Sustainable Soy

Soy is used for the production of food and feed. Global soy production increases every year and this growth will continue, as it seeks to satisfy the growing demand both for food and animal feed, and for biofuels.

Expanding the area planted with soy will also increase the burden on the environment. VION is active in six key areas in the drive for more sustainable production of soy.

• VION is a member of the Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS). This is the most important international platform on soy in which interested parties are widely represented. In 2010, the RTRS took a major step forward by drawing up sustainability criteria for soy.

• VION is one of the initiators of the Dutch Task Force Duurzame Soja (Task Force on Sustainable Soy). In 2010, this platform created further support for more sustainable soy production in the Netherlands.

• VION is one of the founders of the Dutch Initiatief Duurzame Soja (IDS) through which field tests are established. Food and feed companies are members  of IDS, whose  key target is that by 2015, 100% of all soy required for the Dutch market complies with the RTRS criteria. 

• Expansion of the RTRS to the UK and Germany: VION is holding exploratory talks with several interested parties in the UK. In Germany, VION is stimulating participation in the RTRS.

• VION is making active efforts to ensure that, with stringent safety criteria in place, bone-meal is approved for use in animal feed again. The use of this high-quality source of animal proteins in animal feed might enable the use of soy to be reduced by approximately 10%.

• Responsibly produced soy is  an element of  the Good Farming Star market concept, which VION set up together with Albert Heijn, the Dutch Society for Prevention  of Cruelty to Animals, and pig farmers.