Ford Motor Company and Lear Corporation are working together on the industry’s first effort to produce seat foam made from soy-based materials, according to The Torque Report.

Ford says that the environmental advantages of soy-foam include: a reduction of carbon dioxide emissions when compared to current petroleum-based material, lower energy required to produce the material, and up to 24 percent renewable content.

In 2004, Ford and Lear formed a partnership to commercialize soy-foam applications, with initial work concentrating on the molding of headrest and armrest components.