The mission of the Collaborative Soy Initiative, within the wider pursuit of 100% deforestation and conversion free sustainable soy, is to inform on sector-wide actions that are on-going, to initiate new actions that are needed and to facilitate greater synergy between actions.
The open information webinars aim to:
* Inform the wider soy sector. Questions that have been addressed: Deforestation and conversion free sustainable soy: how to collaborate better to make it happen? What are practical steps to scale up deforestation and conversion free soy? How to combine supply chain and landscape approaches? How can the financial sector contribute? How can LCA and carbon footprint methodologies incentivize the transition to deforestation and conversion free sustainable soy? How do we deal with the volatility of soy prices and premiums and their effects on sustainability? What role does Europe have, as producer, consumer....and legislator?
* Foster collaborations. The webinars are organized by the different players of standard systems, initiatives and environmental organizations and work with external speakers supporting the CSI mission of creating synergy.
# Webinar/Expert meeting: Carrots and Sticks: Soy farmers' sustainability incentives, Sept 15-2022
Farmer incentives are an achilles heel of progress towards conversion free sustainable soy. In this webinar, experts discussed which ‘carrots and sticks’ make a difference. What is in it for producers? What financial or other benefits, in terms of better farm management, market access, premiums, and sustainability linked loans or other payments for their ecosystem services? We also looked into the benefits for companies and governmental institutions, once producers have these incentives. What do they lose if the right carrots and sticks are not in place?
With key speakers from the new Responsible Commodity Facility and lessons learnt from the IDH-PCI landscape programmes in Brazil.
Who were the key speakers?
- Pedro Moura Costa of SIM, manager of the Responsible Commodities Facility, will provide details about the new fund's financial mechanisms, with ample time for questions and dialogue. With Steven Ripley of Tesco.
- Guilherme do Couto Justo of IDH will reflect upon his lessons learnt about farmers' incentives in the landscape work in Sorriso, Brazil, among else with RTRS.
- Paula Freitas from Solidaridad Brazil will share the latest lessons on working with soy farmers and UK retailers involved in RCF.
# Webinar Beyond Silos, engaging suppliers for the ground work, June 16, 2022
One silo for certified soy, two silos for EU compliant soy, twenty silos for the rest of the market. Is this the scenario that unfolds with markets demanding different things? Is segregation the end station or does a sustainable commodity need to have the ground work in order in producing areas and consuming countries? How to move to a full supply chain and a supplier base without ecosystem conversion, legally compliant, responsible? Testing the ground for greening suppliers as an overarching approach.
Click the links for:
The presentation on the Accountability Framework approach on cleaning suppliers by Karen Steer.
The presentation by TRASE on challenges in traceability in detail in the supply chain by Osvaldo Pereira and Tomas Carvalho
The presentation by WWF on deforestation and conversion free soy as a market baseline by Jean Timmers
The recording of the webinar, see comment for exact timing of the speeches by CSI, AFI, TRASE, WWF and dialogue
# Webinar succeeding with soy sustainability in unpredictable scenarios, May 17 2022
The war in Ukraine, except from its humanitarian, geopolitical and environmental consequences, has a strong effect on global grain and oil markets. How does this affect soy markets? What is the impact on logistics, availability, prices and anticipated price changes, sustainability needs and ambitions? How do we keep our eyes on the horizon striving for sustainability in the unpredictable scenarios of climate change, biodiversity decline we are part of? An informative webinar with facts, figures, data, observations on trends and more.
- Link to CSI webinar recording here
- Link to introductory powerpoint here
- Link to information from Donau Soja on situation and availability soy in Ukraine and Europe
Date: March 10, 2022
Organizers: CSI with IUCN NL
What is agroecology, what are current efforts to promote its principles in soy production, and what more can be done to promote agroecological practices in mainstream soy markets? What are the economic, climate and biodiversity benefits, the benefits to producers and consumers? What are current obstacles for the promotion of more agroecological practices?
Please find the presentations and recording by clicking the links:
The background report by IUCN NL & UBA.
This is the link to full recording of the 1,5 hour webinar.
To be expected here later:
separated recordings of each presentation, and an English written summary of Miguel's technical advice for agroecological soy.
Date: March 3, 2022
Organizers: CSI with ENSI, the European National Soy Initiatives
Many of those active in sustainable soy initiatives, also in CSI, have been anticipating new EU legislation. Meanwhile, collaboration between national soy initiatives across Europe has been set up, including UK, Netherlands, Denmark, France, Germany, and others, How can best experience from "the voluntary world"" in which those multiple stakeholders been involved, be utilized in mandatory settings such as compliance and complementarity to EU deforestation and due diligence legislation?
