Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Europe imports large amounts of soybean that are predominantly used for livestock feed, mainly sourced from Brazil, USA and Argentina. In addition, the demand for GM-free soybean for human consumption is project to increase. Soybean has higher protein quality and digestibility than other legumes, along with high concentrations of isoflavones, phytosterols and minerals that enhance the nutritional value as a human food ingredient. Here, we examine the potential to increase soybean production across Europe for livestock feed and direct human consumption, and review possible effects on the environment and human health. Simulations and field data indicate rainfed soybean yields of 3.1 ± 1.2 t ha−1 from southern UK through to southern Europe (compared to a 3.5 t ha−1 average from North America). Drought-prone southern regions and cooler northern regions require breeding to incorporate stress-tolerance traits. Literature synthesized in this work evidenced soybean properties important to human nutrition, health, and traits related to food processing compared to alternative protein sources. While acknowledging the uncertainties inherent in any modelling exercise, our findings suggest that further integrating soybean into European agriculture could reduce GHG emissions by 37–291 Mt CO2e year−1 and fertiliser N use by 0.6–1.2 Mt year−1, concurrently improving human health and nutrition.
Source: Scientific Reports
Authors: Jose L. Rotundo, Rachel Marshall, Ryan McCormick, Sandra K. Truong, David Styles, Jose A. Gerde, Emmanuel Gonzalez-Escobar, Elizabete Carmo-Silva, Victoria Janes-Bassett, Jennifer Logue, Paolo Annicchiarico, Chris de Visser, Alice Dind, Ian C. Dodd, Louise Dye, Stephen P. Long, Marta S. Lopes, Joke Pannecoucque, Moritz Reckling, Jonathan Rushton, Nathaniel Schmid, Ian Shield, Marco Signor, Carlos D. Messina, Mariana C. Rufino
Institutions: Corteva (United States), Lancaster University, Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of Galway, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, National University of Rosario, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario, University of Liverpool, Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l’analisi dell’economia agraria, Wageningen University & Research, Forschungsinstitut für Biologischen Landbau, University of Leeds, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology, Instituut voor Landbouw en Visserijonderzoek, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, Rothamsted Research, University of Florida, Technical University of Munich
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,590
OpenAlex ID: W4393368263