Reuters reports that Brazil is the world’s biggest producer of soy, but its residents aren’t very keen on sampling their own product. Veuer’s Matt Hoffman has the story.
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00:00Brazil is the world's biggest producer of soy, but its residents aren't very keen on sampling
00:04their own product. According to Reuters, Brazil had 114 million acres of soybean plantings in the
00:112023-2024 season. The United States had the second largest amount, with only 87 million acres.
00:17But Olivia Zeleno of Reuters reports that many Brazilians dislike soy themselves.
00:22That's because the soy grown there is largely intended for consumption by livestock in Asia
00:26and Europe. Most of it is also genetically modified so as not to be damaged by herbicide.
00:32And since Brazilians know how this soy sausage is made, they often prefer not to eat it themselves.
00:37Instead, soy-based products in Brazil often use imported soy. However, this stigma may
00:42be receding. Maria Cermeli owns the restaurant Sushi Mar in Sao Paulo. She says,
00:47I think this is changing a lot because there are a lot of people adhering to the vegan diet.
00:51The World Wildlife Fund says that apart from diet preferences, the soy industry has some
00:55major downsides for Brazil, posing a threat to the country's environment while sending
00:59most of the industry's profits to international corporations.