Presentations (click the links):
CSI, on combining the best of voluntary and mandatory instruments for impact
FEDIOL/COCERAL/FEFAC summary of reaction to draft EU regulation on deforestation free products
Recording (click the link):
Date: November 18th 2021
Organizers: CSI with Proforest.
There is no silver bullet in soy. How often do we hear this? But how do we combine the best of approaches to achieve to the best of results, and what are practical examples of this? An outreach webinar of our "Meta Meetings" between soy initiatives to communicate a shared Narrative and a provoking tool (the Soy Magicube) to inform policies of companies and governments alike. The art of combining: an eyeopener for our blind spots?
Towards an EU legislation Magicube?
For further info on the Meta Meetings between soy initiatives, see here
Date: October 21rst 2021
Organizers: CSI with Donau Soja
Europe consumes a lot of soy, but also has become a relevant producer. What are the facts, the figures, the trends that we can observe? With Susanne Fromwald and Volodymyr Pugachov from Donau Soja on production, also with special reference to Ukraine. With Doutzen Wagenaar from Schuttelaar & Partners, researcher of the European Soy Monitor on consumption. With Luiz Massucati from the German Federal Office on Food and Agriculture (BLE) on their national protein strategy. What are differences and similarities with Latin America and why is it important to involve geographical Europe in the debate on sustainable production? Find links to the powerpoints en recording below.
Introduction to webinar by Heleen van den Hombergh
Presentation Volodymyr Pugachov
Link to youtube video of the webinar
Date: Info webinar 2 June 2021 plus dialogue session 1 July 2021
Organizers: ProTerra with and for CSI
Content: Mid-and long-term agreements and planning are crucial for farms and companies to be able to plan and improve their practices, and invest in sustainable agriculture. Over the last years the pressure is growing, commitments have been made, but in many cases without the involvement of the affected people and companies. There is a general lack of long term agreements which leads to volatile prices, risking that good farmers are lost. This webinar gave an overview of factors that influence the volatility of soy and how this impacts the transition towards a sustainable soy supply chain. With contributions from Solidaridad, Soja Plus, Agraria and the Retail Soy Group.
See You Tube link for recording of the information webinar, and link below for its Powerpoint presentation.
Link to the PP presentation of CSI webinar the Volatility of the soy market
See You Tube link for recording of dialogue session, and link below for the introductory Powerpoint.
Link to Powerpoint for dialogue
Date: 17-June 2021
Organizers: CSI, Nutreco
Content: This interview for "CSI Meta Meeting" participants, offered an insight into the soy policy within Nutreco's Roadmap 2025: 100 % Class A by 2025, possibly achieved in a step-wise manner. It was explained by Jose how the Class A-D categories are defined, how Brazilian suppliers have been engaged to take further steps, and how Nutreco's search for producer incentives continues. See slides for the practical info.
CSI mini webinar slides of interview with Jose Villalon
Date: 14 April 2021
Organizers: Soy Transparency Coalition, 3 Keel and CSI
Content: This closed webinar for "CSI Meta Meeting" participants, offered a sneak-preview into the results of their traders assessment, and how traders live up to their own commitments, standards and to what is expected from them.
Read the report available through the info hub, and check out the visually very strong powerpoint through this link to presentation:
Presentation sneak preview STC 2020 Trader Assessment by Will Schreiber, 3Keel
Date: 15 Dec 2020
Organizers: CSI Working Group Engage, IUCN NL
Content: This webinar offered a general overview of the European Union policy developments and their relevance for soy. It will also explain, in a very accessible way, the importance of the EU Taxonomy for sustainable activities, and its consequences for the soy value chain. The EU Taxonomy is a tool to help stimulate investment in sustainable economic activities. It is a new green language that companies need to learn in the coming years.
See the presentation by Michel Riemersma, IUCN NL, about the relevance for CSI's mission of the upcoming EU Taxonomy on sustainable finance.
Date: 7 Sept 2020
Organizers: all CSI participants, but mainly ProTerra, NEVEDI, SOLIDARIDAD, FEFAC, QUANTIS and Blonk Consultants
Recording: click here for the recording
Link to the presentations: Land Use Change and Soy
Date: 17 Sept 2019
Organizers: CSI participants, mainly RTRS, IUCN NL, ProTerra, WWF and Donau Soja
Key question: The key question of the webinar is how to scale up and collaborate better between various initiatives to achieve 100% deforestation and conversion free responsible soy. Joining forces on common ambitions, sharing lessons and expertise, and aligning strategies to reach those, could be a significant accelerator in the efforts of building more sustainable soy supply chains.
Link to presentations:
