Soy vendors to the salmon industry end trade of deforestation linked soy in Brazil

The Brazilian soy suppliers to the salmon industry, CJ Selecta, Caramuru and Imcopa/Cervejaria Petrópolis, will implement a 100 percent deforestation and conversion free soybean value chain with 2020 as their cut-off date. No soy grown on land deforested after this deadline will be traded. This bold and historic move sets a new benchmark for global sustainable supply chains and is in stark contrast to larger Brazilian soy traders, who continue to trade deforestation soy.

As a result of the move, the majority of the global farmed salmon industry, including the entire European salmon sector, will source soy from Brazilian suppliers whose soybean value chains are 100 percent deforestation and conversion free.

This is the very first time Brazilian soy suppliers make such a commitment. The decision is hailed by global environmental organizations, international retailers, salmon farmers, feed companies, salmon processers and investors, who are deeply concerned about the increasing deforestation and conversion rates in Brazil.

This marks the first time an animal protein industry has set such a voluntary and sector wide benchmark. The participants and stakeholders involved in this initiative hope to inspire other global animal protein industries, such as beef, pork and poultry to follow suit.

CJ Selecta, Caramuru and Imcopa/Cervejaria Petrópolis have set August 2020 as the cut-off-date for their deforestation and conversion free soybean supply chain. Together with the sustainability standard owner ProTerra and WWF Brazil, the soy suppliers have agreed on a robust monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) system to implement and enforce their commitment to zero deforestation.

The Brazilian suppliers have delivered certified and deforestation free soy to the European aquaculture industry for a number of years, while delivering non-guaranteed products to other markets. This new commitment extends their deforestation-free commitment to their entire soybean business, also outside the salmon value chain. This means that soy beans produced on land converted after August 2020 cannot enter the supply chain of any of these soy companies. The decision will have immediate effect for all new contracts of soy purchase.

Comments:

WWF Brazil

“We see this voluntary sector-wide commitment as a benchmark to inspire other global animal protein sectors, as well as other markets linked to the soy supply chain. We celebrate together this relevant private sector led process for the protection of the unique Brazilian Cerrado.”

-Maurício Voivodic, WWF Brazil Executive Director.

Statement from international retailers, salmon processors and salmon farmers

“As companies with Brazilian soy in our supply chains, we are deeply concerned about the ongoing deforestation rates in the country. We greatly applaud this historic decision by CJ Selecta, Imcopa and Caramuru, and are encouraged to see much needed action by these Brazilian soy suppliers. The move reduces risk to the entire Brazilian soy industry and we urge the rest of the Brazilian soy traders to follow their leadership.

As a result, Brazilian soy used to feed European farmed salmon is not only certified, it is also supplied by Brazilian vendors with 100 percent deforestation and conversion free soybean value chains. This is one important step towards a more sustainable global food system.”

-Tesco (retailer), Ahold Delhaize (retailer), Coop UK (retailer), Marks and Spencer (retailer), METRO (retailer), Waitrose (retailer), Aquascot (processor), Hilton Food Group (processor), Farne Salmon and Trout Ltd/Labeyrie Fine Foods (processor), Grieg Seafood (salmon farmer), Lerøy Seafood Group (salmon farmer), Cermaq (salmon farmer), Norway Royal Salmon (salmon farmer) and SinkabergHansen (salmon farmer).

Rainforest Foundation Norway

“The Brazilian soy suppliers and the Norwegian salmon industry show true leadership and sets the new bar for sustainable supply chains. This historic commitment by their Brazilian soy suppliers will be a game changer for the sustainability standard for global supply chains. Global pork, poultry and beef producers are lagging behind, by still allowing deforestation in their supply chain. To stop being complicit in deforestation, the meat industry must follow suit and require their suppliers to become fully deforestation-free.”

-Ida Breckan Claudi, Rainforest Foundation Norway, Senior Adviser

Fish feed producers Biomar, Cargill Aqua Nutrition, Mowi and Skretting

“We applaud this bold leadership move from Caramuru, CJ Selecta and Imcopa to protect the Brazilian environment and wildlife outside of the salmon value chain.”

United Nations Principles of Responsible Investments (UN PRI)

“The PRI welcomes the salmon sector’s voluntary commitment, which sets an encouraging precedent for other industries reliant on soy to make their supply chains deforestation and conversion free. For a long time now institutional investors have raised concerns about deforestation and native vegetation conversion linked to soybean production in Brazil and the Cerrado. Investors are therefore engaging directly with companies across the value chain to encourage deforestation and conversion free soybean production.”

-Gemma James, Head of Environmental Issues, FAIRR

FAIRR

“For investors in global food companies, deforestation in soy supply chains is a pressing risk to both planet and profits. Deforestation contributes to the systemic material risks of biodiversity loss and climate change – and over the long term, it’s set to impact local weather patterns and reduce agricultural productivity. Despite this impending threat, the Coller FAIRR Protein Producer Index found that 62% of meat and fish producers don’t reveal any information about how they plan to reduce deforestation in soy supply chains – a historic blind spot for animal protein companies.

In light of that, it’s encouraging to see key players in the salmon supply chain working together to implement traceability solutions and commit to phasing out deforestation. We hope other animal protein companies and their soy suppliers will follow suit and act with the speed and ambition needed to avoid the worst impacts of biodiversity loss and climate change.”

-Faazi Adam, Research and Engagement Manager, FAIRR

ProTerra Foundation

“We are very proud to work with and support serious players in Brazil who commit to robust socio-environmental policies that can meet European and global expectations. This step shows how important international collaboration is in order to create scale and positive impact.”

-Emese van Maanen, ProTerra Foundation, Managing Director

CJ Selecta

“CJ Selecta is proud to be part of this important stepping-stone for our industry. The environmental challenges we face must be solved through united efforts. Agreeing on the MRV-system and committing to the August 2020 cut-off date is an important contribution in securing a sustainable value chain that we can be proud of.”

-Patricia Sugui, CJ Selecta, Sustainability Manager

Imcopa/Cervejaria Petrópolis

“Sustainability is one of the core values of Cervejaria Petrópolis/IMCOPA. We were the first company to obtain the ProTerra certification in Brazil. We´ve been working to assure throughout our  businesses, respect to human rights and to the environment. A good example of it is our soybeans origination strategy, due to the location of our plants. And now, we are proud to starting another great challenge: the promotion of a deforestation-free chain for all our products.”

-Fernanda S Ferreira, Imcopa/Cervejaria Petrópolis, Quality and Sustainability Manager

Note to editors:

• The ‘Aquaculture Dialogue on Sustainable Soy Sourcing from Brazil’ group are a driving force behind this action. This dialogue group consists of the feed companies Skretting, Cargill Aqua Nutrition, BioMar and Mowi, together with the sustainability standard owner ProTerra and the Brazilian soy protein concentrate (SPC) producers.
• In addition, a group of European companies in the salmon value chain, comprised of salmon farmers, salmon processers and retailers, have engaged in dialogue with the Brazilian soy suppliers. The companies are Tesco, Ahold Delhaize, Coop UK, Marks and Spencer, METRO, Waitrose, Aquascot, Hilton Food Group, Labeyrie Fine Foods, Grieg Seafood, Lerøy Seafood Group, Cermaq, Norway Royal Salmon and SinkabergHansen.
• A special soy product, called soy protein concentrate, is used in salmon feed. CJ Selecta, Caramuru and Imcopa are the Brazilian producers of soy protein concentrate.