The Soybean - Argentina

My ultimate goal coming to Argentina was to gain an appreciation for industrial and international agriculture. In my opinion the photo above captures the essence of my ambition well – a soybean filled truck that has just been loaded (with 30,000 kg) to be transported to the port for export. The soybeans were harvested moments earlier by heavy duty industrial machinery from an 80 hectare (200 acre) mono-crop field once the moisture content of the beans were deemed to be dry enough for harvest.

It is one of my favourite photos I have taken so far on this trip for its aesthetic and also its meaning. It is a photo that captures a small moment of the international soybean industry, an industry that is very large, complex and has its share of contention. I would like to take this time to briefly discuss the soybean industry to understand why I am so impressed to be a part of it. (Please note the statistics that follow are approximates sourced from Wikipedia.)

In Canada, consumers have some knowledge of the soybean. In supermarkets, soy milk, tofu, tempeh, bean paste, soy sauce, frozen edamame, soy ice cream, soy cheese, soy meat and a plethora of other soy-based protein replacements have made a huge dent in the food retail industry. Despite the strong presence of soy in today’s grocery markets, it might be interesting for consumers to learn that only a small portion of the soybean production globally is for human consumption – the majority of soybeans are converted into defatted soybean meal which is a significant and cheap source of protein for animal feed today. In fact, it has revolutionized meat production on an industrial scale by making complete protein available to animals for consumption and allowing them to pack on the pounds more quickly.

Despite being a legume native to East Asia, globally, the top producers of the soybean are the US (35%), Brazil (27%), Argentina (19%), China (6%) and India (4%). These five countries account for 90% of the world’s soybean production. In 2011, it was estimated that the US produced 10 million tons of the bean. The top exporters are Brazil (39%), the US (37%) and Argentina (16%) – these three countries total 92% of global exports. The top importers are China (41%), the EU (22%), Japan (6%) and Mexico (6%).

When I analyzed the beef, pork and poultry production globally, it was interesting to see how the soybean production and distribution aligned with the meat production industry. For beef, the top producers as of 2010 are the US (11,789,000 metric tonnes), Brazil (9,300,000 mt), EU (7,920,000 mt), China (5,550,000 mt) and Argentina (2,800,000 mt). Global pig stocks as of 2007 were China (425.6 million), US (61.7 mil), Brazil (35.9 mil) and Germany (27.1 mil). Global poultry stocks as of 2004 were China (3,860 million), US (1,970 mil), Indonesia (1,200 mil), Brazil (1,100 mil) and Mexico (540 mil).

What quickly became evident is that the top meat producers, the US, Brazil, the EU and China are also producing, exporting or importing the majority of the soybean production globally to improve their meat production.

The composition of a dry soybean is 40% protein, 20% oil, 35% carbohydrate and 5% ash. Its oil and protein contents are very valuable. In meat production for example, since corn is primarily composed of carbohydrates and is the primary feed supplement, the protein is very necessary for the animals.

At Los Potros, the estimates on production per hectare of their crops are soybean (3,000 kg), sorghum (7,000 kg) and maize (10,000 kg). Currently the soybean (soja) is being harvested. Approximately 30 – 40 hectares can be harvested per day with one machine, and Los Potros has 573 hectares planted this year – on all three of the properties owned by Establecimiento San Marcos there are 1517 hectares of soybean planted this year. The bean technology was originally purchased from companies that developed plants best suited for the conditions in this area. Los Potros saves some of their seeds every year to replant in the spring. They still need to pay feed to the original company for the continued use of the genetic variety they use on their farms.

Currently, one of the primary contentions about the soybean industry is the prevalence of genetically engineered soybeans. For example, in 1997, 8% of the US soybean industry was based on genetically engineered seed. In 2010 the proportion was up to 93%. In all fairness the US does have a history of combining industrial technology with the soybean – a history of which I was previously unaware. In the 1930s the Ford Motor company invested 1.25 million dollars in research and development of the bean. By 1935 it is claimed that all Ford cars had soy involved in at least one part of their production often in the form of soy plastic. Ford himself, was also instrumental at promoting the development of soy milk, soy ice cream and the use of industrial soy plastics.

