Econ-Atrocity Bulletin:

[Guest guest]

~~~ Taken from: http://www.fguide.org/Bulletin/soy.htm ~~~

 

 

By Rachel Bouvier, CPE Staff Economist

 

If you're a vegetarian, or know someone who is, doubtless you've

heard the argument that the Brazilian rainforest is being deforested

in order to graze cattle to feed the West's insatiable demand for

fast-food hamburgers. Lately, a spate of articles has turned that

argument on its head: deforestation has actually increased by 40%

over last year in order to clear land to grow soy.

That's right, soy: that wonderful bean that can be made into tofu,

the primary protein alternative for many vegetarians. For those of us

who would like to minimize our impact upon the environment, and hoped

that avoiding meat was one way to do so, this comes as bad news.

Demand for soy and soy products has been skyrocketing the US is now

the primary exporter of soy products, but Brazil is not far behind,

and it is expected to overtake the US within the next year or so. But

is it true that the growing movement towards meat-alternative soy

products is accelerating deforestation? I went on a soy fact-finding

mission, to find out exactly what was behind this increase in demand.

 

In the wake of the Mad Cow epidemic in Europe, which was caused

mainly by the use of ground up animal bones in livestock feed,

European farmers searched for a non-animal based protein-rich feed

for livestock. Soy meal was the perfect alternative. However, at

least 50 percent of the US soy crop is grown using agricultural

giant's Monsanto's genetically modified Roundup Ready soy, which is

resistant to the herbicide Roundup (also, not coincidentally, a

Monsanto product). The European Union and Japan ban the sale of GM

foods, so the farmers needed an alternative soy source. Brazil's

exports have been growing to meet this new European demand for non-

genetically altered soy.

 

The soy sector now comprises 6% of Brazilian GDP. Most soybeans are

grown on the cerrados, or savannas, in the southern part of Brazil,

but now the growing of soybeans is spreading to the forested North.

About 13 percent of the total worldwide soy harvest is either used

directly as seed or processed by specific food industries which use

the whole soybean (examples are tofu, soy sauce, and other meat and

dairy substitutes). An estimated 87 percent is exported to the

European Union in the form of soy cakes, used for cattle, poultry, or

pig feed.

 

While vegetarians can breathe a sigh of relief that the recent

upsurge in deforestation is not due to the increase in demand for

tofu, there is little solace in knowing that ancient rainforests are

still being sacrificed on the alter of the Golden Arches - even if

they are pure European non-genetically modified soy fed Golden

Arches. It's enough to make me turn vegetarian oh, wait. I already

am!

 

~~~ Taken from: http://www.fguide.org/Bulletin/soy.htm ~~~