From food to fuel, soybeans are finding uses in all different areas, including additives for concrete in roads. While that is another market for soy farmers, the United Soybean Board says it comes full circle by helping the roads used to transport the product.
“And just as critically, what’s one of the things that matters for the price that a farmer pays? Farmers aren’t necessarily getting the price at the Chicago Board of Trade, they’re getting that with a difference in transportation costs that shows up as the basis. If we have reliable transportation that can help connect farmers to markets - and this is one of the things that USB invests in is infrastructure and connectivity to help connect farmers to markets - that’s a positive return for farmers and for you know, the greater ecosystem here. So, seeing the investment, to shore up roads, it’s just kind of a beautiful virtuous circle, as I see it.”
Goodyear is also making use of soybean oil. The fire manufacturer says it will phase out the use of petroleum-derived oils by 2040. The move follows a research partnership with the Soy Checkoff, which shows soy oil could improve tire flexibility across temperatures and provide a better “road grip.”
