We are proud of our position but do not underestimate the challenges to achieve our ultimate ambitions. Dialogue throughout the value-chain involving all stakeholders is crucial and only through collaboration with like-minded partners can we inspire a change to halt deforestation. This undertaking is part of our everyday discussions in the markets, promoting only deforestation-free ingredients for use in animal feeds.

We appreciate not everyone is working to the same timescale or indeed not everyone has the same aspirations, but becoming deforestation-free in our supply-chains is exceptionally important to Nutreco and Skretting and failure to meet our ambition is not a consideration. We believe it should be a priority for every stakeholder within animal feed production and we will continue to advocate for these changes.

Modern satellite techniques to prevent cheating

The international certification foundation ProTerra established a monitoring and verification method to verify that no farmer that had removed any forest would be allowed to sell soy to the suppliers. Using satellite techniques and embargo lists an independent audit confirmed that the soy supply chain had become deforestation and conversionfree. The audit report also checked that the farmers did not have any work related to slavery or illegal labour and that there was no agriculture overlaps with indigenous lands.

The Rainforest Foundation says the European salmon industry sets an important example.

“It is great news that Brazilian soy producers for the very first time are confirmed to be fully deforestation and conversion-free in all their operations”, says Nils Hermann Ranum, head of Drivers of deforestation program at Rainforest Foundation Norway.

“Demanding that suppliers are fully deforestation-free is necessary to stop ongoing deforestation in Brazil. Private sector companies have a responsibility to avoid contributing to deforestation and environmental damage, and the salmon industry and their suppliers set an important example that other food producers must follow,” says Ranum.

Working together

There are three companies that deliver soy to the European salmon industry. Two of them, Caramuru and CJ Selecta have undergone the audits. The third company, Cervejaria Petropolis-Imcopa, is in a corporate change and a separate audit is conducted now for them. There was no non-conformity observed by the Auditor, only improvement opportunities.

“European fish feed producers were punching above our weight here. Even combined we are not a big player in the Brazilian soy market, but our combined effort made a complete value chain become 100% deforestation and conversion-free. Now we need to show them our support to make this important effort continue”, says Leif Kjetil Skjæveland, Manager of Sustainability and Public Affairs in Skretting Norway.