On uses for soybeans

American farmers are losing their shirts growing soybeans because of President Donald Trump’s tariff policy. Economists now state that exports to China have decreased

94 percent. They use soybeans to feed their hogs and chickens.

So now we have harvested tons of soybeans which our farmers will allow to rot in big piles because they can’t find a new market for them.

We need innovation! What has happened to the American spirit? Will the farmers just rest on their laurels, waiting for the federal government to subsidize them with handouts? Or will we create a new market for soybeans? New countries to sell them to?

In the spirit of George Washington Carver, one of our great scientists, why can’t we develop new soybean products as he did with the peanut? As you might remember, he invented more than 300 peanut products including coffee, soap, and even printer’s ink.

Maybe we need to promote soybeans more. They are a good source of protein, fiber, and are packed with vitamins which can help prevent aging and colon cancer. Soybeans have beneficial chemicals such as lecithin and linoleic acid (one of the omega-3 oils) to prevent heart attacks and stroke. We do have soy milk, tofu, sardines packed in soybean oil, and soy flour to bake bread, so I challenge our universities to develop more healthy products from soybeans for the consumer.

My hat comes off to George Washington Carver. Soy sauce, move over. Let’s get busy creating a healthy diet of nutritious foods. Soybeans can help. TOM KNIGHT

Little Rock