May 18, 2015

ADM starts soy certification program in Brazil to meet EU environmental demand

Grains trader Archer Daniels Midland Co. will launch a sustainable soybean certification program in Brazil to meet European buyers' demandthat soybean production did not contribute to deforestation of the Amazon rain forest or employ slave labour.


Amanda Cosenza, sustainability manager for ADM in South America, said the program will initially include up to 120 of the 6,000 Brazilian producers growing soy for ADM by yearend.

Ms Cosenza said the program is also planned to be launched in Paraguay, as "this fits with demand".

The private sector in Brazil is making efforts to meet Europe's demand for sustainable soybeans, a key ingredient in animal feed.

Other companies in Brazil, besides ADM, are also working to certify their products to suit the demand of the EU, particularly the Netherlands. 


Even the Brazilian government has made a shift in its policy geared toward satisfying the EU's demand. Last year it extended to May 2016 a moratorium on buying of soybeans grown in illegally cleared land in the Amazon rainforest while it is finishing a registry of all farm properties in Brazil.


Cosenza said that their focus until May 2016 "will be to ensure that all ADM producers are registered".