Click here to sign up for our free daily newsletter

Canada’s specialty soybean market expands with new seed options

Jun 24, 2025 | 10:34 AM

The specialty soybean market is growing, particularly in regions like Asia, where they are used in products like soya milk and tofu.

Over the past several years, Canadian farmers have faced increasing challenges in maintaining their share of this premium export market. With fewer commercial investments in non-GMO varieties, farmers have fewer seed options, especially outside traditional growing zones.

A $4.3 million initiative, led by NRGene Canada, Pulse Genetics, Hensall Co-op, and Yumasoy Foods Ltd., with support by Protein Industries Canada, will strengthen Canada’s identity-preserved (IP) non-GMO soybean market.

A new breeding program will be launched to develop early-maturing, high-protein, non-GMO soybean varieties suited to Canada’s northern climates, including Manitoba and northern Ontario.

These new varieties will be specifically bred for improved yield, resistance to soybean cyst nematode (SCN), and better adaptation to a range of environmental conditions, helping producers reduce the yield gap between GMO and non-GMO crops.

Protein Industries Canada CEO Robert Hunter said Canadian farmers have a proud history of producing high-quality, identity-preserved soybeans that meet the most demanding international food standards.

“This gives our farmers the tools they need to stay competitive in the global market, while also creating new economic opportunities here at home, for both farmers and food processors,” Hunter said.

General Manager of NRGene Canada Masood Risvi said this represents a turning point for Canada’s non-GMO soybean sector.

“By combining advanced genomics with farmer-driven breeding goals, we’re creating varieties that meet global demand for food-grade soy while enabling more farmers, from southern Ontario to northern Manitoba, to compete in high-value markets,” Risvi said.

For farmers, this means greater choice, improved returns, and the ability to access a premium market with more confidence. For the sector, it means the potential to expand acres and rebuild Canada’s competitive edge in food-grade soybeans.

A second phase will see the development of a novel, soy-based plant protein product for Canadian and global consumers. This will be the first single-ingredient plant-based protein of its kind. It uses extruded whole non-GMO soybeans to create high-protein meat-like shreds that retain the bean’s full complement of nutrients. It would serve as a mainstream protein such as tofu, chicken, pork, or steak.

alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com