Soybeans in the United States: Economically Versatile and Environmentally Viable

The soybean is an incredible versatile crop with many applications beyond just food - and soybeans are an increasingly integral part of the American economy. In the last decade alone in the United States, soybean sales have increased by over 1000 percent. Until recently, most soybean production in the world occurred in Asia, followed by Europe and South America. In the United States, soybeans were originally only grown for industrial uses. Soybeans have only been grown as a food source in the United States for less than a century, and in the last decade alone thousands of new uses have been discovered for soybeans.

Soybeans have become increasingly consumed as a food source in the United States both because of their various health benefits and because large trade organizations have advocated their numerous advantages. Perhaps the most significant increase in soybean consumption in the US came after the benefits of soybeans were officially sanctioned by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in the United States. Moreover, soybeans are used for various industrial products - from cleaners to plastics.

In the last few years alone, soybeans have been introduced into more and more domestic food products. There are many soy products on the market, from cooking items like soy flour and oil to non-food products like soy soaps and inks. Soybeans are high in protein and nutrients, and are even cited in studies for their apparent ability to reduce cholesterol. Soybeans have even been credited with helping people recover mental functions, from sufferers of Alzheimer's disease to severe cases of extreme brain injury. Few people realize just how many things they eat and use increasingly rely on soybeans, though the sale of such products has risen from the hundred-millions to billions over the last decade alone.

Though they are still widely considered vegetables (and are in a strictly technical sense), soybeans have potential that extends far beyond their nutrition-related properties. People looking for a good investment in the future may wish to consider such companies as DOW and Dupont. Both of these companies are well-established for other reasons but are also increasingly staking a claim in domestic soybean production and pioneering new uses for soybeans in the United States and abroad. Soybeans have become more than a simple substitute for traditional food-related additives or components. Today, soybeans represent the potential future of many industries from industrial production to food sources in a world increasingly dependent upon alternative sources fulfilling traditional needs.