The Vegan America Daily Update 🌱

Bill Gates owns more farmland in the United States than anyone else - over 275,000 acres. A sizable portion of that land is used to grow soybeans. But why soy? What’s so special about this humble legume that has tech billionaires and investors quietly acquiring the fields it grows on?

Let’s break it down.

Soy is one of the most versatile, efficient, and widely consumed crops on the planet. It’s a powerhouse protein source, a foundation of many plant-based foods like tofu, soy milk, tempeh, and meat alternatives. It’s also used heavily in the animal agriculture industry - about 77% of global soy production goes to livestock feed, not people. Only around 7% of the world’s soy is eaten directly by humans, mostly in plant-based form.

The United States is the world’s second-largest producer of soybeans, after Brazil. In 2023 alone, U.S. farmers harvested more than 4 billion bushels of soy, much of it grown in the Midwest. It’s a $40+ billion crop, vital to global food trade and the future of agriculture.

Soy is also remarkably sustainable - when it’s not being funneled into factory farms. Compared to beef, soy protein requires up to 93% less land, 90% less water, and produces far fewer greenhouse gases. In a warming world, that matters.

So when someone like Bill Gates buys soy fields, it’s not random. It’s a long-term bet on a crop that will feed both people and industries in the decades ahead. Whether used for food, fuel, or fertilizer, soy is becoming more valuable each year. Its role in feeding a growing, climate-conscious population is only expanding.

And for those of us building a plant-based future, soy isn’t just a crop. It’s a keystone ingredient in the shift away from animal agriculture. It’s nutrient-dense, protein-rich, and globally scalable. That’s why you’ll find soy at the core of many of the products we support, offer, and champion.

🫘 Check out our soy-based pantry picks, and learn more about how this humble bean can change the way we eat - at vegan-america.com

#VeganAmerica #SoyFuture #PlantBasedPower #LegumeLegacy #BillGates #FoodJustice