Soybean, an underutilised grain legume

By H D Lekhak

Soybean is a flowering plant of family Fabaceae, scientifically known as Glycine max (L) Merr. It is one of the oldest food legumes known to man. It originated in China many centuries ago and has now become a global commodity grown in more than 100 countries of the world. Its total world production in 1999-2000 was 155 million tones that make approximately 64 percent of the total world production of grain legume crops. Major soybean producing countries in the world are the USA, Brazil, Argentina, and China. Prior to 1940, soybean was cultivated mainly in China, Japan, Korea and to a lesser extent in other countries in Asia. Such tremendous growth in the production of soybean in recent times may be credited to its wider use in the production of numerous processed food items, fiber and medicinal and industrial products.

Today soybean is the chief source of oil, protein and lecithin. It has been experienced that soybean is sensitive to soil and climate and every locality has its own types suited to that particular environment. Whatever may be the reason, it is factual that soybean cultivation, production and utilisation are on the rise and will continue to grow in future as well. Since a larger segment of the human population, particularly in developing countries is undernourished and malnourished, growth of soybean production is expected to combat protein-calorie malnutrition.

Soybean has always been an excellent health food as it contains about 40 percent of good quality protein, 23 percent of carbohydrate, cholesterol free oil and sufficient amount of minerals and vitamins. Out of the total amount of soybean consumed as food, almost all is consumed in Asia. The uses of soybean as food can be grouped under three categories: Fresh, fermented and non-fermented. Fresh green soybeans are consumed after boiling it with water with a little bit of salt. After a few minutes, beans become ready to eat. The green beans can also be shelled and cooked with any other vegetable or meat of choice. Small seeded soybean is used to make sprouts. Fermented soyfood include soy sauce, misco soup, natto, tempeh and fermented tofu. Soy sauce is a flavour enhancer. Large seeded soybean with high protein content is preferred for making miso. Small seeded soybeans are used for making natto. Black seeded soybean are fermented and used as garnish. Tempeh is prepared using the fungi Rhizopus oryzae and R oligosporus. It is rich in riboflavin, vitamin B6 and B 12, biotin and folate. Non-fermented soy food includes soymilk, and important source of calcium. Various kinds of tofu are consumed in Asia with soups and salads. Fried tofu is also a delicacy. Dry soybeans are roasted and consumed as snacks, plain or spiced in Nepal. Such roasted soyanuts are becoming popular in other countries as well. Soybean protein film called yuba is used in a variety of preparations. Soybean is an essential ingredient in the preparation of imitation meat. Other soybean products, such as soy flour, soy noodles, soy ice cream, soy yogurt and soy protein isolates are also popular in Asia. Soybean does not have lactose. Hence, soymilk and other dairy analogs are best suited to lactose-intolerant people. Soybean is also a very good source for diabetics as it has low carbohydrate content.

Previously, soybean food items were prepared in a traditional way. Since the people now want convenient food and are becoming more health conscious, commercial production of a variety of soybean food has boomed in Asia. Countries like Japan, Korea, China, Thailand and Indonesia have witnessed the fast growth of soybean-based food industries in the recent years.

Though, soybean cultivation in Nepal has a long history any serious attempt to popularise and extend its cultivation and utilisation has not been made so far. It has been found that there is no significant increase in the area under soybean cultivation in the last decade. Nepal produced 213 thousand tones of soybean in 1999, which has been processed mostly for edible oil.

It is most unfortunate that an agricultural country like Nepal has not given any thought for the processing of soybean for the production of protein rich food despite the known fact that the majority of the Nepalese population are consuming protein deficient food. Moreover animal protein is an expensive commodity that average Nepali citizen cannot afford to buy as part of their daily diet and also that a large number of people are vegetarian here and their number is increasing. It is high time for our industrialists and government to seriously consider the need for establishing soybean-based food industries.

Processing of soybean for food will also encourage our farmers to grow more soybean which will enhance the value of the commodity and make the preservation and transportation easier, and will reduce post harvest loss. Overall, it will bring more benefit to farmers, producers and consumers and contribute substantially to our economy.

Soybean can be grown in a large part of our country—small black seeded in low lands and brown and yellow large seeded in hills. The only thing is to consolidate our efforts to the realisation that we have a potential to grow more soybeans, and this environmental-friendly crop is needed for better national and global health.

(The author is Associate Professor at Central Department of Botany, Tribhuvan University)

Provisional admission

By UJJWOL ACHARYA

A recent row of experiences lets me deduce that the pure Nepalese tradition of ‘being late’ every time everywhere is changing very soon. I should rather admit a part of it has already changed. Some of our leaders and some other higher status people may take it as loss of our identity; but our friends who are trying to change their label to ‘millionaire’ from founder principal or teacher are putting in all their effort to effect the change.

Well, to prove the fact, I will put forth my recent experience. Recently, my dear wife gave birth to a cute little girl. The moment I heard the news I nearly fainted, as she was my first child. When the two ‘she’s were brought back home, three of my relatives (they told me for the first time we were kin!) were eagerly waiting for me with bouquets.

I was surprised. No one brought me bouquets on my marriage (except my ex-girlfriend!). "Congratulations! What a cute baby. She would grow up to be a great woman," all of them produced the sentence at once as if they had been practicing all day.

"Thank you," I replied. My two ‘she’s were taken to the bedroom whereas I went to the visitors room with the threes once. Sipping tea, one of them started, "A child’s future depends on his/her education." Who is unaware of that? I should have asked, but remained tight-lipped (I learnt to do so after my marriage!).

