The soybean has been used for food in the Orient for centuries, but the western world has been slow to adopt it. In the last 40 years soybeans have become an important source of protein in poultry and livestock feed. In the last 10 years or so it has been used in foods in increasing amounts to supply low cost high quality protein with important functional properties. The soybean will be vital to meeting the protein needs of the future in all parts of the world, especially in the developing countries. The challenge is great to the plant breeders and agronomists to improve yields and adaptability of the crop and to the soy technologists to improve the characteristics of processed soybean proteins.