnes of soybean oil, exports 0.4 million tonnes and consumes between 2.4 and 2.5 million tonnes. As for soymeal, around 33.15 million tonnes is consumed in the EU, of which 10.2 million tonnes are produced with the balance imported.
The use of soybean oil in this country did decline following the decision in the USA to produce a genetically modified version of the plant. However, more recently the 'traditional' non GM variant has become more widely used. More than 70% of the soybean crop grown worldwide is now genetically modified.
Worldwide in 2002, GM crops were grown in 58.7 million hectares, an area equivalent to two and a half times the area of the UK and representing 18% of the total land under cultivation across the globe. GM soya, almost all of which was herbicide tolerant, and GM maize, two-thirds of which was insect resistant and one-third herbicide tolerant, accounted for 80% of this area.
Soybean production is one of the fastest growing industries in South America and is one of the largest sources of income, generating development and providing employment in several countries in the region. Extensive cultivation and the expansion of agricultural frontiers also entail high social and environmental costs, such as deforestation, water pollution and soil erosion. Rapid growth of soya production also signifies a threat to the rich biological diversity in the region.
Based on current trends, soya production is likely to continue its rate of growth. However, it is of key importance that this expansion is carried out within a sustainable framework. In order to achieve this goal, it is fundamental that a global definition on sustainable soya production be developed and NEODA is watching closely the developments on this.
