Insights on European uptake of responsible, deforestation and conversion-free soy in 2020
© IDH
Building on past annual reports, the 2020 European Soy monitor examines EU27+ (European, UK, Norwegian, and Swiss) imports of sustainable soy, the impacts of these imports on producing countries, and strategies to drive investment in sustainable soy globally.
The uptake of FEFAC Soy Sourcing Guidelines (FEFAC SSG) compliant soy increased from 42.2% in 2019 to 43.8% in 2020. The percentage certified conversion-free soy increased slightly from 25.3% to 25.9% during the same time period.
These changes are modest, and point to a lack of mainstream adoption of certified soy in the EU27+. Increasingly, certification is seen as one of the instruments in a smart mix of solutions such as biome wide moratoria, clean supplier approaches, and legislation.
Supply chain multistakeholder action at the landscape level is also increasingly seen as a promising option to halt deforestation and protect valuable ecosystems. Monitoring the impact of all these different solutions is key to assess whether real progress is being made.