China’s largest food processor and manufacturer COFCO International has sold its second shipment of deforestation-free soyabeans.
Produced as a rotational crop at COFCO International’s sugar plantations in the Brazilian state of São Paulo, the shipment was made to COFCO Oils & Oilseeds in China, the company said on 3 December.
In addition to being deforestation-free, COFCO said the soyabeans had passed third-party audits certifying they were produced in compliance with the COFCO International Responsible Agriculture Standard, which required the use of sustainable farming practices including water management, biodiversity conservation and ethical labour standards.
The company said it had also completed pilot shipments of soyabean products from Brazil and Argentina in preparation for compliance with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which required a segregated trade system.
Under the EUDR, any operator or trader who places soyabeans, palm oil, coffee, cattle, cocoa, wood and rubber or their derived products on the EU market must be able to prove that the products do not originate from land deforested since 2020 or have contributed to forest degradation. They will also have to provide precise geographical information on the land where these commodities have been grown.
COFCO International has made a commitment to eliminate deforestation from its global soyabean, corn and palm oil supply chains by 2025.
