Plant-based sources of protein, such as soy, have become more and more popular in the United States (U.S.) in recent decades. Nearly 14 percent of
. Having a healthier diet or leasing weight as well as concerns about animal welfare are among the
. Soy-based products, such as tofu and tempeh, are among the oldest forms of meat alternatives. Additionally, new soy-based meat substitutes are being created in the 21st century and are joining the traditional staples.
Production of soybeans in the United States
Soybeans belong to the oilseed crops category and are among the major agricultural crops sowed in the U.S. The
leading soybean producing state in the U.S. is Illinois, with over 672 million bushels produced yearly. The state of Illinois is followed by the states of Iowa and Minnesota, respectively. The growing popularity and thus demand for soy food products is met by growing production volumes. During the last decade, the
production of soybeans has increased continuously in the U.S. The U.S. is the
second-largest producer of soybeans worldwide, after Brazil. Due to such high production values, the U.S. is also among the second largest exporters of soybeans worldwide. Only Brazil exports more soybeans. Nearly 56 million metric tons of soybeans are exported from the U.S. yearly, while Brazil exports almost 91 million metric tons.
The U.S. market for soy food products
The U.S. soybean oil consumption has steadily increased during the last two decades. The consumption grew from nearly 7.4 million metric tons in 2000 to approximately 11.4 million metric tons in 2021. This is the second-largest
soybean oil consumption worldwide. Consumption in the U.S. only falls behind China’s annual soybean oil consumption of about 18.5 million metric tons. Soy food products are particularly popular as milk alternatives. Milk alternatives have the highest
sales value in the plant-based foods market in the U.S. The leading company in terms of
retail sales of soy-based milk alternatives in the U.S. is Groupe Danone, with nearly 157 million U.S. dollars.
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