Technological, Sustainability and Societal Aspects of Soybean Production in South America - Essay Example

Technological, Sustainability and Societal Aspects of Soybean Production in South America By Name Course Professor University City/State Date Technological, Sustainability and Societal Aspects of Soybean Production in South America Introduction The concept that agriculture, which is a global practice, has been using resources rapidly than they could be restored remains to be the topic of discussion for many decades now. According to Kaimowitz and Smith (2001), imbalance symptoms observed in the form of soil erosion, pollution, wildlife population shift and decline, and transformation of a natural fauna is caused by human intervention. In fact, agricultural practices are indisputably not natural, regardless of whether the attained production is from a thousand hectare soybean vegetable farm in Brazil or ten square metre vegetable farms in Southern China. Arguably, Sousa and Busch (1998) asserts that parallel and unnatural phenomenon remains to be the exponential progress in human population, with related demand for both shelter and food, exceeding the natural carrying volume of the land. From this context, Sousa and Busch (1998) believe that the growth rate of human population will not be restricted due to food shortages caused by void social norms and values. In this regard, adopting technology will help heighten soybean productivity and enhance sustainability, and therefore, creating an excellent platform for sustainable soybean production in South America. According to Panichelli et al. (2009), food is a crucial subject to the scarcity based economic principle, and contrary to scarce items such as diamond and gold, a suitable food supply is paramount to survival of the population. Essentially, technology has enabled people, especially in South America to leave the traditional life of hunting and concentrate in food production. Soybean is a leguminous pea family vegetable that grows in temperate, tropic and sun-tropic climates, and it contains more than 30% carbohydrates, 25% protein, 20% oil, and outstanding amounts of minerals, dietary fibre, and vitamins (Hausman, 2012). Based on its utilisation, soybeans are used as food for humans, whereby they are processed for their oil, which is refined for cooking and other palatable uses, waste from this processes are used as animal feed (Hausman, 2012). Other uses of soybean include production of biodiesel for energy purposes through a process called transesterification, wherein the glycerine is separated from the oil, leaving behind soy biodiesel (Hausman, 2012). Native South American Indian Viewpoint Soybean is a multi-purpose crop utilised for diverse purpose, and the chief driver of soybean production has been the increased demand for production food of pork and chicken, especially in China and Europe. Due to the increased demand of soybean globally, production volume of this precious crop has increased dramatically in Latin America (Panichelli et al., 2009). However, Sousa and Busch (1998) argues that volumetric increase cannot be achieved by heightening the farm yield only, rather there is the need to expand the cultivation area by adopting relevant technology for sustainable production. According to Panichelli et al. (2009), sustainable rural communities such as native South Americans need a vigorous local economy established on income-generating soybean farms. Miserably, most of native South Americans who on soybeans are losing their farms in astonishing rate and shifting tom other regions in search of greener pastures and jobs, this is because of perennial lack of profitability in soybean farming based on the ration of the amount paid for inputs to prices attained for products sold (Panichelli et al., 2009). Application of technology have not only heightened soybean production in real-time, but has reduced people involved in soybean production dramatically; thus, enabling Indian diversification to address social challenges that not frankly associate to Native South American survival, but observed to heighten their life quality. Panichelli et al. (2009) posit that the undiscerning or unsuitable utilisation of technology or lack of knowledge based on the utilisation of the potential technology among the native group has generated negative outcomes to sustainable production and intimidates the long-term enterprise viability of soybeans. In this regard, Sousa and Busch (1998) assert that the central challenge coercing the native South American soybeans farmers is sustainability and non-renewable resources preservation. Besides, soybean production, resource conservation, and habitant preservation are inclusive objectives; thus, soybeans production through high-yield agricultural methods can help the native South Americans to meet the nutrition needs of the worldwide population. Cattle Feed/Bio-Fuel Industry Viewpoint Traditionally, the two primary protein sources for cattle feed came from protein crops such as legumes and by-products from the animals. According to Panichelli et al. (2009), large volumes of animal’s by-products originated principally from the meat industry while technologies for producing these products were explicit in order to prevent health crisis. For more productive utilisation of lands transformed from grasslands and paddy for soybeans production, breeding of soybeans adaptable to various Brazil regions is presently on trial. According to Kaimowitz and Smith (2001), novel technologies