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European Union (EU) feed manufacturers’ federation (FEFAC) has noted the progress made in “responsible soya usage’ following the recent publication of the European Soy Monitor 2021, World Grain wrote.

According to the new publication, 40% of soyabean meal equivalent of total European soyabean consumption was sourced according to FEFAC’s Soy Sourcing Guidelines and 24% was certified as deforestation-free soya.

The report also referred to FEFAC’s initial risk assessment, which estimated that 93.9% of EU soya imports were sourced from low-deforestation regions, based on EU trade statistics and industry expert assessments, the 22 September World Grain report said.

According to FEFAC’s internal estimates, a significant part of soya used in the EU in 2021 came from regions with low deforestation risk, including the EU, Canada, Ukraine and the USA. These sources are considered “deforestation-free” although not officially certified as such, according to the report.

In addition, FEFAC said responsible soya and certified deforestation-free soya had continued to gain traction, with total industrial usage exceeding 14M tonnes in 2021.

Since the publication of the first European Soy Monitor in 2018, the feed industry had demonstrated “remarkable progress in responsible soya usage,” FEFAC said.

Provisional data for 2021 indicated that FEFAC members reported an increase of 21% compared to 2018.

“I am pleased with the continued positive trend that the European feed sector and its supply chain partners have been able to display as regards the industry’s use of responsible soya,” FEFAC president Pedro Cordero was quoted as saying.

“I am confident that we will make further progress on the mainstream market transition of responsible soya use from both imported and home-grown sources.”

Responsible soya, as defined by FEFAC, refers to soya provided through supplier and member schemes and programmes that follow criteria outlined in the FEFAC Soy Sourcing Guidelines. These guidelines include good agricultural practices, environmental considerations, and social responsibility.

Cordero said the European Soy Monitor Report played a crucial role in contributing to the ongoing EU debate on the protection of world forests, aligned with the European Commission’s Green Deal action plan. As part of these efforts, FEFAC had recently reviewed its Soy Sourcing Guidelines to include “conversion-free” soya as an essential criterion for responsible soya schemes and programmes, the report said.