What is the Most Versatile Crop?
The Prize Goes to the Humble Soybean…

Only in fairly recent years has the rather humble soybean really began attracting a significant amount of attention in Europe, North America and in many other countries around the world. As a result, many people automatically assume that soybeans have really not been commercially cultivated for that significant of a period of time.

In point of fact, soybeans were first grown as a crop in China some 5,000 years ago. Soybeans actually were introduced in the United States at the beginning of the 19th century, in 1804. They really were not grown regularly in the United States until 1829.

The utter versatility of soybeans was first appreciated during the U.S. Civil War when soybeans were used as so-called "coffee berries." Soybeans were used to brew a substitute coffee when regular coffee simply was not available due to the hostilities.

George Washington Carver led the way towards the soybean becoming used as a source of food for humans as well as oil to be used in food preparation. Prior to that time -- save for its use as so-called "coffee" -- soybeans primarily were utilized as a feed crop for animals.

In the U.S.A. today, farmers harvest over 2 billion bushels of the crop each year. The amount of soybeans being harvested in the U.S.A. is increasing each and every year. The United States is the largest grower of soybeans anywhere on the planet.

Over 85 million acres are planted with soybeans in the United States. The number of acres that are being dedicated to soybean cultivation is increasing with each passing year.

Roughly 50% of the soybeans cultivated in the United States are exported. The U.S.A. primarily exports soybeans to the countries that makeup the European Union, Mexico, South Korea, Mexico and Taiwan. The European Union is the top market for U.S. soybean exports. U.S. soybean and soybean product exports amount to over $6.5 billion annually.

It is impossible in a small space to recount all of the many uses that the versatile soybean is being put to in this day and age. Soybeans are widely used in an entire pantheon of food products in the 21st century. Soybeans are now used as food additives as well as the foundation for many different consumable products.

Soybeans are still used widely as feed for domesticated animals, particularly for cattle. In addition, soybean ink is utilized by more than half of all of the daily newspapers that are published in the United States. Indeed, the soybean even reaches to the primary school student's desk: one acre of soybeans can produce over 82,000 (yes, 82,000) crayons.

82% of edible fats and oils consumed in the United States each year is made from soybeans. Researchers are developing methods through which soybeans might be more fully utilized as a source of renewable energy. Additionally, as time moves onward, more and more uses for the humble soybean are being developed each and every year.