World Wide Fund for Nature
WWF-UK is a registered charity in England and Wales 1081247 and in Scotland SC039593 and a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales 4016725.
Campaigns
Responsible Soy
Soy is also used as soy oil in margarines and baked and fried products, as well as in other goods like soap and cosmetics. Soy derivatives like the emulsifier lecithin is also found in countless processed foods, from chocolate to salad dressing. Only about 6% of the global soy crop is directly eaten as whole beans, made into products like soy burgers and tofu. Another small – but increasing – proportion is used as oil for biodiesel.
Demand is rocketing. Much soy is grown in South America, where its cultivation often comes at the expense of natural ecosystems such as the Amazon, Cerrado and Chaco. Over the last 50 years, the land area used to grow soy has increased tenfold, with soy farms now covering over 1m square kilometres. Some companies are making commendable progress on soy grown without damage to the environment - but others are making no progress at all, or simply hide from accountability.
The UK has a large group of companies (12) that use soy. Two good responsible companies are Waitrose and Marks & Spencer. The other 10 did not respond, including Noble Foods (eggs), Moy Park (meat company), and Brakes (food service). This is a disappointing picture.