Soya beans and corn make oil and animal feed, as well as ethanol, to some controversy.

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Several hundred thousand Brazilian residents are responsible for much of the biggest export, soya beans.

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The special tradition "Mamemaki" involves throwing beans, specifically roasted soya beans at a member of the family or out of the door for good luck.

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Although Brazil enjoys a big overall trade surplus with China, most of its exports are of commodities (mainly iron ore, soya beans and crude oil).

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The price of rice has doubled since January, while the cost of dairy products, soya beans, wheat and sugar have also surged in recent months.

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Some analysts worry that a slowing of China's breakneck growth would cause prices for Latin America's soya beans and copper (not to mention oil) to crash.

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His other crop, soya beans, look in a better state.

BBC: US crops tell story of future world food prices

Argentina and Canada, in particular, are united in opposing efforts to segregate modified and unmodified crops, such as soya beans, at source (which would mean that consumers really knew what they were buying).

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