"Well, all the government schools are void, most of the private schools have big slogans but have nothing for the future star," the second one informed me. "Ya," I said lazily.

"That’s where we come in," announced the third one. "?????," my eager reaction. "We three have established a school — Future Star Building School," declared the first one, "We are different and provide quality education; plus we have all the facilities needed for a developing mind."

"O" I tried to bid good bye to them. "Your daughter’s so talented mind will flourish in our lower secondary school," the second one said. "I will think after 4 years when she will be able to go to school," I offered a handshake.

"You will lose out," the first one said, "we have limited seats." "Okay, what can I do then?" I asked. "We take provisional admission so, admit her now," the third one pulled out a form and handed it to me. "Okay, I will do that tomorrow, where is your school?" I wanted to see them off and play with my little cute.

"The old chicken farm adjoined to the rice mill," one of them answered. "The old chicken farm, it has 8 rooms, where do you teach the students, where do you have the staff room, library and science lab, playing ground and overall what an unhealthy place you have chosen?" "Well we have provision for all facilities, that’s why we are taking provisional admission," they stood up and made me promise that I will come soon to admit my child.

Similar people visited me regularly for a fortnight and made it a nightmare for me. They come up with all proposals, discounts, offers and talk about the necessity of quality education, which everyone of them believes can only be achieved in their own school. I did heard about provisional admission before the results of SLC but never thought there could be provisional admission for an infant!!

Fearing more nightmares, I decided for a honeymoon (after two years of marriage).

Population explosion and challenges

By Suvecha Pant

It seems just yesterday; we were anticipating the start of the year 2002 but now it is all in the past. Just on the doorstep, we are yet to experience the problems that will be yielded by this era. With an increase in population, the 21st century will be Darwin’s "Survival of the fittest". Human beings, at the rate they are continuing to grow number wise, is really alarming.

The rapid growth of population often referred to as population explosion is today’s one of the pressing problems. Until about 800 AD, the world’s population stayed below 200 million. Since then it has risen dramatically. The rise has been the greatest in the 20th century. The population has recently risen to about six billion; it is three times as large as it was in 1960. Experts predict that by 2020 there will be about ten billion people, causing serious problems of hunger, overcrowding and environmental pollution.

This enormous increase in population is due to better food, better hygiene and, above all, the advances made in medicine. The average life span of a human has increased from what it was a decade ago. Rapid developments in modern medicine have conquered many diseases and consequently the death rate has decreased. The population goes on increasing at an alarming rate in spite of the use of birth control methods in many parts of the world.

With the increase in population, naturally other crises arise. As mentioned above there is a problem of pollution. As the number of people increase, wastes and garbage pile up. Eventually this affects the environment, and a good example of this is the ozone layer. Day by day, the layer around the world that shields us from harmful rays of the sun is being slaughtered. Due to pollution, humans are facing the problem of disastrous disease like lung cancer. Where are those tension free, blithe and pertinent people of the past? Will they ever exist again? All we have are people living beyond their ages, cramped into nursing homes, awaiting death. What kind of future do the children and youth have? Will they have education, employment, enough food, housing, basic health services, clothing and clean air to breathe?

In Nepal, the problem of population growth cannot be ignored. The current population of Nepal is twenty three million. Out of this, the urban population is three million and the growth rate is four per cent. It is predicted that if the current trend continues then a wide gap between the birth rate and death rate will result. This gap will head into a stage of demographic transition that is termed as population explosion. Nepal has already started population explosion and there are many reasons behind this. The problem being encountered is lack of socio-economic development, poor education, unhygienic practices and unavailability of medicine. Data projection shows that the population of Nepal in the year 2016 could be a staggering thirty two million. The urban population could be five million and the growth rate four per cent. Considering the present situation, it will be impossible to sustain such a large number of people.

We have to just stroll along our neighbourhood to realise the amount of problems that are arising. Somehow, with the rapid expansion of Kathmandu due to the alarming rate of migration from the rural areas, the whole urban system has gone haywire. As we wake up each morning, we can only hope that the day will end without any trouble. Sometimes there is no water or electricity or some organisation has put on a strike for gas; and those who can afford are impelled to eat out. The roads are so congested that one has to find one’s way amidst a flood of cars, buses, bicycles and those clever motorbikes that seem to weave through the traffic.

According to Dr Prakash Dev Panth, Associate Professor at Tribhuvan University, "The fertility and mortality rate in Nepal in the recent past has started to decline sharply and will lead to the overall increase in population. Given the current food production scenario, about fifty percent of the present children are suffering from malnutrition. This is concrete evidence of food deficiency. Nepal’s outlook in terms of its future population size clearly indicates a bleak scenario."

In order to combat this problem, it is necessary to extract political commitment, increase resources and agricultural production, extensive research, sustainable development and appropriate resource allocation. Other approaches that can contribute to reducing population growth are improved socio-economic conditions (including availability of prenatal, obstetric, paediatric services) and efforts to provide basic water, sanitation and health service.

The population growth and the agricultural production increase due to the Green Revolution have been sustained in the last century in countries like Sri Lanka, the Philippines, China and India. However, scientists predict that the Green Revolution will be useless for this century. They believe that the food crisis can be resolved through extensive research in biotechnology (genetic engineered agricultural production). Sadly, Nepal could not even successfully implement Green Revolution in the last century.

The problem of survival for humankind has never been as great as it is today. If nothing is done to resolve the problems society is facing today; humans will be on the verge of extinction. The fate of humanity is rapidly going down the drain. We have entered the new millennium, and with it have come up challenges.