You're standing in the queue for your coffee, and considering your options. Soy milk is a plant-based alternative to animal milk. Is it a good choice?

Here’s what we know:

• Most soybeans are grown overseas in South and North America, and are shipped long distances to the importing country.
• Soybeans are grown in huge fields as a single crop, resulting in deforestation and loss of grasslands in South and North America, and this affects global biodiversity.
• These fields which were once owned by independent farmers are increasingly owned by large corporations.

Is Soy milk a good choice for you? Choosing organic soy products can address some of the issues associated with soybean production (chemical use, loss of habitat, biodiversity), but other problems remain (pollution from long distance transport, land ownership by large corporations rather than independent farmers.) And checking the label before buying ensures that you understand the nutritional value of your choice. That’s a lot to put on a large soy milk vanilla latte!