NEWS
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Growing soy in Flanders? Stimulating sustainable cultivation |
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by: Sofie Goormachtig, Scientist in Residency |
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"Soy in 1000 gardens" is a fascinating research project combining citizen science and biology. Together with volunteers from all over Flanders and Flemish Minister of Agriculture, Innovation and Food, Minister Hilde Crevits, VIB, UGent, ILVO, KU Leuven want to stimulate sustainable soy cultivation in Flanders. Studiotopia scientist in Residency Prof. Sofie Goormachtig (VIB) is actively working on this project.
Soybeans are one of the most important vegetable protein sources. They are used in meat substitutes, but also as animal feed and as a basis for soybean oil. But soy processors have to import most of their raw material. Sofie Goormachtig studies the interactions between plant roots and natural soil organisms. Together with an interdisciplinary team of researchers, she wants to identify Flemish soil bacteria that can help us to grow soy locally.
“Growing soy in Flanders is still quite a challenge, local production would offer many benefits for the environment, the climate, our economy, and our soil." Prof. Sofie Goormachtig of VIB and UGent, Scientist in Residency
“We are looking for a good spread throughout Flanders, and so we have to make a careful selection to ensure we include a wide variety of environments and soil types” Prof. Sofie Goormachtig of VIB and UGent, Scientist in Residency
The team wants to identify bacterial species in soils across Flanders that promote the growth of soy: “Soy is a subtropical plant that is not adapted to our environment. If we want soy to feel at home here, we also have to find the right microbial partners in our soil.” To succeed, the researchers are looking for 1,000 citizen scientists to plant soybeans in their gardens.
"Soy in 1000 gardens" echoes the residency between artist Kuang-Yi Ku and scientist Sofie Goormachtig, as it serves as a scientific framework for the artistic work of Kuang-Yi Ku and gave ihm an interesting inspiration to explore the similarity between the plant-microbe research and the social phenomena of immigrant-integration in Europe.
“Center for Plant Immigrant Integration” will be co-built by Ku and Goormachtig. It is a fictional institution which deals with the legal visa application and interspecies integration of plant immigrants. In this project, the fictional centre works on their first client, soybean, who wants to apply to work and live in West-Europe.
Read more about "Soy in 1000 gardens". Read more about "Center for Plant Immigrant Integration" which is part of the VIB Grand Challenges Program. Find out more about the VIB (Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie) which is one of STUDIOTOPIA's scientific partners.
Find out more about Scientist in Residency Sofie Goormachtig. Find out more about Artist in Residency Kuang-Yi Ku.
"Center for Plant Immigrant Integration" hosted by GLUON is part of the STUDIOTOPIA project supported by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.
Photo credit © VIB
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