Ethics and environment
Does growing soy for a vegan diet destroy the environment?
Short answer
This is a common argument, but it is based on a misunderstanding. About 75–80% of the world’s soy production goes to feed for farmed animals — poultry, pigs, cattle — not to tofu or soy milk for people. The more meat we eat, the greater the demand for soy feed and the greater the pressure on deforestation, for example in the Amazon. Paradoxically, eating less meat actually reduces the problem that plant-based diets are blamed for.
Our World in Data shows that tofu, tempeh and soy drinks are a small slice of global soy. Swapping a steak for soy usually cuts, rather than raises, demand for plantations.
Food soy in the EU often comes from European or North American farms, not freshly cleared Amazon — but supply chains can mix. For extra certainty, look for certified soy (organic, ProTerra) and eat other legumes too: lentils, chickpeas, peas.