SOYBEAN ECONOMIC VALUES AND WASTE VALORIZATION THROUGH DIFFERENT APPROACHES

Resumo

Soybeans are a crop of extreme global importance, being one of the main sources of vegetable protein, oil and other by-products used in human and animal food, industry and biofuels. Its large-scale production, mainly in Brazil, positively impacts food security, economy and international trade. Proper management of soybeans biomass and waste is crucial for mitigating environmental impacts. Efficient management of waste, such as crop residues and bark, can reduce soil, water, and air pollution, as well as prevent environmental degradation. The recovery of this waste is equally important, as it can be reused in the production of animal feed, organic fertilizers, biomass for renewable energy, pharmaceuticals and others. An overview is presented in this work, focusing on the data available at Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) database and other similar organizations, about economic aspects, production values, import and export aspects and others, in addition to the variety of possibilities to provide high added-value applications for soybeans waste and biomass. This work presents a complete investigation about several agricultural indexes available at different organizations alongside some perspectives of high impact literature, emphasizing the size of soy residue market and underlining the importance of investing in the recovery of soy residues by high-added value applications, which not only reduces the environmental impact, but also promotes the circular economy by increasing the sustainability of agricultural production and contributing to the conservation of natural resources on a global scale.