NEW USES
Kentucky’s soybean farmers have gotten really good at growing soybeans. So good, in fact, that the Board has increased its efforts to find new uses for soy in a variety of industrial and household applications. The farmer-leaders of the Kentucky Soybean Board are excited to invest in new uses for soy through our partnership with Airable Labs. Founded in 2019, Airable provides early-stage soy-based materials research, reducing the financial risk for industrial and consumer partners. Airable is at the forefront of soy-based R&D, working with commercial and industrial clients to develop materials and final products.
The lab’s staff conducts proof-of-principle research at no cost to its industrial and commercial clients, reducing the upfront risk of soy-based product development.
With a number of commercialized success stories under its belt, Airable is at the forefront of accelerating the research and development process for soy-based advances.
To learn more, visit airableresearchlab.com.
soy many uses resources
RESOURCES
Soy New Uses
The United Soybean Board funds and manages this website, which is a repository for common uses, soy products, benefits of using soy, and company listings, to name a few resources.
Helpful links
Here are links to just a few of the companies using soy as part of their sustainability efforts.
USDA BIOpreferred program
Managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the goal of the BioPreferred Program is to increase the purchase and use of biobased products. The BioPreferred Program was created by the 2002 Farm Bill and reauthorized and expanded as part of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill). The Program's purpose is to spur economic development, create new jobs and provide new markets for farm commodities. The increased development, purchase, and use of biobased products reduces our nation's reliance on petroleum, increases the use of renewable agricultural resources, and contributes to reducing adverse environmental and health impacts.
The two major parts of the Program are:
mandatory purchasing requirements for federal agencies and their contractors; and,
a voluntary labeling initiative for biobased products.
The term “biobased product” means a product determined by the Secretary of Agriculture to be a commercial or industrial product (other than food or feed) that is - (A) Composed, in whole or significant part, of biological products, including renewable domestic agriculture materials, renewable chemicals, and forestry materials; or (B) an intermediate ingredient or feedstock. Biobased produces are derived from raw materials such as plants and other renewable agricultural, marine, and forestry materials. Biobased products generally provide an alternative to conventional petroleum-derived products and include a diverse range of offerings such as lubricants, detergents, inks, fertilizers, and bioplastics. Biobased products do not include food, feed, or fuel.
To date, USDA has identified minimum biobased content standards for 139 categories of biobased products.
This information is brought to you by Kentucky’s soybean farmers through their checkoff contributions.
