18/03/2005 - The 1st Conference
of the Roundtable on Sustainable Soy ended
today with participants agreeing to continue
the process of finding solutions to reduce
impacts of soy, including developing and promoting
responsible soy production.
They also agreed on an open, transparent,
multi-sectoral and participatory process.
The two-day conference attracted more than
200 people, representing the soy business
- from small to big producers, feed mill operators,
meat producers and retailers - and social
and environmental organizations.
WWF recognises that soy is a major source
of income for many South American economies.
However, the current boom has high ecological
and social costs in the major producer countries,
namely Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. Expanding
production has contributed to destruction
of high conservation value forests and savannas.
With world demand for soy set to grow by
60 per cent in the next 20 years, it could
result in further negative impact on the environment
and people. In some areas, large scale soy
farms are displacing rural people, their food
supply and livelihoods. While recognising
these problems, conference participants also
acknowledged the economic benefits of soy
production.
"This is an encouraging first step in
addressing one of the most urgent environmental
and social problems we face today," said
Rosa Lemos, WWF Brazil's Conservation Director
and a member of the Roundtable's organizing
committee. "There was general agreement
that we should continue this dialogue. WWF
calls upon all stakeholders throughout the
soy supply chain to participate in this process."
Note to Editors:
1. The Roundtable on Sustainable Soy is an
initiative of WWF, the global conservation
organization, and a group of committed stakeholders:
* Coop Switzerland – A Swiss retailer active
for several years in the field of sustainable
production of food and non-food products.
* Cordaid – Catholic international organization
for relieve and development aid, based in
the Netherlands.
* Fetraf-Sul/CUT – Workers Federation in
Family Agriculture of South Region. It has
more than 150 unions of rural workers in the
south region of Brazil.
* Grupo André Maggi – Brazilian producer
based in the area of Mato Grosso. This group
processes above 3,000 tons a day of soybean
and produces nearly 400,000 tons per year.
* Unilever – Anglo Dutch manufacturer with
operations in over 100 countries, and markets
in over 150 countries.
2. WWF´s involvement in the RSS comes
through the Forest Conversion Initiative,
a program to ensure that palm oil and soy
expansion no longer threatens valuable forests
and endangered species.
