Life Cycle Assessment Drives Sustainability Insight for U.S. Soybean & National Oilseed Processors Association

Executive Summary

The United Soybean Board (USB) and the National Oilseed Processors Association (NOPA) partnered with Sustainable Solutions Corporation (SSC) to conduct a robust Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of U.S. soybean production and processing. The goal was to quantify the environmental impacts of U.S. soy across its life cycle and provide transparent, science-based data to support global sustainability initiatives and customer communications. The LCA study analyzed soybean cultivation data from 454 farms across 16 states for 2020 and 2021, as well as processing data from 52 U.S. soybean processing plants and 27 co-located soy oil refiners across 18 states for 2021. By leveraging detailed, real-world data and industry expertise, the LCA demonstrates the continuous improvement and environmental advantages of U.S. soybean products, strengthening the industry's leadership in sustainable agriculture.

Results

The LCA confirmed that U.S. soybean products offer strong environmental benefits, including lower greenhouse gas emissions, efficient land use, and reduced energy consumption compared to global alternatives. By analyzing data from 454 soybean farms and over 70 processing and refining facilities nationwide, the assessment provided a comprehensive, accurate picture of U.S. soy’s environmental footprint. These insights support USB and NOPA’s commitment to continuous sustainability improvements and provide credible data to share with stakeholders, including food manufacturers, retailers, and consumers. The findings also equip the organizations with valuable metrics to inform future innovation, marketing, and policy advocacy efforts.

Life Cycle Assessment of U.S. Soybeans, Soybean Meal, and Soy Oil

This LCA is designed to be used by the United Soybean Board (USB) and the National Oilseed Processors Association (NOPA) to better understand the current state and environmental impact of the U.S. soybean industry’s farming, processing, and oil refining operations. This report documents the methodology, data, details, and results of the LCA on the impacts of soybeans, soybean meal, crude soy oil, and refined soy oil produced in the United States.

Download Life Cycle Assessment PDF

Approach & Core Concepts

Founded in 1930, NOPA is the national trade organization located in Washington, DC representing the U.S. soybean, canola, flaxseed, safflower seed, and sunflower seed crushing industries. Our 15 members operate a total of 62 soybean & 5 softseed solvent extraction plants across 21 states.
NOPA members produce meal and oil used in human food, animal feed, fuel and for industrial applications. Collectively, NOPA members process 95 percent of all soybeans in the U.S. which accounts to approximately 2 billion bushels annually.
For more information on NOPA and the LCA visit https://www.nopa.org/life-cycle-assessment-of-u-s-soybeans-soybean-meal-and-soy-oil/.
United Soybean Board’s 77 volunteer farmer-leaders work on behalf of all U.S. soybean farmers to achieve maximum value for their soy checkoff investments. These volunteers create value by investing in research, education and promotion with the vision to deliver sustainable soy solutions to every life, every day across the three priority areas of Infrastructure & Connectivity, Health & Nutrition, and Innovation & Technology.
As stipulated in the federal Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soy checkoff.
For more information on USB, visit unitedsoybean.org.
Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a rigorous study of the inputs and outputs of a particular product or product system which provides a scientific basis for evaluating the environmental impacts through each phase of the life cycle. LCA is an alternative to the single-criterion decision-making that currently guides many environmental choices.