History of Soybeans and Soyfoods in Africa (1857-2009)

William Shurtleff, Akiko AoyagiISBN: 978-1928914-25-9

Publication Date: 2009 Sept. 6

Number of References in Bibliography: 2336

Earliest Reference: 1857

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Brief Chronology of Soy in Africa

      1858 March – Egypt. Soybeans are first cultivated in Egypt – and in Africa (Bulletin de la Societe d’Acclimatation 1858, March).

      1873 – Tunisia. Soybeans are obtained from Tunisia by Haberlandt (1878). They may well have been cultivated in Tunisia by this time (Matagrin 1939).

      1880 Nov.  – Algeria. Soybeans are first cultivated in Algeria, a French colony until 1962 (Paillieux 1880) although they may have been cultivated there as early as about 1860 (Epremesnil (1860).

      1903 Oct. – South Africa (Ruled by Britain). Soybeans are first cultivated (Burtt-Davy 1905).

      1906 April – Zimbabwe (British colony; Southern Rhodesia from 1923 to 1970; Part of Rhodesia from 1970-1979). Soybeans are first cultivated (Rhodesian Agricultural Journal, 1906).

      1907 – Tanzania (German East Africa until 1946). Soybeans are first cultivated.

      1908 – Mauritius (Ile Maurice). Soybeans are first cultivated (Boname 1910).

      1908 – Congo, Democratic Republic of (DRC, formerly Zaire, 1971-1991, and Belgian Congo, 1908-1960). Soybeans are first cultivated (Engelbeen 1948).

      1908 – Great Britain. The traditional oilseeds linseed and cotton seed were in short supply, particularly in the city of Hull – a center of oilseed crushing. Soybeans began to be imported from Manchuria, initially by Mitsui, a Japanese conglomerate. Soybean supplies in Manchuria were abundant after the Sino-Japanese war – which Japan won.

      This was the age of colonialism and the British Empire. Britain, which owned many colonies in Africa, decided to test, systematically, the ability of soybeans to produce good yields in British colonies. The leaders of the British effort were Sir Alfred Jones and Mr. Grenville Turner.

      1909 Sept. – Gambia (British colony). Soybeans are first cultivated (Bulletin of the Imperial Institute) (London).

      1909 – Ghana (British colony). Soybeans are first cultivated (Mercer-Quarshie 1975).

      1909 – Kenya (British colony). Soybeans are first cultivated (Bulletin of the Imperial Institute) (London).

      1909 – Tunisia. Soybeans are first cultivated (Itie 1910). See also 1873 above.

      1910 – Malawi (British protectorate named Nyasaland from 1891 to 1964). Soybeans are first cultivated (Bulletin of the Imperial Institute) (London).

      1910 – Nigeria (British colony). Soybeans are first cultivated. (Bulletin of the Imperial Institute) (London).

      1910 – Sierra Leone (Allied with Britain; haven for freed British slaves since 1787). Soybeans are first cultivated (L’Economiste Francais 2009 Apr 9; Wall Street Journal 1910 Apr 16).

      1910 March – Zambia (British colony; Northern Rhodesia until 1964). Soybeans are first cultivated (Bulletin of the Imperial Institute) (London).

      1911 – Madagascar. Soybeans are first cultivated (Delmotte 1919).

      1912 – Sudan (Part of Anglo-Egyptian Sudan from 1899 to 1956). Soybeans are first cultivated (Kaltenbach 1936, Aug).

      1913 – Uganda. Soybeans are first cultivated (Rubaihayo 1969).

      1914 Aug. – Cameroon. Soybeans are first cultivated (Grimme 1920).

      1915 – Mozambique (Portuguese East Africa until 1975). Soybeans are first cultivated (Oil and Colour Trades Journal) (London). They were next cultivated in 1938 (Daenhardt 1973).

      1921 – Congo Republic (French). Soybeans are first cultivated (Bulletin de la Societe d’Acclimation 1921).

      1921 approx. – Morocco. Soybeans are first cultivated (Kaltenbach 1936, Aug.)

      1923 – Mali. Soybeans are first cultivated (Vuillet 1924).

      1927 – Burudi (Part of Ruanda-Urundi until 1962). Soybeans are first cultivated (Lejune 1938).

