Which of the following requires the least amount of land and water per kilogram of protein produced?

• A. Beef cattle
• B. Pork
• C. Chicken
• D. Soybeans

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of resource efficiency in protein production. This involves comparing the amount of land and water required to produce one kilogram of protein from different sources such as beef cattle, pork, chicken, and soybeans.
2. Step 2: Recognize that animal-based protein sources (beef, pork, chicken) generally require more resources because animals consume feed, water, and land, and there are energy losses at each trophic level in the food chain.
3. Step 3: Identify that plant-based protein sources like soybeans typically require less land and water per kilogram of protein because plants convert sunlight directly into biomass without the intermediate step of feeding animals.
4. Step 4: To quantify this, you would look up or calculate the land and water footprint per kilogram of protein for each source. This involves data on feed conversion ratios, water usage, and land use for feed crops and animal rearing.
5. Step 5: Conclude that soybeans require the least amount of land and water per kilogram of protein produced compared to beef cattle, pork, and chicken, due to their direct plant-based production and higher resource efficiency.