Info Hub
Our database of policy documents,
studies, data, tools and
much more…
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Multistakeholder initiatives, global (demand and supply)
- RTRS- Roundtable on Responsible Soy The RTRS – Round Table on Responsible Soy Association – is a non-profit organization promoting the growth of production, trade, and use of responsible soy. It works through cooperation with those in, and related to, the soy value chain, from production to consumption. It does this through: multi-stakeholder dialogue on responsible soy (RTRS Meeting Point), and the development, implementation and verification of a global certification standard (RTRS).
- ProTerra Created in 2006, the ProTerra Standard has a long-standing history and experience in promoting sustainability in the food and feed supply chain and segregated non-GMO materials. Organizations that share ProTerra Foundation’s vision and mission are welcome to become part of the ProTerra Network™ to work together in making sustainable food and feed supply chains a reality. Companies don’t need to be ProTerra certified to be part of the ProTerra Network. However, all ProTerra certified companies are to become members of the ProTerra Network prior to get certified.
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CSI own materials: Narrative, Magicube, Reflections on EU Regulation
- CSI and Proforest- The Soy Magicube
- CSI Two-pager Multiple Routes to Responsible Sourcing
- CSI the Multiple Routes to Responsible Sourcing- the Narrative
- CSI the Multiple Routes to Responsible Sourcing- webinar presentation
- EU Regulation- what it delivers according to the Soy Magicube
- CSI Reflections on EU Regulation. complementary measures and partnerships Feb 2023
- The Superman Law- EU Regulation among other tools
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Soy standard benchmark studies and scorecards
- Profundo (2023) Setting a new bar for deforestation- and conversion-free soy in Europe (benchmark of soy standards) New 2023 Profundo soy standard benchmark sheds light on value of multi stakeholder standards in EUDR and landscape context. Profundo with this report has updated and extended its earlier soy standard benchmark study of 2019 with a new 2023 version. Soy sustainability standards have an important role to play beyond legality and deforestation-free criteria in European Union Deforestation-free Regulation (EUDR) compliant, sustainable supply. Also they are valuable tools in landscape and jurisdictional programmes. The updated and extended Profundo report sheds light on the qualities of standards to deliver accordingly. Various standards are preparing to deliver EUDR compliant responsible soy. An update on their efforts is planned for 2024. The new benchmark study is commissioned by WWF Germany and IUCN NL. Taking the standards that have been positively benchmarked under the FEFAC Soy Sourcing Guidelines as the starting point, the assessment shows the differences and similarities between the soy standards that are available on the market. Multi stakeholder governed standards such as the ones collaborating under the CSI are coming out as best in class, while emphasizing that sustainable soy is about different topics, including deforestation and conversion, but also rights, good agricultural practices with chemicals, soil and water. The study comes in a moment in which many actors in the soy sector feel a certain degree of uncertainty with regards to the EUDR and practical implications thereof. Since all details about EUDR are not sorted out yet, we have to be careful drawing conclusions already. Therefore the announced (2024) update about this topic, needs to be taken into account by the time. Last but not least, it is important to emphasize that various supply chain models, although not all accepted under EUDR, are likely to continue to play a role in the support of sustainable practices at the farm level. Holistic sustainability is about more than deforestation and tracebility alone; sustainability certification can offer an incentive to farmers to implement sustainable practices.
- Profundo (2019) Setting the bar for deforestation free soy in Europe (benchmark of soy standards) This report (commissioned by IUCN NL) has benchmarked standards compliant with the FEFAC Soy Sourcing Guidelines 1.0. The benchmark focuses on the issue of avoiding deforestation and conversion caused by soy production in Europe and by soy production for exports to Europe. It has been used as the benchmark to define deforestation free soy standards in the European Soy Monitor ( 2017 -2021), is ingredient to Nutreco's soy sourcing policy and inspired an update in the FEFAC Soy Sourcing Guidelines (2021). NOTE: An updated benchmark study by Profundo is expected June 5th 2023, commissioned this time by WWF Germany and IUCN NL. Check the info hub!
