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	About 95 percent of U.S. farms are family-owned.

Soybeans' Shrinking Footprint

When businesses can produce more with less impact and resource use, they become more sustainable and profitable: just ask agriculture.

A study by the Keystone Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture reported that soybean farmers were adopting sustainable principles long before they were in vogue. Agricultural sustainability can be measured in large part by how efficient the industry is in five core areas:

• Energy use
• Soil loss
• Irrigation water use
• Climate impact
• Land use

As shown below, the Keystone study found U.S. soybean farmers became more efficient in all five areas between 1987 and 2007. The closer the lines are to the center of the graph, the more efficient and sustainable the industry is becoming.

U.S. Soybean Efficiency Indicators, 1987-2007 Keystone Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture

Illinois soybean farmers continue to measurably increase the sustainability of their operations by reducing energy use and soil erosion. For example, conventional tillage can use nearly five units of diesel fuel to produce soybeans. No-till methods can use just under two units to raise the same crop (see Table below). Less tillage also reduces soil erosion by requiring fewer trips across the field.