      1927 – Rwanda (Part of Ruanda-Urundi until 1962). Soybeans are first cultivated (Lejune 1938).

      1927 Oct. – Libya. Soybeans are first cultivated (Vivenza 1928).

      1927 – Somalia. Soybeans are first cultivated (Vivenza 1928).

      1928 – Angola (Colony of Portugal). Soybeans are first cultivated (Abreu Velho 1938).

      1932 – Swaziland. Soybeans are first cultivated (Lochrie 1934).

      1935 – Guinea (French Guinea until 1958). Soybeans are first cultivated (Porteres 1946, Nov.).

      1936 – Lesotho (Basutoland until 1966). Soybeans are first cultivated (Sampson 1936).

      1936 – Réunion (Reunion). Soybeans are first cultivated (International Institute of Agriculture 1936).

      1936 – Seychelles. Soybeans are first cultivated (Sampson 1936).

      1938 – South Africa. ProNutro, the earliest known commercial soyfood product in Africa, is introduced by Hind Brothers & Co. Ltd. (Odendaal 1965).

      1939 – Benin (Dahomey before 1975). Soybeans are first cultivated (Matagrin 1939).

      1939 – Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast). Soybeans are first cultivated (Matagrin 1939).

      1939 – Togo (Togoland until 1914). Soybeans are first cultivated (Matagrin 1939).

      1942 – Burkina Faso (Upper Volta until 1984). Soybeans are first cultivated (Chevalier 1948).

      1945 – Ethiopia. Soyfoods first appear in Ethiopia (Madison Survey 1945). Soybeans have not yet been reported.

      1950 – Ethiopia. Soybeans are first cultivated (Mengistu 1981).

      1952 – Central African Republic. Soybeans are first cultivated (Hardy 1954).

      1952 – Gabon. Soybeans are first cultivated by Dr. Albert Schweitzer (Hauser 1952).

      1960 – Cape Verde, Eritrea, and Liberia. Soyfoods (Meals for Millions) first appear in these countries. Soybeans have not yet been reported.

      1961 – Africa. Total soybean production in Africa is estimated at 7,183 tonnes, according to FAO – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

      1963 – Senegal. Soybeans are first cultivated (IRAT-CNRA 1964).

      1964 – Liberia. Soybeans are first cultivated (Kromah 1975).

      1965 – Uganda. Africa Basic Foods, black Africa's first soyfoods company, is started in Uganda by Dr. D.W. Harrison, a black American and Seventh-day Adventist medical missionary.

      1966 – Nigeria. Soy-ogi, a traditional fermented, cassava-based food, now fortified with soy, developed by Akinrele in Nigeria.

      1971 – Comoro Islands / Comoros. Soybeans are first cultivated (IRAT-Comores 1972).

      1973 – Mauritania. Soyfoods (USDA Food for Peace program) are first introduced. Soybeans have not yet been reported (USDA 1974).

      1974 – Niger. Soybeans are first cultivated (Larcher 1988).

      1975 – Chad. Soybeans are first cultivated (Akintayo 1995).

      1976 – Botswana (Bechualand until 1966). Soybeans are first cultivated as part of INTSOY trials (Judy & Whigham 1978).

      1978 – Djibouti. Soyfoods (USDA Food for Peace program) are first introduced. Soybeans have not yet been reported (USDA 1978).

      1981 May – Guinea Bissau (Portuguese Guinea until 1974). Soybeans are first cultivated as part of INTSOY trials (Jackobs, Smyth and Arickson 1984)

      1990 March – Equatorial Guinea (Rio Muni and Fernando Po). Soybeans are first cultivated (Lequeau 1991).

      1990 – Sao Tome & Principe. Soybeans are first cultivated (Lassouarn 1991).

      2007 – Africa. Total soybean production in Africa is estimated at 1,253,879 tonnes, according to FAO. This is a remarkable 175-fold increase over 1961.

      The leading soybean producers in 2007 (all with strong historical ties to Great Britain) are:

      Nigeria 604,000 tonnes.

      South Africa 205,000 tonnes.

      Uganda 176,000 tonnes.

      Zimbabwe 112,300 tonnes.

      Egypt 52,500 tonnes.