- Thuenen (2019) Entwaldungsfreie agrarrohstofe (Benchmark of soy standards, in German) An evaluation of FEFAC (2015) compliant standards with regard to the conservation of natural ecosystems, good agricultural practice, social criteria, auditing and traceability systems. The final list of best scoring standards comes close to those identified by Profundo (2019).
- FEFAC SSG 2.0 Benchmarking Tool of Soy Standards This online portal allows compound feed manufacturers, as well as other stakeholders, to see which soy schemes and programmes are in compliance with the FEFAC Soy Sourcing Guidelines 2021, released in February 2021
- WWF and Global Canopy- Soy Traders Scorecard (2021) Summary and Infographics This is the link to main findings and the revealing infographics of the scorecard, all online. The scorecard shows that the best two traders come only halfway of WWF's wish list of conversion free requirements, with 52,5 (Amaggi) being the highest score, and Cargill following. Includes a list of trader specific recommendations.
- Soy Transparency Coalition and 3Keel - 2020 Trader Assessment This report of the Soy Transparency Coalition is the first annual assessment of progress among key traders; a combination of desk-based research, and direct engagement. Key findings on the 2019 calendar year: (1) Transparency remains a blocker, but not with insurmountable barriers. (2) Deforestation commitments are inconsistent and often ambiguous. (3) The soy supply chain is perceived as low risk for exploitation when compared to other commodities (4) Specific focus for supplier engagement is targeted at high priority municipalities in Brazil; high-risk regions in Argentina and Paraguay receive more limited attention. (5) Many traders continue to cite a lack of market demand for deforestation and conversion free soy as a barrier to increasing the volumes of certified soy. (6) A verification gap exists for third party sourced soy volumes. (7) Customer demand dictates trader action. (8) Traders who did not engage consistently scored lower.
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Policy related info relevant for soy
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Europe
- June 2023-Q & A on EU Regulation deforestation free products (EUDR) The latest- 16 page - Frequently Asked Questions about the EUDR, version 1 day after publication 30-6-2023
- Support from business to install EU legislation
- Proces info EU legislation against deforestation for products placed on EU market On legislative proposal for Minimising the risk of deforestation and forest degradation associated with products placed on the EU market. News: legislative proposal expected 3rd or even 4th quarter 2021.
- EC Communication: Deforestation and forest degradation, Stepping Up EU action Initiative from the European Commission aiming to present an integrated EU approach to combat deforestation, protect forests and promote sustainable supply chains.
- The European Green Deal The European Green Deal provides a roadmap with actions to (1) boost the efficient use of resources by moving to a clean, circular economy and (2) restore biodiversity and cut pollution. It outlines investments needed and financing tools available and explains how to ensure a just and inclusive transition.
- Study (2013) "The impact of EU consumption on deforestation" The study provides a quantification of the impact of overall EU consumption on global deforestation. It also provides a general screening of relevant policy areas where options for action could be pursued to address this impact and advance work towards EU sustainable consumption.
- The EU Farm to Fork Strategy Moving towards a more healthy and sustainable EU food system, a corner stone of the European Green Deal. The EU Fork to Farm strategy sets out both regulatory and non-regulatory initiatives, with the common agricultural and fisheries policies as key tools to support a just transition.
- European Taxonomy on sustainable finance The EU Taxonomy is a tool to help investors, companies, issuers, and project promoters navigate the transition to a low-carbon, resilient and resource-efficient economy. It is one of the most significant developments in sustainable finance and will have wide ranging implications for investors and issuers working in the EU, and beyond
- T & E (2021) 10 years of EU fuels policy Animal feed is the sole most important use of soy in Europe, yet also the use for biodiesel (now 1,1 MT) is getting more relevant because of policy. Factsheet with useful data.
- Info on French Due Diligence legislation
- Info on German Due Diligence legislation
- Info on UK Due Diligence legislation
- Global Resource Initiative Taskforce (UK) The Global Resource Initiative Taskforce (GRI) considered how we can reduce the climate and environment effects of key UK supply chains.