for colder areas, production of forage soybean and stable conservation techniques are enhanced to develop a low-input system for soybean production and application. Furthermore, the processes involved in processing soybeans into diverse high quality products either eliminate or reduce the anti-nutritive factors (ANFs) in the beans and enhance sustainability of the nutrition value for all animals’ classes. Sousa and Busch (1998) posit that soybeans are processed into meals that are defatted for feed devising in animals like pigs and poultry, but for cattle’s full-fat amount of soybeans used is heightened due to the development of novel diversity with restricted levels of ANFs. Fig 1: Soybean processing for cattle feed production (Panichelli et al., 2009) Based on biodiesel, soybeans provide a promising source for biodiesel production, with Brazil and Argentina depending heavily on soya beans for biodiesel. According to Panichelli et al. (2009), extracting oil from soybeans require grains pre-treatment, which entails cleaning and drying operation, hulling, and then grinding. Afterwards, mechanical presses are used for solvent and supercritical fluid extraction while ultrasound and microwave assisting in oil extraction from the soybeans. Fig 2: Soybean processing for biodiesel production and oil extraction (Hausman, 2012) Powerful and Influential Politician from Brazil Viewpoint Brazil’s agriculture utilises highly established technologies; however, the challenge remains how to incorporate the right technology for soybean production to enhance sustainability. According to Brazil’s minister of agriculture, Mendes Ribeiro Filho believes that development of information and biological technology goes hand in hand with heightening investments in development and research (Hausman, 2012). For instance, there are numerous research projects the design cultivation techniques with novel quantities with the public sector such as research institutions, promotion agencies, and state universities. Recently, soybean cultivation growth in Brazil has been unparalleled, even as the argument continues over its environmental and economic consequences (Hausman, 2012). As Ribeiro argues, Brazilian soybean industry has been drawn away by the increased demand for soybean products and the public policy. Furthermore, Ribeiro notes that the Brazilian government brace soybean technological production since it generates revenue for the government to productively use its land area, pay down its dept, and motivate soybean farmers by encouraging utilisation of technology for sustainability. Nonetheless, soybean production in southern Brazil has led to deforestation by invigorating migration to agricultural boarder in the Cerrado and the Amazon. Ribeiro believe that technology enhanced development of novel varieties incorporated to tropics and utilisation of soil alterations has allowed soybean farmers to grow soybean in poor acid soils and low attitudes of Brazilian Cerrado. Essentially, pest regulating agents, inoculants, and post harvest technologies made production of soybean to be more profitable in Brazil and spurred their expansion (Hausman, 2012). Besides, market conditions and promising policies supported the novel technology influence to soybean farming techniques, which together assisted soybean production, achieve a high level that vindicates development of the related services and the needed infrastructure for competitive soybean production in Brazil. According to Ribeiro, government grants, improved infrastructures, and increased demand for soybean accelerated soybean progress, which as a result, increased the soybean lobby political power and assisted processors and farmers to attain further support from the Brazilian government. Kaimowitz and Smith (2001) are of the opinion that technological change makes soybean production activities more profitable and expands the market. For instance, in southern Brazil, enhanced soybean technologies made it possible for soybean to replace other crops such as Cerrado vegetation (Hausman, 2012). Conclusively, Ribeiro posit that equilibrium influence labour or product market, which in turn, can discourage the development impact of technological change. Thus, in the product market, the increased soybean production can reduce international prices; hence, deter further expansion. Conclusion In conclusion, technological changes associated to soybean production in South America, especially in Brazil entail a novel production system, lucrative manufacturing practices, and the replacement of labor capital. Furthermore, these technological changes induce conversion of large natural vegetation areas into soybean vegetation with the aim of heightening its production. Furthermore, low workforce requirements of the novel soybean technologies has drive away the existing soybean labor in Brazil, some of which afterwards shifted to agricultural boarder. Consequently, high capital needs of the novel technology might have limited soybean’s spread, and the presence of abundant subsidized credit has permitted Brazilian soybean farmers to adopt clumsily capital exhaustive technologies. Based on the review paper, the adopted technology should be favorable for environmental conditions within South America and should permit sustainability. In addition, volumetric increase cannot be achieved by increasing the farm yield only, rather there is the need to expand the cultivation area by adopting relevant technology for sustainable production References Read More

