Why a UK Soy Manifesto

Time is running out to halt the devastating impacts of human activities on our planet.

The 2021 Report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is clear: "global warming of 1.5°C and 2°C will be exceeded during the 21st century unless deep reductions in carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other greenhouse gas emissions occur in the coming decades."

Deforestation and land use change driven by agricultural expansion account for 23% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, and commodities such as soy, alongside beef, palm oil and timber, are key global drivers.

Protecting forests is also critical to halt the loss of global biodiversity and to protect the rights and livelihoods of indigenous communities and forest peoples.

Question

What percentage of the global soy output goes into feed for animals?

Answer

75% of the world’s soybean crop is used as animal feed for poultry, pigs, livestock, and farmed fish.

The main driver underlying the increase in soy production is the growing global demand for animal protein – especially for chicken, pork, eggs, dairy, beef, lamb and seafood.

Despite increasing collaboration between civil society, soy buyers, soy users and Government, soy continues to be a driver of conversion in critical habitats such as the Cerrado and the Gran Chaco. Efforts by UK (and European) companies, platforms such as the UK Sustainable Commodities Initiative, Cerrado Statement of Support (SoS) group, Soy Transparency Coalition and the Consumer Goods Forum Forest Positive Coalition are helping to drive change and develop the practical solutions needed but a step change in the pace of progress is required.

Question

What size land is required to grow the volumes of soy imported by the UK each year?

Answer

An estimated area of 1.2 Mha is required to meet the UK’s annual demand for soy. That's nearly the size of Northern Ireland (1.4Mha)

Soy that enters the UK travels a long journey from production regions.

The UK soy manifesto seeks to build upon and connect with initiatives in other national markets, including the French Manifesto, to help catalyse transformation in the global industry at large.

Source: https://commodityfootprints.earth/

Source: https://www.trase.earth/

With the UK Soy Manifesto, UK industry is coming together to help accelerate action to halt soy-driven deforestation and conversion. By linking and aligning with other sustainable soy initiatives across Europe we can exchange learnings, increase our leverage and strengthen our collective market signal.

Most of the soy used in the UK is grown in Brazil, Argentina, the United States and Paraguay.

How is this Manifesto different

This Manifesto marks a new approach to this challenge by:

• Setting out expectations of the different actors along the supply chain, from trader to retailer, ensuring greater individual accountability whilst acting together.

• Instead of focusing on individual supply chains the Manifesto will raise the baseline for the whole of UK industry, supporting all companies to act and create a mass market movement towards physical supply chains of deforestation and conversion free soy.

• Linking and aligning with the French Soy Manifesto and other sustainable soy initiatives across Europe (e.g., Netherland, Denmark), to increase our leverage, strengthen our collective market signal and provide a level playing field across markets.

• Ensuring greater transparency in the way we monitor and report on progress against these commitments and in doing this bring greater clarity to the scale of the risks, where we should focus our collective efforts and progress against our collective goal.