Could Australia’s chickens benefit from a homegrown alternative to soy? 09:00 | Market trends/analysis | News Dr Soumeh and a team of researchers believe that this alternative to imported soybean meal would help support Australia's chicken industry and reduce the sector’s impact on the environment. Photo: the University of QueenslandA study by the University of Queensland has identified a local alternative to imported soybean meal, a significant component of chicken feed. Australia currently imports 1.2 million tonnes of soybean meal annually to feed commercial chickens. “Australia already grows more than enough canola to substitute soybean meal; we just need to process more here instead of exporting it.