The bean was introduced into the western world in 1765 by Samuel Bowen, a merchant who brought the seeds back from China. The bean was analyzed for its nutritional quality over the next several decades, and used for animal feed. In the 1800 s it was incorporated into the human diet and its production expanded as its versatility as a food was recognized. The soybean that is cultivated in the United States is the Glycine max. This variety is hybridized by seed producers, meaning that certain characteristics are breed into the plant by natural means to increase the vigor and yield of the plant.
Soybeans provide a major source of vegetable oil and high-protein feed supplements for livestock.
The oil from the soybean is used in many well known products. The logic of this changeover is both elegant in its simplicity and sinister in its implications. These plants are referred to as genetically modified or engineered organisms. The major crops that are currently being engineered include potato, corn, cotton, and soybean. By the year 2000, Roundup Ready products will include beets, corn, and oilseed rape.