Soy is a highly abundant, sustainable, cost-effective renewable material, offering a viable alternative to petroleum-derived products. For over seven decades, soybean oil has served as a drying oil in solventborne alkyd coating resins. As the demand for sustainable, domestically sourced renewable feedstocks grows, coatings manufacturers face the challenge of finding bio-based materials that are environmentally friendly and excel in demanding applications. The United States leads in producing high-quality soybeans and their resulting oil. Compared to other oilseeds, U.S. soy boasts superior consistency, lower color, odor, and impurities. While soy is a global commodity, the United States, Brazil, and Argentina stand among the largest soybean producers.
The United States Soybean Export Council (USSEC) engaged Blonk Consultants, an international leader in environmental and sustainability, to conduct a study on the carbon footprint of soy from various regions. It was determined that U.S. soy has higher yields, minimal fertilizer use, and efficient machinery, all of which help minimize its carbon footprint. In addition, cultivation significantly contributes to carbon footprint and Land Use Change (LUC), which sets U.S. soy apart as a highly sustainable raw material (Figure 1).