January 4, 2019
Bayer-initiated programme gives Argentine soy farmers competitive advantage
More than 80 Argentine soy farmers from Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Córdoba and Tucumán representing more than 350,000 hectares of soybean fields attended several meetings to end the first phase of the "Certification Training for Red Dorados" (Network of exclusive dealers) initiative launched by Bayer, Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS) and the Argentine No-Tillers' Association (AAPRESID).
To further promote sustainability in agriculture, the German chemical and pharmaceutical firm launched this initiative with the aim of mobilising distributors and producers to certify their soybean production under the standards of Responsible Production of RTRS and ASC (Certified Sustainable Agriculture) of AAPRESID.
During the meetings, representatives of Bayer, together with AAPRESID and RTRS, talked about the importance and impact of adopting sustainability protocols and encouraged Argentine producers to implement holistic sustainable production practices that allow them to produce soybean with certified social and environmental responsibility.
The RTRS and ASC certification standards have shared objectives and are complementary schemes. This makes the double RTRS/ASC certification, which has been available since 2013, a competitive advantage for Argentine producers because it enables continuous improvement of process management, transparency and traceability of soy produced in a sustainable manner, Bayer said.
"With RTRS and ASC double certification, we work on social, environmental and productive aspects, with the support of an international certification body granting both certifications. By certifying, a greater amount of information is gathered, which allows us to plan improvements, anticipate problems and take preventive measures", said Marcelo Ruda Vega and Santos Zuberbuhler, both of farming company Nogalnotte SA, about their certification experience, in a meeting in Santa Fe Province.
The second phase of the certification training initiative will continue this year to collaboratively promote sustainable agricultural practices and assist producers along the implementation process. Bayer and RTRS have a strategic partnership and since 2015 have worked together to certify Brazilian growers according to RTRS standards.