- Info on Dutch Due Diligence legislation
- Global Biodiversity Framework (2022/23) relevance for agrifood
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S America
- MAPBIOMAS (2022) Due diligence and ecosystems What ecosystems do we miss if (EU/ UK or other) policy or regulation just deals with deforestation, and why are they important?
- Brock et al (2021) Implementing Brazil's Forest Code Brazil’s ‘Forest Code’ is a key tool to reconcile environmental preservation and agricultural production; it limits deforestation and requires forest restoration in illegally deforested areas. However, not all provisions of the law’s 2012 revision have yet been implemented and some are facing new challenges. Using modelled land use change projections for the whole of the country, the article shows that full implementation and enforcement of the law has the potential to contribute to conserving biodiversity. Biodiversity outcomes will be especially positive if (i) deforested areas are restored in ways that support recolonization by native species and (ii) additional measures are implemented to protect native vegetation in areas like Caatinga dry forests and Cerrado savannas, which may experience added pressure displaced from other regions by Forest Code implementation.
- CPI (2020) Where does Brazil stand with implementation forest code
- CPI-PUC Rio (2023) Where do we stand with Brazilian Forest Code- Action based agenda
- CPI-PUC Rio (2022) Onde estamos (with Brazilian Forest Code)
- Abiove (2020) Amazon Soy Moratorium Report https://abiove.org.br/en/relatorios/moratoria-da-soja-relatorio-12o-ano/ This report describes the methodology used and presents the results of soy monitoring in the Amazon Biome for the 2018/19 crop year, in the context of the Soy Moratorium.
- IUCN NL (2019) An analysis of existing laws on forest protection in the main soy-producing countries in Latin America This report investigates what legal compliance means for protecting forests and ecosystems in the main Latin American countries of origin for European soy: Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. It is meant provide valuable input to companies, financial institutions, government representatives and NGOs who seek to step up their efforts in Europe and elsewhere.
- Explanation of forest law categories in Argentina, by FVSA, in Spanish
- Information implementation forest law Argentina per province, by FVSA, in Spanish
- FARN (2017) Diez anos de la ley de bosques (Argentina)
- IUCN NL (2019) Partnering with Paraguay for Forest Conservation - report for ADP This report is the result of an assignment given by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality to IUCN National Committee of the Netherlands. The assignment was meant for dialogue among ADP (Amsterdam Declaration Partnership), to provide input on Paraguay, as a potential country for direct collaboration, next to Brazil. The report provides: (1) insights in the situation related to deforestation in Paraguay (2) an overview of relevant activities by ADP countries and major other programs to promote good forest and land governance, and (3) suggestions (focusing on the ADP countries, but also beyond these) to step up action and collaboration towards zero deforestation and ecosystem conversion in Paraguay and its agro value chains.
- Joint letter producing countries about EUDR Sept 2023
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China
- China sustainable soy guidelines Proposal for step by step improvement of a China specific approach to sustainable sourcing, published by Solidaridad Asia.
- China- South America sustainable soybean trade platform
- Denggao, Liu (2021) China should play its part in curbing soy-driven ecosystem loss The former vice president of the China Soybean Industry Association on the role China could play in curbing soy-driven ecosystem loss
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Europe
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Soy sourcing guidelines
- Accountability Framework, tools and guides The AFI is an authoritative initiative in terms of definitions (such as deforestation and conversion free), but also on guidance to define company policies on conversion free respoinsible sourcing. It delivers guidance for example where certification is not yet (fully) possible, but verification is important.
- The Accountability Framework and certification, example of RTRS Certification programs and the Accountability Framework are complementary tools to define and implement ethical supply chains. Companies can use certification to help achieve and verify sustainability performance for the commodities they produce or source, consistent with the Accountability Framework. The Framework supports a company-wide approach to ethical supply chains and may be used to help manage non-certified supplies and to address additional elements of responsible business.
