A coalition of retailers has called on some of the biggest global food commodity traders to take urgent action to eliminate deforestation and conversion from soy production, after the EU agreed on a law to remove unsustainable farming practices from its supply chains.
The Retail Soy Group (RSG) – whose members include Tesco, Lidl, Sainsbury’s and Asda among other major UK grocers – has asked the leaders of ADM, Bunge, Cargill, Louis Dreyfus and Viterra to address the “inadequacy” of their Agricultural Sector 1.5°C Roadmap.
The industry roadmap, launched during COP27 in Egypt last month, set out milestones to stop deforestation in soy supply chains by 2025, and enhance supply chain action in line with the Paris Agreement’s pathway to reducing global temperatures by 1.5°C.
However, the RSG has claimed some “substantial gaps” remained in the roadmap, and that it was “clear the necessary ambition will not occur without action by regulators” to level the playing field.
The group said the roadmap was “inadequate” in that it didn’t present a cut-off date for the entire sector to act on unsustainable soy sourcing practices, “inconsistent” with some of the signatories’ company policies, and “insufficient” to deliver on the goals of the 1.5°C ambitions.
“These deficiencies in the roadmap have been articulated by both governments and civil society, yet they remain unaddressed by any new commitments or actions that meet the moment,” the RSG told agricultural CEOs.
“As this is an area you have now shown that the market is unwilling to act upon voluntarily, we are now redoubling our call for a strong regulatory response by governments.
“Such legislation is already moving its way through the EU, UK and US, and must be quickly adopted and promoted by all nations.”
Read more:
- UK food companies set out actions to deliver on UK Soy Manifesto
- New soy deforestation roadmap ‘seriously flawed’ claim critics
- Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose partner for $11m zero deforestation soy initiative
The calls, which were also addressed to Defra secretary Thérèse Coffey, came as the EU agreed on a law to fight global deforestation and forest degradation driven by the bloc’s production and consumption on Monday.
The new regulation sets strong mandatory due diligence rules for companies that want to place relevant products on the EU market or export them.
Once the European parliament and council formally adopt the new regulation, operators and traders will have 18 months to implement the new rules.
All relevant companies covered by the rules will have to conduct strict due diligence if they either trade on the EU market, or export from it, key commodities such as palm oil, cattle, soy, coffee, cocoa, timber and rubber as well as derived products including beef, furniture or chocolate.
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