Note: Soyinfo Center has been unable to find any record of soybean cultivation in the following African countries: Cape Verde, Djibouti, Eritrea, Mauritania, and Namibia. We would welcome any information to the contrary.

This book is about:

History of Soybeans in Africa

History of Soybeans in Algeria

History of Soybeans in Angola

History of Soybeans in Benin

History of Soybeans in Botswana

History of Soybeans in Burkina Faso

History of Soybeans in Burundi

History of Soybeans in Cameroon

History of Soybeans in Cape Verde

History of Soybeans in Central African Republic

History of Soybeans in Chad

History of Soybeans in Comoro Islands

History of Soybeans in Comoros

History of Soybeans in Congo Republic

History of Soybeans in Congo, Democratic Republic of (DRC)

History of Soybeans in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

History of Soybeans in Cote d’Ivoire

History of Soybeans in Ivory Coast

History of Soybeans in Djibouti

History of Soybeans in Egypt

History of Soybeans in Equatorial Guinea

History of Soybeans in Eritrea

History of Soybeans in Ethiopia

History of Soybeans in Gabon

History of Soybeans in Gambia

History of Soybeans in Ghana

History of Soybeans in Guinea-Bissau

History of Soybeans in Guinea

History of Soybeans in Kenya

History of Soybeans in Lesotho

History of Soybeans in Liberia

History of Soybeans in Libya

History of Soybeans in Madagascar

History of Soybeans in Malawi

History of Soybeans in Mali

History of Soybeans in Mauritania

History of Soybeans in Mauritius

History of Soybeans in Morocco

History of Soybeans in Mozambique

History of Soybeans in Namibia

History of Soybeans in Nigeria

History of Soybeans in Niger

History of Soybeans in Reunion

History of Soybeans in Rhodesia

History of Soybeans in Rwanda

History of Soybeans in Senegal

History of Soybeans in Seychelles

History of Soybeans in Sierra Leone

History of Soybeans in Somalia

History of Soybeans in South Africa

History of Soybeans in Sao Tome and Principe

History of Soybeans in Sudan

History of Soybeans in Swaziland

History of Soybeans in Tanzania

History of Soybeans in Togo

History of Soybeans in Tunisia

History of Soybeans in Uganda

History of Soybeans in Zaire

History of Soybeans in Zambia

History of Soybeans in Zimbabwe

History of Soy in Africa

History of Soy in Algeria

History of Soy in Angola

History of Soy in Benin

History of Soy in Botswana

History of Soy in Burkina Faso

History of Soy in Burundi

History of Soy in Cameroon

History of Soy in Cape Verde

History of Soy in Central African Republic

History of Soy in Chad

History of Soy in Comoro Islands

History of Soy in Comoros

History of Soy in Congo Republic

History of Soy in Congo, Democratic Republic of (DRC)

History of Soy in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

History of Soy in Cote d’Ivoire

History of Soy in Ivory Coast

History of Soy in Djibouti

History of Soy in Egypt

History of Soy in Equatorial Guinea

History of Soy in Eritrea

History of Soy in Ethiopia

History of Soy in Gabon

History of Soy in Gambia

History of Soy in Ghana

History of Soy in Guinea-Bissau

History of Soy in Guinea

History of Soy in Kenya

History of Soy in Lesotho

History of Soy in Liberia

History of Soy in Libya

History of Soy in Madagascar

History of Soy in Malawi

History of Soy in Mali

History of Soy in Mauritania

History of Soy in Mauritius

History of Soy in Morocco

History of Soy in Mozambique

History of Soy in Namibia

History of Soy in Nigeria

History of Soy in Niger

History of Soy in Reunion

History of Soy in Rhodesia

History of Soy in Rwanda

History of Soy in Senegal

History of Soy in Seychelles

History of Soy in Sierra Leone

History of Soy in Somalia

History of Soy in South Africa

History of Soy in Sao Tome and Principe

History of Soy in Sudan

History of Soy in Swaziland

History of Soy in Tanzania

History of Soy in Togo

History of Soy in Tunisia

History of Soy in Uganda

History of Soy in Zaire

History of Soy in Zambia

History of Soy in Zimbabwe

Click here to download the full text to open and read book History of Soybeans and Soyfoods in Africa (1857-2009)