Reimagining Soy
By Todd Main, ISA Director of Market Development

As consumers and industries continue to prioritize sustainability, the Illinois Soybean Association’s (ISA’s) Soy Innovation Center is at the forefront of meeting the growing demand for environmentally friendly soy-based products. The Soy Innovation Center, which opened in March of this year, is dedicated to facilitating the research and commercialization of new and innovative soy-based products. It will focus on scalable solutions that can make a significant impact on the demand for Illinois soy.

In doing so, the Soy Innovation Center and ISA Market Development team are focusing on three primary product categories: textiles, bio-lubricants and industrial applications. These industries offer great potential for reducing reliance on petroleum by using soy-based inputs, thus lowering environmental footprints while meeting market demands.

The bio-lubricant industry, which you read about earlier in this issue, is currently the main focus of the Soy Innovation Center. Unlike traditional lubricants that rely on petroleum, bio-lubricants derived from soy offer a more sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative. One of the Center’s objectives is to provide farmers with soy-based product alternatives they can use on the farm. Given that farmers typically use over 100 tubes of lubricant annually, this industry is a prime example of a scalable opportunity that will benefit both the environment and Illinois soybean farmers.

In the textiles sector, the Center aims to explore the use of soy as a sustainable alternative to synthetic fibers. Aside from cotton, most of the clothes we wear today are made of synthetic materials. Because soy-based textiles are more sustainable, we believe they can offer a lower environmental footprint. The Soy Innovation Center is working to understand the physical demands that materials need to meet in this sector, from hulls, meal, oil or a combination of the three.

As for industrial applications, there are many opportunities for soy to take its rightful place at center stage. For example, at both Farm Progress Show sites in Illinois and Iowa, soy-based polymers, or binders, and recycled asphalt have been used to pave sections of the sites. Additionally, the Soy Innovation Center is working to develop a soy-based coating for pipelines, which will help to reduce friction as materials flow through them.

Almost any product that relies on petroleum-based feedstocks can be replaced with soy oil. This product can offer the same performance and price competitiveness as existing products but with a significantly smaller environmental footprint. The challenge lies in narrowing our focus, as there are so many potential applications to explore.

So what makes soy such a versatile ingredient in these applications, especially as a petroleum alternative? The answer lies in its unique and organic characteristics. Soy oil, in particular, is valued for its adaptability, making it an excellent candidate for various industrial uses.

By focusing on these three key product areas—textiles, bio-lubricants and industrial applications—the Soy Innovation Center is poised to lead the way in sustainable product development. Ultimately, as former ISA Chairman Steve Pitstick once said, we will “move the pile” of soybeans for the benefit of our state’s farmers.