Soybean

plants · legumes · agriculture · nutrition

Native to Asia. Soybeans originally grew wild in East Asia thousands of years ago, and people there started farming them long before they spread to the rest of the world.

World's top legume. Soybeans are the most grown legume crop on Earth, which means more soybeans are planted than any other bean, pea, or peanut plant.

Food and feed. Soybeans feed both people (in foods like tofu and soy milk) and farm animals like chickens, cows, and pigs.

Packed with protein. A soybean is full of protein and healthy oils, making it one of nature's most nutritious plants.

Helps soil stay healthy. Like other legumes, soybeans add nitrogen back into the soil, which means farmers don't have to use as many chemical fertilizers.