- Soy Roadmap 2021 by CGF Forest Positive Coalition The Soy Roadmap delivers guidance on 5 elements: (1) Own Supply Chain (2) Suppliers and Traders (3) Monitoring and Managing High-risk Origins (4) Engagement in Regions and Landscapes and (5) Transparency and Accountability The Roadmap includes 8 KPIs, the details of which can differ slightly for manufacturers who buy soy directly, and for those who are users of embedded soy and retailers. Beyond the KPIs, the Roadmap also includes a series of public information requirements for individual companies, including public policy commitments to the forest positive goals, a summary of their time-bound action plan, soy footprint and methodology, and supplier lists. The Soy Roadmap is a product by Forest Positive Coalition of the Consumer Goods Forum, supported by Tropical Forest Alliance and Proforest.
- Soy Roadmap Guidance, Feb 2023, CGF Forest Positive Coalition The Guidance on the Forest Positive Soy Roadmap provides guidance and resources for manufacturers and retailers implementing the actions in the Soy Roadmap. It therefore follows the same structure as the Soy Roadmap and outlines five key areas for business actions: 1.Managing Own Supply Chains ;2.Engaging Suppliers and Traders ;3.Monitoring and Managing High-risk Origins; 4.Engaging in Production Landscapes: and5.Increasing Transparency and Accountability. The guidance will be updated regularly.
- FEFAC Soy Sourcing Guidelines 2023 update
- FEFAC Soy Sourcing Guidelines 2.0 (2021) The FEFAC Soy Sourcing Guidelines, the first version launched in 2015, defined a baseline for what the European feed industry considers to qualify as responsible soy, basically controlling on legal complaince. The guidelines are not a responsible soy standard but mean to facilitate market transparency. This link leads to the update in 2021, containing some new criteria and including an outline how to define conversion free sourcing.
- WWF & BCG (2021) Deforestation and conversion free supply chains: a guide for action Facts and figures but most of all a call to enhance collective, sector- and/or landscape wide initiatives to achieve green supplies and green suppliers. By WWF with Boston Consulting Group.
- Retail Soy Group (2021) Deforestation free principles
- IUCN NL & University of Buenos Aires (2021) Soy and Agroecology. building a bridge Agroecology integrates ecological principles and biodiversity management into farming systems with the aims of increasing the multi-functionality and total farm productivity, while reducing dependency on external inputs, and sustaining or enhancing ecosystem services. This paper discusses how to bridge the insights from the current ‘agroecological niche’ in the market to the – almost 400 million tonnes – global ‘mainstream’ high input soy market. Should they remain worlds apart or can soy production overall become more future proof by applying such practices? And what roles do standards, buyers, governments and financial institutions have to play?
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Studies and reports relevant for soy
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Europe
- European Soy Monitor 2020 The 2020 monitor shows that the uptake of certified deforestation free in Europe is more or less stable at 25 %, mostly in the form of soy footprint coverage by credits,
- The European Soy Monitor 2019 This short update of the European Soy Monitor over the year 2019 is based on same methods for progress on deforestation free and responsible soy as last year. It tells us that 25 % of European domestic soy use was certified by the deforestation (and often conversion) free standards among the "FEFAC SSG 2015 compliant" standards. The whole FEFAC group scored 42 %, a small progress compared to last year.
- The European Soy Monitor 2018 This second European Soy Monitoring Report gives an update on the transition towards responsible and deforestation-free soy in the EU-28, Norway and Switzerland (EU+). In 2018, 38% of all soybean meal consumed in EU+ was compliant with the FEFAC Soy Sourcing Guidelines and 19% was certified deforestation-free.
- The European Soy Monitor 2017 Report with insights on the European supply chain and the use of responsible and deforestation-free soy in 2017. This report has been commissioned by IDH, The Sustainable Trade Initiative and IUCN NL, the Dutch national committee of IUCN.
- Soy Report 2021 of 9 UK and EU retailers by 3 Keel Huge level of transparency and interesting infographics on achievements of 9 retail brands in UK and EU in their 1.63 million ton soymeal sourcing. Majority of volume remains unchecked, certification increases but tough progress on physical deforestation free.
