Mary Allen
The soybean is a special bean and belongs to the legumes. They are often simply called “soy”. She is originally from China. A good half of soy production today comes from South America. Much more soy has been grown since World War II than before.
Many farmers today have too little land. They cannot grow enough to feed their animals. That’s why they buy soy for their cows, pigs, and poultry like chickens. It often comes to Europe by ship across the Atlantic.
People only eat very little margarine, sauce, or tofu. Soy products are increasingly popular with vegetarians and vegans because they contain no animal parts.
More and more soybean oil is being used as fuel in car tanks. That protects the environment. The danger, however, is that the farmland will be used for fuel instead of food. Many people fear that more people in the world would go hungry as a result.