Cattle Feed/Bio-Fuel Industry Viewpoint Traditionally, the two primary protein sources for cattle feed came from protein crops such as legumes and by-products from the animals. According to Panichelli et al. (2009), large volumes of animal’s by-products originated principally from the meat industry while technologies for producing these products were explicit in order to prevent health crisis. For more productive utilisation of lands transformed from grasslands and paddy for soybeans production, breeding of soybeans adaptable to various Brazil regions is presently on trial.

According to Kaimowitz and Smith (2001), novel technologies for colder areas, production of forage soybean and stable conservation techniques are enhanced to develop a low-input system for soybean production and application. Furthermore, the processes involved in processing soybeans into diverse high quality products either eliminate or reduce the anti-nutritive factors (ANFs) in the beans and enhance sustainability of the nutrition value for all animals’ classes. Sousa and Busch (1998) posit that soybeans are processed into meals that are defatted for feed devising in animals like pigs and poultry, but for cattle’s full-fat amount of soybeans used is heightened due to the development of novel diversity with restricted levels of ANFs.

Fig 1: Soybean processing for cattle feed production (Panichelli et al., 2009) Based on biodiesel, soybeans provide a promising source for biodiesel production, with Brazil and Argentina depending heavily on soya beans for biodiesel. According to Panichelli et al. (2009), extracting oil from soybeans require grains pre-treatment, which entails cleaning and drying operation, hulling, and then grinding. Afterwards, mechanical presses are used for solvent and supercritical fluid extraction while ultrasound and microwave assisting in oil extraction from the soybeans.

Fig 2: Soybean processing for biodiesel production and oil extraction (Hausman, 2012) Powerful and Influential Politician from Brazil Viewpoint Brazil’s agriculture utilises highly established technologies; however, the challenge remains how to incorporate the right technology for soybean production to enhance sustainability. According to Brazil’s minister of agriculture, Mendes Ribeiro Filho believes that development of information and biological technology goes hand in hand with heightening investments in development and research (Hausman, 2012).

For instance, there are numerous research projects the design cultivation techniques with novel quantities with the public sector such as research institutions, promotion agencies, and state universities. Recently, soybean cultivation growth in Brazil has been unparalleled, even as the argument continues over its environmental and economic consequences (Hausman, 2012). As Ribeiro argues, Brazilian soybean industry has been drawn away by the increased demand for soybean products and the public policy.

Furthermore, Ribeiro notes that the Brazilian government brace soybean technological production since it generates revenue for the government to productively use its land area, pay down its dept, and motivate soybean farmers by encouraging utilisation of technology for sustainability. Nonetheless, soybean production in southern Brazil has led to deforestation by invigorating migration to agricultural boarder in the Cerrado and the Amazon. Ribeiro believe that technology enhanced development of novel varieties incorporated to tropics and utilisation of soil alterations has allowed soybean farmers to grow soybean in poor acid soils and low attitudes of Brazilian Cerrado.

Essentially, pest regulating agents, inoculants, and post harvest technologies made production of soybean to be more profitable in Brazil and spurred their expansion (Hausman, 2012). Besides, market conditions and promising policies supported the novel technology influence to soybean farming techniques, which together assisted soybean production, achieve a high level that vindicates development of the related services and the needed infrastructure for competitive soybean production in Brazil.

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