- 3 Keel (Retail) Soy Report over 2021 Slight increase in certified soy in Europe (more than 40 %) but little in a segregated way (15 %).
- IDH (2020) Soy footprint of animal products in Europe This document provides an overview of the estimated country specific soy footprint of animal products: pig meat, poultry meat, eggs and dairy milk (including derived products) in Europe between 2012 and 2015.
- WWF (2021) Stepping Up, the continuing impact of EU consumption on nature worldwide Study based on TRASE data of 2017, and data over period 2005-2017. Meant to sustain the call for EU legislation against deforestation and conversion, it sparked a lot of debate.
- Greenpeace (2020) Report Under Fire Over the past decade there have been numerous commitments from industry to source forest/ecosystem risk commodities ‘responsibly’. Five years ago, more than 150 companies came together with governments, indigenous peoples and civil society organizations to sign the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF), promising to eliminate deforestation for commodities like soya, cattle and palm oil by 2020.4 In September 2019, the NYDF’s official assessment concluded that achieving this goal is now ‘likely impossible’ because ‘efforts to date have been inadequate to achieve systemic change’
- Greenpeace 2022 Soy trade Brazil Netherlands Facts and figures on soy coming from Brazil to NL.
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S America
- WWF webinfo Cerrado
- IUCN NL (2019) An analysis of laws on forest protection in the main soy producing countries in Latin America 110 million ha of forest can still be legally converted, and many more grasslands and wetlands converted according to local laws in Brasil, Argentina and Paraguay. The report argues for strong efforts for legal compliance PLUS above legal conservation to sufficiently protect biodiversity against expansion of agrocommodities.
- Solidaridad (2021) Regional potential for soy expansion of soy in Matopiba
- Abiove (2021) Geospacial analysis of soy crop in the Cerrado
- Soft Commodities Forum Progress Report June 2021
- Agrosatelite (2021) Cerrado Soy Dynamics -in 61 priority municipalities
- INSPER (2021) Decoupling Soy and Beef from Illegal Amazon Deforestation: Brazilian Private Sector Initiatives
- Harvest and RFN (2022) The State of the Soy Industry
- WWF (2014) The growth of soy Despite being 7 years old, this publication still can be an important resource for its discussion of impacts on diverse Latin American biomes, and elements needed for solution seeking.
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N America
- WWF Plowprint Report 2018 online The Plowprint Report analyzes grassland loss and identifies remaining intact grasslands across the Great Plains region.
- WWF Plowprint Report 2018 PDF The Plowprint Report analyzes grassland loss and identifies remaining intact grasslands across the Great Plains region.
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Europe
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Soy initiatives
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Market (demand side or investor) initiatives
- The Accountability Framework Initiative (AFi) The Accountability Framework Initiative is advanced through a diverse coalition of organizations dedicated to protecting forests, natural ecosystems, and human rights by making ethical production and trade the new normal. This coalition includes: the National Wildlife Federation; The Nature Conservancy; Proforest; Rainforest Alliance; Resourcetrust; Social Accountability International (SAI); Veritѐ; World Resources Institute; WWF; Independent experts – Gita Syanhrani(Indonesia) and Silas Siakor (Liberia). The aim of the AFi is to catalyze a broad shift to ethical practices in agricultural and forestry production and trade, so that these activities protect natural ecosystems, respect human rights, and improve the wellbeing of people and communities in commodity-producing landscapes. These impacts will be realized through the fulfillment of strong ethical supply chain commitments.
- Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) Forest Positive Coalition of Action (CoA) Soy Working Group The CGF Forest Positive CoA currently has 17 members. Over three-quarters have joined the Soy Working Group. In addition to fully implementing forest positive commitments for their own supply chains, Coalition members will work with their suppliers to implement forest positive commitments across their whole soy business, as well as supporting forest positive change in production landscapes thereby supporting the transition to 100 % conversion-free, sustainable soy. This group has produced a Sou Roadmap and a guidance for its implementation, see Soy Guidances
- Statement of Support (SoS) for Cerrado Manifesto The FAIRR Initiative peer network for institutional investors, is particularly concerned about the deforestation risks inherent in protein supply chains. The Statement of Support for the Cerrado Manifesto aims to halt deforestation and native vegetation loss in the Cerrado and promote more resilient agriculture and sustainable land planning approaches in the region. Signatories support the development of soy and cattle production in a manner that avoids deforestation and native vegetation loss, such as using the 38 million hectares of already converted land in the Cerrado that is suitable for agriculture. The SoS is led by a Steering Committee including Ahold Delhaize, APG, Avara Foods, CGF, FAIRR, Grieg Seafood, Nestlé, Nutreco, PRI, Robeco, SIM, Tesco (chair) and Unilever. SoS signatories have developed an SoS Implementation Roadmap to support signatories with turning their SoS commitment into meaningful action aligned with their own policies and ambitions.
- Retail Soy Group (RSG) The RSG is a pre-competitive collaboration between international retailers, currently with a primarily European membership encompassing: Ahold Delhaize, Aldi South, Asda, Co-op (Swiss), Co-op (UK), Lidl (UK), M&S, Migros, REWE Group, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, and Waitrose & Partners. RSG members seek to develop a market where sustainable soy is the norm. They work together to listen to what the market says need to be done, to deliver this and to respond in return to play their part in bringing about change. They are also hosting the Soy Transparency Coalition.
- Soft Commodities Forum (SCF) The SCF is hosted and managed by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and involves private sector – global leading agribusinesses (ADM, Bunge, Cargill, COFCO International, Glencore Agriculture, Louis Dreyfus Company).The SCF is working with its members to increase transparency across their supply chains, nurture effective collaboration and promote initiatives that balance environmental, social and economic interests. The focus of the group is currently (2020) on the Brazilian Cerrado, given its relevance for soy production and its biodiversity and ecosystem value.
- European National Soy Initiatives (ENSI) This is an informal group of European national soya initiatives, specifically focused on bringing conveners of these groups together to share lessons and collaborate. The intention of the group is to share lessons on convening, driving change and ensuring impact on the global level. Other participants include the Amsterdam Declaration Secretariat and IDH. The ENSI Secretariat is managed by Schuttelaar and Partners, info@ensi-platform.eu
- Amsterdam Declarations Partnership The Amsterdam Declarations Partnership group currently consists of 9 countries. ADP's goal is deforestation-free, sustainable commodities, including soya, palm oil and cocoa. The strategy includes: (1) Support European and EU action on climate, deforestation & trade; (2) Stimulate a global value chain approach for agricultural commodities; (3) Enhanced dialogue with major consumer / producer countries and (4) Enhanced monitoring, transparency, and voluntary CSR reporting. Secretariat: pdk@mekonecology.net
- PRI Investors statement of deforestation free soy (2020) Signed by 58 major investors. See current agenda under: Investor Policy Dialogue on Deforestation
- Investor Initiative for Sustainable Forests Born from the earlier Investor Initiative for Sustainable Forests, run by the PRI (Principles for Responsible Investment) Investor Working Group on Sustainable Commodities, and Ceres. This initiative was helping investors to understand how deforestation within cattle and soybean supply chains represents a material risk to companies. They promoted engagement on deforestation for soy , cattle and palm oil, and published statements. The Investors Policy Dialogue on Deforestation (IPDD) is a collaborative investor initiative set up as a follow up in July 2020 to engage with public agencies and industry associations in selected countries on the issue of deforestation. It now has a much broader scope regarding forest risk commodities than just soy, cattle and palm oil. The goal of the initiative is to coordinate a public policy dialogue on halting deforestation. The IPDD seeks to ensure long-term financial sustainability of investments in the countries they are invested in by promoting sustainable land use and forest management and respect for human rights, with an initial focus on tropical forests and natural vegetation. It will work with key stakeholders to encourage adoption and implementation of regulatory frameworks that ensure protection of such natural assets and human rights. Secretariat support is provided by the Tropical Forest Alliance (TFA), an initiative hosted by the World Economic Forum. IPDD is an initiative supported by the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI).
