In an effort to eat more local foods, I peruse the usual super and gourmet market suspects for soybeans grown in the United States. Anywhere in the United States would be fine but it seems my quest is a futile one. I can find tofu that is made from the domestic crop. Could it be that the retail market does not exist for the beans themselves? Am I supposed to purchase organic Chinese-grown beans?
We grow over half of the soybeans in the world but, in our age of economies of scale, it is more price effective to ship 100% of that crop to Asia and elsewhere rather than sell a portion for domestic consumption.
Something does not seem right.
Please correct me if I am not seeing this issue in its proper light.Labels: international trade, local foods, soybeans