SWITZERLAND — Commodities trading corporation ADM is planning to add non-GMO soybean processing capabilities to its oil seeds facility in Mainz, Germany to meet growing demand.
Non-GMO soybeans refer to that soybean which is not genetically modified and has natural properties.
Its demand has been growing globally and is estimated to reach a market valuation of US$38.2 billion by the end of 2027, expanding at an annual growth rate of 8.7% between 2022 and 2027, according to Market Data Forecast.
ADM’s multi-million dollar project is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2023 and follows a similar investment in the company’s oilseeds processing plant in Straubing, Germany, in 2016.
“Soybeans play an increasingly important role in the wider food sector in Germany,’ said Jaana Kleinschmit, general manager of ADM Hamburg and country manager, Germany.
“We are pleased to continue to add the ability to process non-GMO soybeans to meet growing demand across human and animal nutrition, while providing local farmers with increasing opportunities to market their crops.”
The expansion in Mainz is also expected to create additional incentives for local farmers to grow more non-GMO soybeans and to incorporate soy into crop rotation farming.
Rene van der Poel, general manager of ADM Straubing, added, “we are following through on our commitment to one of the key pillars of the Fields of Europe framework, which aims to meet growing demand for certified non-GMO, European origin food and feed products.”
Soy bean’s high growth potential investors has attracted the interest of US food technology company Benson Hill which in March this year launched TruVail high-protein soy flour and soy protein concentrate sourced from the company’s high-protein soybeans that are non-GMO.
Sustainability benefits for the soy protein concentrate include up to a 70% reduction in water use and up to a 50% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions when compared to commodity soy protein concentrate, according to the company.
Demand for non-GMO soybeans has also led to new varieties developed through traditional breeding entering the market and are being grown on thousands of acres across the United States.
Many of the varieties have additional functional qualities such as high oleic acid content food companies may find appealing.
A patent for a method to produce soybeans, developed through soybean breeding, with an oleic acid content of as much as 80% to 85% was issued in 2015 to the University of Missouri and the USDA Agricultural Research Service.
The high content of oleic acid means the oil will last longer in high-temperature conditions such as baking and frying. The soybeans are sold under the Soyleic brand.
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