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Field-oriented initiatives
- SourceUp Platform SourceUp is a platform for companies and coalitions in producing regions to work together on sustainable agri-commodity sourcing. SourceUp is a go-to place for buyers of agriculture and forestry commodities and products wanting to engage in landscape-level sustainability efforts. SourceUp is meant to increase the engagement of these buyers with Compacts (multi-stakeholder agreements on a jurisdictional level); meant to facilitate that areas that perform better in terms of sustainability are rewarded in terms of preferential sourcing, funding and technical assistance. See website or brochure attached.
- Produce, Conserve, Include Strategy The PCI Institute is an independent non-profit institution that aims to ensure the PCI strategy’s effectiveness, explore long-term policy creation and financing and provide transparent and inclusive governance. Founder organisations of the PCI Institute are: Brazilian Union of Corn Ethanol Producers – UNEM, Amaggi, Marfrig, IDH, Agroicone, ICV, Earth Innovation and EcoArts. The Mato Grosso government appointed the PCI Institute as its official vehicle to enable multi-stakeholder coordination, advise on public policies and measures, lead fundraising efforts and manage and monitor PCI programs.
- PCI work update Brasil Feb 2023
- Responsible Commodities Facility- Cerrado Brazil Growing demand for soy is leading to the deforestation of large tracts of Cerrado vegetation in Brazil, with associated GHG emissions and loss of biodiversity. The Responsible Commodities Facility (RCF) is an initiative to promote the production and trading of responsible soy in Brazil, by creating a financially sustainable vehicle to provide incentives to farmers and help meet the growing international demand for zero-deforestation supply chains. Announced in August 2022, RCFs first programme, the "Cerrado Programme 1" provides financial incentives to farmers that meet its Eligibility Criteria with a focus on the protection of native vegetation in addition to legal requirements. To be eligible for the Programme, farmers must be in full compliance with Brazil’s Forest Code, have an unquestionable right to use the land, and demonstrate that they and their farms do not contravene any environmental or legal requirements. Alongside this, the cultivation area to be financed must have been cleared before 1 January 2020 and must have native vegetation in excess of the requirements of Legal Reserves and Areas of Permanent Protection (APPs). This first programme was designed to demonstrate this approach and provide the basis for scaling it up to protect vast tracts of native Cerrado vegetation in Brazil.
- SoyChaco-Argentina SoyChaco is a landscape oriented initiative to support deforestation- and conversion-free, responsibly certified farmers in 4 Argentinean provinces located in the Gran Chaco biome. It has developed a 20.000 landscape conservation and restoration plan, focusing on important wildlife corridors. Companies can engage by buying targeted credits, preferably through longer term engagement with farmers and/or supporting the landscape conservation and restoration work in this vulnerable biome. See info sheet attached.
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Market (demand side or investor) initiatives
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Practical tools
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Supply Chain
- Transparent supply chain models Trase brings unprecedented transparency to commodity supply chains; for soy: from Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay.
- Working with ProTerra and its standard- the basic documents
- Buying RTRS credits and physical material how does that work?
- Learn more about the Donau Soja standards
- WWF DCF Supply Chains, Vision, Principles, Asks
- Breaking down fats and oils: sustainability profiles of vegetable oils This interactive online guide to the major oils and fats, their risks and relations, can help companies to make informed choices on products like soy oil, palm oil, coconut oil and other. It is the first popular decision-making-oriented publication of its kind, assessing all major oils and fats as an interrelated system. For one or two scientific articles on this, see studies and reports.
- Definitions
- Certification schemes
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Sustainable sourcing toolkits
- See also: soy sourcing guidelines! You can find various guidelines for responsible sourcing under "(standard benchmarks and) sourcing guidelines"
- Soy Toolkit introduction The Soy Toolkit offers systematic guidance on how to set up a responsible soy sourcing policy. It contains 5 elements and explains practical steps in a number of webinars. (1) Assess and plan implementation (2) Understanding supply chain risks (3) Engaging suppliers (4) Establish a purchase control system (5) Monitor, verify and report. The Soy Toolkit is made by Proforest, with support from GEF/WWF.
