By Sheri DeMaris
Freshly made tofu in Benin, West Africa
How will the world sustainably produce enough healthy food to feed nearly 10 billion people by 2050?
This is one of the defining questions of our time. Around the globe, communities face rising food insecurity, chronic disease, and environmental degradation, while much of the world’s farmland is used to produce feed for livestock rather than food for people.
At the Macrobiotic Global Institute (MGI), we believe one important part of the solution lies in expanding access to healthy, sustainable plant-based proteins—particularly organic soybeans and traditionally prepared soy foods such as tofu, tempeh, miso, and natto.
In addition to promoting whole-food, plant-based eating patterns, MGI seeks to raise awareness of the benefits of organic soybeans and traditional soy foods as healthy sources of plant protein that contribute to a more equitable and environmentally sustainable food culture.
Today, MGI is helping launch an ambitious initiative in Benin, West Africa: SoyDélices, a community-centered soy food company that will produce healthy tofu products while creating local jobs, strengthening food security, and serving as a model for sustainable economic development throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.
A Partnership Rooted in Shared Values
The origins of SoyDélices began in 2019 when Lorraine McCamley, MGI co-founder and director, met Sènou Francis DEGBEGNI and Monique ZANNOU through the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. In early 2020, Lorraine traveled to Benin to collaborate with Sènou on leadership development programs. Over the years, Lorraine, Sènou, and Monique developed a partnership grounded in trust and shared purpose.
That relationship eventually inspired the vision for SoyDélices. As Sènou explains, “For years, I have dreamed of building a business that creates value beyond profit. SoyDélices brings together healthy food, local entrepreneurship, job creation, and long-term community impact. Our ambition is not only to produce tofu, but to demonstrate what is possible when quality, purpose, and local innovation come together.”
From Vision to Reality
SoyDélices is being developed in Abomey-Calavi Commune, Benin, where Sènou and Monique will own and operate the business locally. Their initial products will include plain and smoked tofu, with plans to introduce tempeh once production and sales are fully underway. Their goal is to offer fresh, healthy, and accessible soy foods produced from locally sourced soybeans while helping improve dietary habits and long-term health outcomes for African consumers.
Sènou and Monique
In many African countries, access to affordable, high-quality protein remains a challenge for millions of households. At the same time, growing urban populations are increasing demand for nutritious foods. Soy-based foods represent an opportunity to address both challenges while supporting local agriculture and value-added food production.
The first phase of the project—securing land and constructing the production facility—has now been successfully completed. The facility is fully built and operational testing is underway. The team has already purchased soybeans for production and is conducting final product and process tests in preparation for a commercial launch expected this summer.
As Monique explains, “We believe healthy food should not be a privilege. Our goal is to make nutritious soy foods accessible while creating jobs, opportunities, and a healthier future for our community.”
Local workers played an important role throughout construction, including making handmade bricks for the facility. From the beginning, the founders made quality and food safety a priority. The facility was designed with dedicated processing and storage areas, and operating procedures are being developed according to recognized food safety standards.
Why Soy Matters
SoyDélices will create local employment opportunities through partnerships with farmers, suppliers, transporters, and vendors. Once the Benin operation becomes self-sustaining, MGI hopes the model can be replicated throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.
Traditional soy foods are associated with cardiovascular health and may help reduce risks linked to diabetes and other chronic diseases. In regions where food insecurity remains a major concern, soy also represents a practical and affordable protein source.
Organic soybeans can produce more usable protein per acre than animal agriculture while requiring fewer natural resources. Projects like SoyDélices support healthier people and more sustainable food systems.
Benin has identified soybean production as an important agricultural value chain with significant potential for improving farmer incomes, food security, and local agro-industrial development. By transforming soybeans locally into higher-value food products, SoyDélices seeks to contribute to this broader national effort.
Why Soy Matters
SoyDélices will create local employment opportunities through partnerships with farmers, suppliers, transporters, and vendors. Once the Benin operation becomes self-sustaining, MGI hopes the model can be replicated throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.
Traditional soy foods are associated with cardiovascular health and may help reduce risks linked to diabetes and other chronic diseases. In regions where food insecurity remains a major concern, soy also represents a practical and affordable protein source.
Organic soybeans can produce more usable protein per acre than animal agriculture while requiring fewer natural resources. Projects like SoyDélices support healthier people and more sustainable food systems.
Benin has identified soybean production as an important agricultural value chain with significant potential for improving farmer incomes, food security, and local agro-industrial development. By transforming soybeans locally into higher-value food products, SoyDélices seeks to contribute to this broader national effort.
International Collaboration
MGI’s work has attracted support from leaders in the natural foods industry. Elysha and Sjon Welters, founders of Rhapsody Natural Foods, have generously shared their expertise with Sènou and Monique through virtual meetings, educational materials, and ongoing guidance about commercial soy food production.
The Documentary: The Soybean Solution
The documentary explores the global potential of sustainable soy foods through interviews with leading physicians, nutrition experts, educators, and traditional soy food producers.
Interviews already filmed include Dr. T. Colin Campbell, PhD; Dr. Neal Barnard, MD, FACC; Elysha and Sjon Welters; traditional soy producers in Japan; and chef educator Patricio García De Paredes.
In addition, Dr. Walter Willett, MD, DrPH—Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and one of the world’s leading researchers on nutrition, chronic disease prevention, and sustainable diets—is scheduled to be interviewed in December 2026.
The film will also document the launch and growth of SoyDélices as a real-world example of how local food initiatives can create lasting social, environmental, and economic impact. Post-production work on the film will begin in 2027.
How to Support This Initiative
If you share our vision and would like to support this initiative, please visit www.macrobioticglobalinstitute.org and click the donate button. Donations may also be sent by check payable to MGI: Sheri-Lynn DeMaris, 94 E. Conestoga Road, Unit B, Devon, PA 19333.
Sheri DeMaris is a macrobiotic chef/educator who has taught people all over the world the importance of cooking and eating well. She recently partnered with Patricio Garcia de Paredes and Lorraine McCamley to form the Macrobiotic Global Institute, a non-profit whose mission is to restore personal and planetary health. For additional information, contact her at: teawithsheri@aol.com.