Planting dreams with soybeans

Sowing Hope

After years of growth and learning, Rehman became a beacon of hope at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, developing local soybean varieties suited for the conditions in Pakistan.

Pakistan, primarily an agrarian nation, faces challenges due to limited crop diversity and the adverse effects of climate change. With most of its agricultural land dedicated to five traditional crops and suffering from low soybean yield and quality, the country relies heavily on soybean imports for animal feed, unlike China's familiarity and consumption of soy products.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres labeled Pakistan as one of the countries most severely affected by climate change, a fact not lost on Rehman as he sought to introduce soybeans as a sustainable crop in his homeland.

Professor Iqrar Ahmad Khan — vice-chancellor of the University of Agriculture Faisalabad — explains that Pakistan spends up to two billion dollars annually importing around three 300,000 tons of soybeans. "What's important now is to bring in soybean as a mainstream green crop."

Achieving this goal meant finding the right seeds, and that's where Lam's expertise came into the picture. He had already cultivated the Longhuang series soybean in China's Gansu province, which is known for its high yield and quality even in arid and saline conditions.

In 2023, Lam, for the first time, visited Pakistan, taking with him a branch of seeds. Unlike the Long Huang series, what Lam prepared for Pakistan is genetically unstable soybean seeds, still undergoing change, with the hope of developing a variety that could thrive in the local environment.

In March this year, the news of a terror attack targeting a Chinese construction project in Pakistan's Cape province sent shockwaves across the globe. The incident raised serious concerns for Lam and his team's upcoming visit.