- Soy Toolkit webinars Just 1 hours and 20 minutes needed to see the 6 webinars outlining the recommended elements of your soy sourcing policy: (1) Assess and plan implementation (2) Understand supply chain risks (a & b), (3) Engage suppliers (4) Establish a purchase control system (5) Monitor, verify and report. In the webinars one can also see how certification comes into picture as element in a robust company policy. The Soy Toolkit is made my Proforest with support of GEF/ WWF.
- Soy Toolkit, step by step example for UK companies Based on the Proforest Soy Toolkit (see Soy Toolkit and webinars), Efeca elaborated a guidance for UK companies where to start with responsible sourcing. It contains additional suggestions to the Toolkit, also useful for other countries to have a glance
- French guide for deforestation free sourcing for public procurement
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Supply Chain
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Deforestation data
- Global Forest Watch Global Forest Watch offers data, technology and tools that inform people to better protect forests.
- TRASE- commodity chains and their exposure to deforestation Supply chain mapping to understand trade and financing of deforestation risk commodities.
- Agrosatelite for Abiove (2021) Relatorio Cerrado Soja- conversion data 2000-2020 (in portuguese) “In this last crop year, the largest annual increase in planted area with soybeans in the Cerrado (1,168 ha) was oberved, being 85% above the average annual rate of the last two decades, reaching a total cultivated area of 20.0 million hectares and covering 9.8% of the territory of the Cerrado biome. The dynamics of land use change associated with soy farming differ significantly between the Other States and Matopiba, particularly regarding the conversion of native vegetation. In other States, soy associated with the conversion of native vegetation in the period of 2013/14 to 2020/21 represents only 0.8% (121 thousand ha) of the soybean area of the 2020/21 crop; while in Matopiba it represents 10.5% (497 thousand ha) and for the Cerrado as a whole 3.1% (617 thousand ha). It is possible to verify a declining trend in the conversion of native vegetation in the Cerrado, especially when compared to the past periods of seven crops (2006/06 – 2013/2014 – 2020/2021). While the average conversion rate reached 161,000 ha/year from 2006/07 to 2013/14, it reduced to 71 thousand ha/year from 2013/14 to 2020/21.”
- PRODES, official data deforestation Brazil (Cerrado, Amazon and Legal Amazon) This is the official data on deforestation in Brazil (Cerrado + Amazon + Legal Amazon). They have an option to change the language of their website to English.
- Brazilian Annual Land Use and Land Cover Mapping Project - MapBiomas The Brazilian Annual Land Use and Land Cover Mapping Project (MapBiomas) generates annual land cover and land use maps from 1985 till present.
- Real Time Deforestation Monitoring Report- (bi)monthly Cerrado (bi)monthly real time deforestation monitoring connecting data to companies, researched by Aid Environment. Check their website for updates.
- Earth Observatory, Deforestation in Argentina's Gran Chaco Summary report of deforestation in Gran Chaco (Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia), among others based on Guyra's monthly reporting on deforestation in this important biome.
- IDH (2020) The Urgency of Action to Tackle Tropical Deforestation This report describes the urgent need to take action to reduce the deforestation driven by eight deforestation-linked commodities (palm oil, soy, beef, cocoa, coffee, rubber, pulp & paper, tropical timber) in 12 European markets and 7 producing countries.
- IUCN NL (2019) An analysis of laws on forest protection in the main soy producing countries in Latin America Study of existing laws in Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay and the extent to which they prevent deforestation (and conversion).
- Blonk on Life Cycle Assessment of soy Environmental footprint of soy, Life Cycle Assessment, including Land Use Change (LUC) indicator
- French website to identify deforestation risk, with TRASE and GCP
- For data see also: Policy related info