The Truth About Soy Candles: Greenwashing, Sustainability, and Beeswax Alternatives

In this age of environmental awareness, we are often presented with products that claim to embody sustainability and virtue. Among them, soy candles have gained popularity and are lauded as a "green" alternative to petroleum-derived paraffin candles. Yet, as with so many modern conveniences, beneath the surface of these claims lies a troubling reality, one that calls us to question the narratives we accept and to seek more truthful alternatives.

The Problem with Soy: Greenwashing in the Candle Industry

Greenwashing is a tactic by which industries obscure their harmful practices with language that soothes the conscience of the consumer. In the context of candles, greenwashing occurs when manufacturers label their products as “vegan," “natural," or "eco-friendly" without substantiating these claims. 
 
Consider soybeans, a crop grown not by farmers but by the mechanisms of industrial agriculture; however, soy candles are marketed as sustainable and non-toxic, appealing to consumers seeking a positive impact on their health and the planet at large. Soy agriculture comes with severe environmental and social consequences:

• Industrial Agriculture and Deforestation: According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), soy production is a leading cause of deforestation, particularly in the Amazon rainforest. Large-scale monocultures destroy habitats, contribute to biodiversity loss, and release massive amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
  
  
• High Energy Processing: Soy wax is derived through an energy-intensive process involving hydrogenation, which uses chemical catalysts and generates a substantial carbon footprint.
  
  
• Chemical Residues: Soy farming relies heavily on pesticides like glyphosate, a known carcinogen linked to Monsanto (now Bayer). Residues from these chemicals can persist in the wax and are released when candles are burned.
  
  
• Soil Degradation: Continuous soy farming depletes nutrients in the soil, leading to erosion and diminished fertility.
  
  
• Water Pollution: Pesticides and fertilizers contaminate aquatic ecosystems, affecting drinking water sources for local and indigenous communities.
  
  
• Genetic Diversity Loss: Genetically uniform soybean varieties are more susceptible to disease and require increased chemical intervention.
  
  
• Cultural Devastation for Indigenous Communities: The expansion of soybean monocultures frequently leads to the clearing of land traditionally inhabited and stewarded by Indigenous communities. This displacement causes profound cultural devastation, severing their connection to ancestral lands, disrupting traditional practices, and eroding their way of life. As forests and ecosystems are destroyed, Indigenous peoples lose access to essential resources for hunting, gathering, and cultural rituals and practices deeply intertwined with their identity and survival.
  
  Beyond the immediate loss of land, this destruction fractures generations of knowledge, traditions, and relationships with the natural world, leading to incalculable generational trauma. The consequences extend far beyond environmental loss, driving profound social, economic, and psychological hardships that continue to impact Indigenous communities worldwide.
  
  
• Economic Strain on Small-Scale Farmers: The rise of large-scale soy agribusinesses often leads to the displacement of small farmers. As industrial soy operations expand, they can drive down the prices of other nutritious crops, making it challenging for small-scale farmers to compete and maintain their livelihoods. This economic pressure can result in small farmers losing their land or being forced to shift to less profitable or sustainable farming practices.

Additionally, consider these critical insights:

• Global Soy Production by Country:

Brazil: As of the 2023/2024 marketing year, Brazil is the leading soybean producer, accounting for approximately 39% of global production, with an output of 153 million metric tons.

United States: The U.S. follows, contributing about 29% to global production, totalling 113.27 million metric tons in the same period.

Argentina: Holding the third position, Argentina produces around 12% of the world's soybeans, amounting to 48.21 million metric tons.

Collectively, these three countries account for approximately 80% of global soybean production.

• Deforestation and Land Use: The expansion of soybean cultivation has been a significant driver of deforestation, particularly in Brazil and Argentina. In Brazil, vast areas of the Amazon rainforest and Cerrado savanna have been cleared to accommodate soybean farms. This deforestation contributes to biodiversity loss and releases substantial amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, exacerbating climate change.
  
  In the United States, between 2008 and 2012, more than 7 million acres of uncultivated land (primarily grasslands) were converted into farmland, mainly for soy and corn production. This land-use change could have released as much CO₂ as 34 coal-fired power plants operating for an entire year.
  
  
• Monsanto’s Role: Monsanto (now Bayer) and Glyphosate Use: Monsanto, acquired by Bayer in 2018, developed "Roundup Ready" soybean seeds genetically engineered to tolerate glyphosate, the active ingredient in their herbicide Roundup. This innovation allowed farmers to apply the herbicide to control weeds without harming the crop.
  
  However, glyphosate has been the subject of extensive litigation due to health concerns. In August 2018, a U.S. jury ordered Monsanto to pay $289 million to a school groundskeeper who claimed his non-Hodgkin lymphoma was caused by regular use of Roundup. This was the first lawsuit to proceed to trial over such claims.
  
  Since then, Bayer has faced numerous lawsuits alleging that glyphosate exposure leads to cancer. As of 2023, around 165,000 claims have been made against Bayer, with the company settling tens of thousands and agreeing to pay billions in damages. Despite these settlements, Bayer continues to assert that glyphosate is safe when used as directed, a position supported by several regulatory agencies, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The Beeswax Alternative: Rooted in Ecology and Reverence

In contrast to the industrial origins of soy, beeswax is a gift of nature, shaped by creatures that work in harmony with their environment. It's the surplus of a hive’s labour and carries within it the essence of the flowers and plants from which it originates. 

When burned, beeswax purifies the air, producing negative ions that neutralize pollutants and create a sense of freshness and vitality. Its honey-like scent is gentle and unadulterated, a quiet echo of the fields and forests from which it came. It burns longer, more evenly, and more brightly than its synthetic counterparts.

A Choice Rooted in Responsibility

To choose beeswax is to choose a principle, not just a product. It is to affirm that we value the health of the earth over the promises of convenience and that we see ourselves as stewards rather than consumers. It is to honour the labour of bees and the ecosystems they sustain, to recognize that the land’s generosity is not limitless and must be met with gratitude and care.

A Call to Discernment

We live in a time when we are bombarded with choices that claim to align with our values. Yet it is our responsibility to look deeper, to question the narratives we are told, and to consider the broader consequences of our actions. Soy candles may carry the sheen of sustainability, but the reality of their production tells a different story. 

The question, then, is not merely what we will light but what kind of world we wish to illuminate. Will we continue to accept the false promises of convenience, or will we choose something slower, truer, and more enduring? The choice is ours to make, but let it be one made with care, with reverence, and with an eye toward the generations yet to come.

What kind of world you wish to illuminate?