'North American soybean certification positive'

The approval was announced this week by USSEC. Although there has been a lot of discussion among NGOs recently about the effectiveness of sustainability certificates, Flipsen states that it is the best-functioning method to achieve more sustainable cultivation. For the Dutch compound feed industry, which only uses certified soy, it is important that growers from the United States can continue to supply this.

Fefac is slowly imposing stricter requirements for sustainable soy
This spring, Fefac tightened a number of requirements from the so-called 'Soy Sourcing Guidelines' further, says Flipsen. Even more is now required, including criteria relating to environmental and social requirements. 

Flipsen explains: "Fefac has with the 'Soy Sourcing Guidelines' has developed a kind of overarching benchmark system for responsible soy. There are many separate types of certificates that represent responsible soy. The currently tested SSAP (US Soy Sustainability Assurance Protocol) and the RTRS (Roudtable for Responsible Soy) certificates are examples of this. An independent body, namely the ITC (International Trade Centre, affiliated with the United Nations) has now checked whether soy with an SSAP certificate meets the stricter guidelines of the Fefac, which appears to be the case. This was necessary to also consider the North American SSAP soy as sustainable from 1 January. This availability is important for Dutch compound feed suppliers affiliated with Nevedi because they use 100% certified soy."

Although the market impact is small in the short term, Flipsen considers it important for the longer term that North American soy meets Fefac requirements. European Union Climate Commissioner Frans Timmermans intends to impose stricter requirements on the import of products that may have involved deforestation. This may mean that European importers are more dependent on soya from North America. "We are against introducing more sustainable soy cultivation through regulations. Stricter European rules will cause South American growers to drop out and export to China. This means that all efforts that have already been made will be undone."

"We want to continue investing in a system with certificates, in which we work (in collaboration with the business community) on more sustainable soy cultivation. However, it is not entirely inconceivable that stricter European rules will eventually be introduced for the import of soy from 'risk areas' such as South -America. That is why it is important that another major export region now meets our requirements."

Broad set of requirements
According to Ussec, American suppliers to the animal feed sector are busy transitioning to more sustainable production. American soy producers can demonstrate that they meet the European Fefac requirements by testing in accordance with these new requirements (the SSAP protocol). For example, the Ussec protocol guarantees, among other things, that all tested soya is deforestation-free.

In addition to the requirements surrounding the prevention of deforestation, certified growers have made their land, water and energy use more efficient. Of all American soy imported by Europe, 80% meets the SSAP requirements. Monitoring and monitoring of compliance with the requirements is done by the United States Department of Agriculture. 

The European Union imports a relatively small portion from the United States
In the import year July 2020/June 2021, European Union countries imported 5,7 million tons of soybeans, soy meal and soy oil from the United States. Total European soya imports in the same period amounted to 32,1 million tonnes. The United States produces approximately 110 million tons of soybeans.

Main suppliers are Brazil and Argentina. Because of its quality, soy from South America is better suited for animal feed, especially for young animals. It is currently the main reason why soy from these regions is more popular than North American.