Dr. Greene’s Organic Rx — Item #9

#9 Soy

If I were to ask you to switch everything in your diet that contains soy to organic, you would have to switch countless items. Soy turns up as an ingredient in a surprising array of products. Almost the entire soy crop in the U.S. is crushed to make soybean oil and meal. Only a tiny proportion is consumed as whole soybean products. Soybean oil is huge, accounting for about two thirds of all vegetable oils or animal fats consumed in the US⁵⁷. When you think trans fats, think partially hydrogenated soybean oil. Soy protein from soybean meal is even more huge, but 98% of it goes to livestock feed, making it hard to track.

More than 72 million acres are planted in soybeans. Soybean pesticide use in the US ranks second only to corn⁵⁸. In recent years soy has been the domestic crop found most contaminated with organophosphate pesticides⁵⁹. Beyond this, soy leads the way in genetic modification, with 87% of the soybeans planted in the U.S. genetically modified (62 million acres) ⁶⁰. Because labeling regulations do not require companies to specify whether or not their products contain genetically modified ingredients, it can be difficult to know for sure what you are getting – particularly since soy is an ingredient in so many processed foods. Choosing organic is one way to be sure the foods you eat are GMO-free.

Less than 0.17% of our massive soybean crop is organic. We need to make a dent. Let’s start by switching the soy we can see. Organic soy products made from organic whole soybeans (soymilk, soy yogurt, veggie burgers) can be a healthy part of the diet, and of our agricultural system.

Read more from this series

• Dr. Greene’s Organic Rx — What you need to know!
• Dr. Greene’s Organic Rx — Item #1 — Milk
• Dr. Greene’s Organic Rx — Item #2 — Potatoes
• Dr. Greene’s Organic Rx — Item #3 — Peanut Butter
• Dr. Greene’s Organic Rx — Item #4 — Baby Foods
• Dr. Greene’s Organic Rx — Item #5 — Catsup
• Dr. Greene’s Organic Rx — Item #6 — Cotton
• Dr. Greene’s Organic Rx — Item #7 — Apples
• Dr. Greene’s Organic Rx — Item #8 — Beef
• Dr. Greene’s Organic Rx — Item #9 — Soy
• Dr. Greene’s Organic Rx — Item #10 — Corn
• Dr. Greene’s Organic Rx — Bonus Item #11 — Wine

^{57Ash M, Livezy J, and Dohlman E. Soybean Backgrounder. USDA. OCS-2006-01. April 2006.
USDA Economic Research Service. Soybeans and Oil Crops Briefing Room,http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/SoybeansOilcrops/accessed Feb 5, 2007.
58USDA Economic Research Service. Soybeans and Oil Crops Briefing Room,http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/SoybeansOilcrops/accessed Feb 5, 2007.
59USDA Pesticide Data Program Annual Summary Calendar Year 2005. 14.5% of soybeans had residues of chlorpyrifos, followed by 12.4% of grapes – but most of the contaminated grapes were imported. All soybean samples were domestic.
USDA Pesticide Data Program Annual Summary, Calendar Year 2004. 28.9% of soybeans were contaminated with chlorpyrifos, followed by 20.8 percent of wheat flour samples, 17.6% of sweet bell peppers and 11.9 % of grapes. Most contaminated grapes and bell peppers were imported. Again, all soybean samples were domestic.
60Adoption of Genetically Engineered Crops in the U.S.: Soybeans. USDA. July 14, 2006. http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/biotechcrops/ExtentofAdoptionTable3.htm accessed Feb 5, 2007.
Fernandez-Cornejo, J. “Adoption of Genetically Engineered Crops in theU.S.” Data product. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic ResearchService. http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/BiotechCrops/. accessed July 2005.
Fernandez-Cornejo J and Caswell M. The First Decade of Genetically Engineered Crops in the United States. USDA Economic Information Bulletin Number 11. April 2006.}