Call for collaboration to supply responsible soy
"We want to see commitments from all retailers and food and drink manufacturers," said Claire Bramle…"We want to see commitments from all retailers and food and drink manufacturers," said Claire Bramley, senior policy officer, WWF. "More retailers and manufacturers should be buying responsible soy."
The call came after the recent Round Table on Responsible Soya Association (RTRS) conference. This was lauded as a success because major retailers including Marks & Spencer, Waitrose, Sainsbury, Asda, Co-operative Food, Dutch firm Ahold, and Swiss firms Coop and Migros pledged that the soy used for their own-label products will now come from certified responsible soy sources.
"It's a good start and it's good to see soy rising up the agenda," said Bramley. "But more needs to be done in the long-term. We need to see action on the commitments. We want to see commitments from all retailers and manufacturers."
The RTRS said it would like to see retailers ensuring and cooperating with the sustainability of their suppliers.
"Retailers could encourage their meat, poultry and dairy suppliers to use sustainable soya in their feed," said Augustín Mascotena, executive director, RTRS. "It's not about having an isolated action from retailers it's a whole-chain reaction."
The body is also working to bring Chinese importers to the table alongside major food manufacturers and aims to hold the Roundtable in China next year. China imports 60% of total soy exports, while Europe imports an estimated 28%.
"China is the main player in terms of imports," said Mascotena. "It imports 55Mt of soya annually and its use is increasing by 34Mt every year. This puts considerable pressure on the supply chain so they really need to be involved."
