ENSA Soy Week 2009: Soya and the Environment

At a time when the protection of the environment and of natural resources is in everyone’s mind, it’s time to think of easy ways to effectively reduce our individual environmental footprint. How? Thanks to soy-based products! Discover how little, simple changes in your eating habits can have a positive impact on the environment. ENSA, the European Natural Soyfood Manufacturers Association, is organising the second edition of the Soy Week from 19 to 26 September. This year they want to highlight the positive effects of soyfood consumption on the environment. You can bike to work instead of driving and use energy-saving bulbs, so why not make a difference for the environment by eating more soya products?

The impact of eating habits on the environment: an inconvenient truth

In 2006, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) published a report entitled ‘Livestock’s long shadow: environmental issues and options’, which highlighted that 18% of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions originated from the livestock sector. This is as high as the GHG emissions from the transport sector. Also since water and land use are also to be taken in consideration. It is estimated that 75% of agricultural land is used for cattle, be it for pastures or for growing crops
to feed the cattle (1).

In 2030, we would need two planets to respond to the worldwide consumption demand (2). Our earth is also craving for a revised food pattern.

1. FAO. Livestock’s long shadow: environmental issues and options. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, 2006.
2. WWF. Living Planet Report, World Wide Fund For Nature, 2008

Reducing our consumption of animal products as part of the solution

Everyone can do its part simply by reducing its consumption of animal products. For instance, it is estimated that if every Flemish-speaking Belgian would stop eating meat one day per week, this could have the same positive impact on the environment as removing 500 000 cars from the Belgian roads (3).

Vegetal alternatives can help reducing meat consumption while preserving the environment

Soy products are more sustainable in terms of land use, water us and GHG emissions. Recent research (4) showed that it requires three times less land to produce one liter of ‘soymilk’ than one liter of cow-milk. Similarly, producing one kg of meat requires six times more land than one kg of tofu (soy-based meat replacer). In terms of CO2 emissions, the same research showed that producing one liter of ‘soymilk’ emits three times less greenhouse gases than one liter of cowmilk. The ratio increases to 8 when you compare meat and tofu.

The human body needs proteins. Animal products are good sources of proteins but they are not the only ones! Soy-based alternatives are also contains high quality proteins and can easily be integrated in the diet. Thanks to their nutritional value – rich in protein, naturally lactose-free, cholesterol-free, rich in unsaturated fats -, soy products are ideal as part of a healthy diet.

Not only are soy products good for your health, they are also good for the Earth!

3. EVA, the Flemish Vegetarian Association, based on the assumption that total GHG emissions from lifestock for the Flemish Region amount to 7.2 Mton CO2-eq per year and that the Flemish’s favourite car, a Peugeot 307, emits 140g of CO2 per km.
4. Blonk, Milieueffecten NL consumptie van eiwitrijke producten, 30 October 2008