There is nothing Vegan about deforestation.
Deforestation for Soy in Nova Xavantina, Mato Grosso state, Brazil.
Photograph: Amanda Perobelli/Reuters
Your favourite coconut-lime candle is not actually Vegan.
As a beeswax candle maker I often hear, “I can’t use them, they’re not vegan,” and I think it's important to shed light on the impacts of soy agriculture so that we can understand the greenwashing that has shaped the “vegan” soy candle industry.
Soy wax is marketed as a sustainable and eco-friendly material, but a little bit of research reveals how eco-unfriendly the wax really is. This is important because people who usually opt for soy candles over their cheaper, paraffin counterparts are investing their energy and money into products they hope are greener than the alternatives.
One of the biggest issues with soy candles being touted as “vegan” and “eco” is the harmful effects of deforestation prevalent soy agriculture. In order to grow soybeans on a large scale, forests are cleared and converted to monoculture soy fields. Deforestation is not vegan. When mass amounts of land are clear-cut to make way for soy fields, animal populations suffer greatly.
There have been regulations in place to make soy agriculture sound sustainable, but a little digging reveals that there is very little that can be done to ensure corporations uphold these standards.
More than 400 sq miles (1,000 sq km) of Amazon rainforest has been felled to expand farms growing soya in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso in a 10-year period, despite an agreement to protect it, according to a new investigation.
In 2006, the landmark Amazon soy moratorium was introduced banning the sale of soya grown on land deforested after 2008. From 2004 to 2012, the clearing of trees in the Amazon fell by 84%. But in recent years deforestation has climbed steeply, reaching a 15-year high last year – encouraged, campaigners say, by President Jair Bolsonaro’s anti-conservationist rhetoric and policies.With the moratorium applying only to soya, farmers have been able to sell the crop as deforestation-free, while still clearing land for cattle, maize or other commodities.
Here are just a view detrimental effects that large-scale cultivation of soybean crops in a single area has on the environment:
Biodiversity loss: Monoculture systems often require clearing of natural habitats, leading to the mass destruction of ecosystems and a measurable decline in biodiversity. This can result in the loss of plant and animal species that rely on diverse habitats for survival; native plants that might have been useful in medicinal treatments and cures, and extinction of species before we even know of their existence.
Soil degradation: Continuous cultivation of soybeans in monoculture depletes essential nutrients from the soil, leading to soil erosion, reduced fertility, and increased susceptibility to pests and diseases. This can result in the need for excessive use of fertilisers and pesticides, further contributing to environmental damage.
Water pollution: Intensive soybean cultivation involves the use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides that can leach into nearby water bodies, leading to water pollution. This contamination can harm aquatic ecosystems, including fish and other organisms, and can also affect human health if the polluted water is used for drinking or irrigation.
Genetic diversity loss: Monoculture systems often rely on genetically uniform soybean varieties, reducing genetic diversity within the crop. This makes the crop more vulnerable to pests, diseases, and environmental changes, which can lead to crop failures and economic losses for farmers.
Cultural devastation for indigenous communities: The expansion of soybean monoculture often involves the clearing of land that is traditionally inhabited and utilised by indigenous communities. This displacement can lead to cultural devastation as these communities lose their ancestral lands, traditional practices, and connection to the environment. The destruction of natural habitats affects their ability to hunt, gather, and carry out cultural activities that rely on intact ecosystems, disrupting and often ending their way of life altogether, eroding their cultural heritage and creating incalculable generational trauma, with profound social, economic, and psychological impacts on indigenous communities worldwide.
Soybeans are marketed as a clean, vegan-friendly crop, and when it’s grown in your own backyard, they probably are. Unfortunately, to get the amount one needs to manufacture candles, there is nothing clean or vegan about it. The mass-scale production of soy just isn’t a sustainable or vegan-friendly option.
Outside of deforestation, there are a few other problems with soy wax candles. Pure soy wax sweats, forcing soy wax manufacturers to mix the wax with paraffin or palm oil, two substances that are terrible for our health and the planet. You can read more about those waxes, here. Additionally, soy wax is void of any of its own natural scent, and is commonly fragranced with synthetic scents containing Forever Chemicals, which are harmful to human health.
The intent here isn't to vilify individual soy candle makers, but to emphasise the systemic issues inherent in the soy industry. Education remains pivotal in navigating these complexities.
I myself used to buy Coconut-Lime scented “vegan” candles. They are so popular here in Australia that you find them in every shop. What the package of these eco candles doesn’t tell us is that their wax (soy) is horrible for the planet, or that their additives, when burned into the air, contribute to indoor air pollution and hormone disruption.
It was important to me to produce candles that don’t have a negative impact on our health or the environment. When I moved to Australia, starting Replenish You was a no-brainer. The beeswax in Australia is an untapped resource that is exceptionally clean, produced and harvested under the highest ethical standards of any other country, and is an incredible, thousands-of-years-old alternative to creating ambiance in your home without toxins.
We stock across Australia, complete with an education package so that buyers know what impact their choices have on the world around us. I believe it's up to us to make informed choices about the products we consume and the impact they have on our planet. By staying educated and engaged, we can work towards a healthier, more sustainable future, without sacrificing the little luxuries that elevate our lives.