EU feed industry sets roadmap for responsible soy sourcing

March 20, 2014

EU feed industry sets roadmap for responsible soy sourcing

European''s feed manufacturer association FEFAC has set a roadmap addressing key issues pertaining to the supply of responsibly-produced soy to the EU feed industry, as well as a project planto set up an independent benchmark system of existing certification schemes.

The benchmark system is set against the set of the FEFAC minimum import criteria for which FEFAC will launch a tender procedure and cooperate with IDH (the sustainable trade initiative). FEFAC, which is committed to support value chain initiatives to increase the responsible supply of feed ingredients to improve the sustainability of feed and livestock products, notes that none of the currently available certification schemes have yet achieved "critical mass".

Protein sources are essential to achieve a balanced diet for food-producing animals. The EU, however, is not in a position to provide enough home-grown protein feed raw materials to fulfil its own requirements due to agronomic reasons and CAP policy measures, favouring cereal production.

The EU feed industry therefore needs to source its proteins on the global market, on which soymeal has been the most important source for many years. In certain export countries, the production of soya is sometimes associated with negative effects on the local population and the environment.

In order to address these issues, FEFAC, which represents the European compound feed and premix industry, joined the global Round Table on responsible soy in 2006 which developed the responsible soy "Principles and Criteria" in a multi-stakeholder process.

In the meantime, several certification schemes for responsible soy have been developed, while national framework legislation in export countries have been reviewed and adapted to meeting environmental and social objectives. These initiatives, such as Amazon soy moratorium in Brazil, already have made a significant contribution to address and alleviate negative impacts associated with soy production.

However FEFAC members are conscious that more work needs to be done and therefore developed a road map towards responsible soy with the main objective to facilitate mainstream market supply of responsibly produced soybean products to Europe.

Key issues identified by FEFAC members for the supply of responsibly produced soybean products are as follows:

   
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  Responsible working conditions (no child labour, forced labour , discrimination and harassment)

   
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  No purchase from illegally deforested land, including land cleared of native habitat, except in compliance with national legislation and mutual agreements resulting from a continuous multi-stakeholder process

   
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  Good agricultural practices with key emphasis on agrochemicals application an legislation (respect of Stockholm and Rotterdam convention)

   
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  Respect for legal use of land / land rights

   
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  Protection of community relations

   
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  agrees on the common goal of promoting the production and supply of responsibly-produced soybean meal to Europe, taking into account key principles of RTRS or equivalent standards, by cooperating jointly to facilitate mainstream market solutions meeting customer demand

   
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  will develop a regular benchmarking system, which will be transparent and operated independently

   
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  will set minimum criteria to facilitate the generation of market volume for the supply of responsibly produced soybean meal to European customers

   
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  will propose a stepwise approach for continuous improvement allowing the building up of market volume

   
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  will communicate regularly with key partners in order to agree on realistic targets regarding the continuous improvement process