Fears associated with genetically engineered commodities include the lack of knowledge consumers have about the implications on human, animal and environmental health in the long run that may result from the rapid genetic alterations of crops; patents on plant technology and seed ownership rights that have resulted from the money that has been invested in research and development; competitive inequalities that result from those that are and are not able to afford the technology; and dependency of certain farmers on the technology for their livelihood.

The debated ethical question about the long term health implications of genetically engineering plants, for example, has proven to be a barrier to entry into the EU market, as many EU countries have much stricter regulations on the use of genetic engineering in their foods.

Engineering includes technology from Monsanto, a multination agriculture biotechnology company, which developed a Roundup Ready soybean variety which withstands the application of their very popular herbicide, Roundup. Other soybeans are inoculated with strains of nitrogen fixing bacteria before planting to allow optimal growth and nitrogen fixation.

The soybean is a legume, which means it fixes nitrogen into the soil via a relationship with bacteria that develop in nodules in its root system. Nitrogen is most often the limiting nutrient that prevents plants from growing optimally, so it is interesting to learn that on industrial levels, farmers are able to use the soybean as a means to maintain healthy nitrogen levels in the soil after they would have been depleted the essential levels by maize and sorghum production.

This brings me to a much debated subject. People concerned with the ethical nature of the industrial food system, where large scale farmers work closely with behemoth multinational agri-food companies to successfully feed the people of the world, worry that the people involved in industrial agriculture are not taking care of their lands properly. I too often find myself on the discerning side of this debate wondering how much the faceless people of the agri-business world care about environmental and human health issues above the profit margins of their businesses. (Also, how much of the actions taken to produce more is rationalized by the need to feed people.)

After meeting the people who are a part of this system, I am convinced that it is not as evil as we suspect it to be, at least not in Argentina – I still have my doubts about the methods used in the US. The people who are making it happen care significantly about the health of their soils as their livelihoods depend on the long term ability of the land to sustain the animals and plants they hope to produce year after year. I genuinely believe that they are working to produce quality crops and beef at a large scale. I can vouch for the quality and civilized farming methods of the cattle for sure.

Also, I am less concerned with the implications of the genetic engineered seeds that are being planted than I was previously, but I maintain my concern about the use of herbicides and pesticides being spread on crops. The widespread use, with 3 -4 sprayings per crop cycle, on vast areas of land does compromise the micro-organisms that would naturally maintain the ecosystems on these lands. Arguably we are not by any means trying to support the natural ecosystems in these areas, nor are there plans to do so in the near future considering the lands being used for agriculture will need to continue their production far into the future to meet global demands. Yet the fact that growth depends heavily on the sun’s energy, rainfall, and weather patterns which are pretty much incontrollable, I believe that persistent suppression of many of the soils micro-organisms and constantly artificially controlling the soils composition will result in agricultural hardships in the future.

I am still torn on my feelings about this subject because I can make and understand the arguments on both sides. A part of me believes in the ingenuity and creativity of humanity to overcome any obstacle, and also questions how near in the future these ‘agricultural hardships’ may arise. If it is not in my lifetime, is it something I should really worry about?

Then there is a side of me that does believe in doing all I can to understand nature’s systems and preserve them for future generations. Or is it for the sake of preservation? Have we inherited the land from our parents or are we borrowing the land from our children? I don’t know. I tend to lean towards we have inherited it from our parents and our children, like we have, will inherit the land from us with the results of all our right and wrong decisions.

Regardless, I am here now, seeing in this moment in history, large quantities of soybean being harvested in Argentina for export to the global market. It is a process that exemplifies technological, mechanical and biological innovation and application. I am happy to be a part of this history and most of all, I am happy to be outdoors growing food.