News Deforestation-free soy
Greenpeace is targeting the feed industry
Greenpeace blocked a Brazilian ship carrying soybeans at the locks of IJmuiden last night (11 May). The activist environmental organization wants to draw attention to the so-called EU bill for deforestation-free products that is currently being discussed in parliament. Nevedi is also against deforestation, but states that Greenpeace's goal is to completely stop European soy imports.
By blocking the 225-metre-long vessel named 'Crimson Ace', the action group wants to draw attention to deforestation in relation to European soy imports. A bill for this was published at the end of last year, which the European Parliament will probably consider after the summer. The ship with 60.000 tons of soy on board left Brazil last month and is on its way to the port of Rotterdam. "No one can say whether this cargo is good or not. That is why we are stopping this ship", Andy Palmen says on behalf of the action group. According to Palmen, the deforestation-free certificates are a reality on paper.
Lobby Fefac is against the chest
Greenpeace's action is related to a new European law for deforestation-free cultivated soy. The European animal feed sector would like to weaken the law by lobbying the European animal feed industry organization Fefac, Palmen says. "It is good that this law is being passed, but there are gaps in it. The bill now only protects forests, but we want to broaden this by also protecting natural areas. Today, a lot of soy is grown, while not so much forest in the Amazon. being cut down, but natural areas are being sacrificed." Greenpeace also wants all commodities to be tested through this law, including maize and palm oil, for example.
With the blocking campaign, Greenpeace mainly wants to attract the attention of politicians in Brussels. Although the animal feed sector does not break the law with the import of Brazilian soy, it is also part of the problem. Fefac's lobby is against Greenpeace. Last week the action group already visited the ForFarmers head office. The market leader was then challenged to support the deforestation law, but the animal feed group did not want that. ForFarmers says they are speaking through Fefac in this discussion.
Incidentally, the discussion is broader than just the animal feed sector. The origin of soy for vegetable meat and dairy is often unknown, Palmen admits. Whether consumers should ignore these products for reasons of principle for the time being, he leaves open. "These volumes are not in proportion to the consumption of the animal feed sector."
Nevedi: 'We are also against deforestation'
Henk Flipsen, chairman of Nevedi, says when asked that the import volumes are relatively not that bad. Flipsen says Europe only accounts for 10% of global soy, though he doesn't want to mitigate the problem. "The animal feed sector in Europe is also against deforestation. We have been working to guarantee deforestation-free soy for fifteen years." If import legislation is too strict, Europe will be sidelined on the global market. "With that you actually block that Europe can still import Brazilian soya and that misses the target." This would only encourage deforestation, as other countries are often less critical."
Flipsen is in favor of certification of physical trade flows, which is also prescribed by law. "This is something we are already doing in the Netherlands, but is not yet done in many other European countries. This would create a better level playing field."
Wouter Job
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