Soybeans were a prominent part of NASA’s recent Earth Day celebration at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The United Soybean Board (USB) shared how U.S. farmers use science and satellites to grow a sustainable crop that is a rapidly renewable source for food, feed, biodiesel and diverse biobased products.
USB partnered with NASA/KSC to add soy and biobased. For the first time, USB, the National Biodiesel Board and biobased manufacturers were exhibitors [at NASA’s Earth Day event]. USB Customer Focus Action Team Chair John Dodson was a keynote speaker.
“GPS satellite technology is one of the many tools that U.S. soybean growers use to farm with precision,” Dodson said. “Innovation and agriculture grow together. We continuously improve the sustainability of our farming practices and the many products made from U.S. soybeans.
“To shrink their environmental footprint, companies use soy as an ingredient in their products, ranging from carpet backing and turf to paints, furniture and car seats,” Dodson said. “USB and these companies are helping the environment, rewriting America’s petroleum-laden history and creating U.S. jobs.”
Often called the “miracle bean,” a peer-reviewed life cycle analysis supports that U.S. soybeans can collectively remove from the atmosphere the carbon equivalent of taking 22 million cars off the road in just one year. Each year, nearly 600,000 independent U.S. farmers plant, grow, and harvest trillions of soybeans.
KSC’s annual Earth Day attracts approximately 5000 employees and guests to the unique facility located on a federal wildlife reserve.