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August 11, 2015

11/08/2015: FEFAC publishes first version of its Soy Sourcing Guidelines today

FEFAC has published the first version of its Soy Sourcing Guidelines as a professional recommendation to operators in the European feed industry, who wish to purchase “responsible soy”. These are soy products from farmers who have respected several environmental, social and economic elements in line with certain baseline criteria. These criteria were set by feed industry experts with the help of key supply chain partners and other stakeholders. The Guidelines can be used by FEFAC members and other supply chain partners as a reference and benchmark for respective national or company programmes. FEFAC aims to facilitate the mainstream market supply of responsible produced soy to Europe with the new tool.
 

http://wwwfefac.org

FEFAC President Ruud Tijssens stated: “These Guidelines are the long-awaited game changer to lift responsible soy out of the current niche market in Europe and foster the implementation of existing as well as the development of new legislation in exporting countries”.

The Guidelines passed through a period of public consultation after an initial draft was published in March 2015. The following organisations provided FEFAC with written and oral comments on the draft version of the Guidelines: AAPRESID, ABIOVE, Alliance de Terra, APROSOJA, Both Ends, COOP, Danish Agriculture & Food Council, FARN, FEDIOL, IUCN, MIGROS, OSAS, Retailers’ Soy Group, RTRS, SOLIDARIDAD, USSEC, WWF.

FEFAC has also published all stakeholder feedback and comments it received on its website, including FEFAC’s individual responses to the comments made. FEFAC President Ruud Tijssens thanked “all supply chain stakeholders for their valuable expertise and contribution to improve the quality and practicality of the guidelines” and looked forward “to continue the journey towards mainstream market supply of responsible soy to EU markets by cooperating with all partners willing to assist the feed industry with the implementation and continuous improvement of the present guidelines”.

FEFAC is currently developing a customised independent benchmarking tool with the help of the International Trade Center (ITC). As from September 2015, all interested partners will be able to use this online tool to verify whether their respective standard or programme covers the feed industry’s minimum requirements as outlined in the Soy Sourcing Guidelines. FEFAC will make an effort to facilitate the benchmarking process by organising expert workshops in Europe, as well as in key exporting countries Argentina and Brazil in the autumn period. It is expected that first results of the benchmarking process will be available before the end of 2015.

Note:
1. FEFAC, the European Compound Feed Manufacturers’ Federation, represents 25 national Associations in 24 EU Member States as well as Associations in Switzerland, Turkey, Serbia, Russia and Norway with observer/associate member status. The European compound feed industry employs over 110,000 persons on app. 4,000 production sites often in rural areas, which offer few employment opportunities.

2. Farm animals in the EU-28 consume an estimated 475 million tonnes of feed a year, of which about 30% are produced by the compound feed manufacturers. Turnover of the European compound feed industry in 2013 is estimated at € 55 billion.

3. For more information see our web site (www.fefac.eu) or please contact Alexander Döring, Secretary General Tel. +32-2-285.00.50, Fax +32-2-230.57.22, e-mail: fefac@fefac.eu.


Read more HERE.
 

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