FEFAC has published the first version of its Soy Sourcing Guidelines to encourage operators in the European feed industry to purchase responsible soy.

The criteria for responsible soy include environmental, social and economic elements and were set by feed industry experts with the help of key supply chain partners and other stakeholders.

The guidelines were published following a public consultation period and are expected to be used by FEFAC members and other supply chain partners as a reference and benchmark for respective national or company programmes.

According to FEFAC President Ruud Tijssens, the guidelines are a “long-awaited game changer to lift responsible soy out of the current niche market in Europe and foster the implementation of existing as well as the development of new legislation in exporting countries\".

FEFAC is currently developing a customised online independent benchmarking tool with the help of the International Trade Center. This will be available from September 2015, to verify whether standards or programmes cover the feed industry\'s minimum requirements as outlined in the Soy Sourcing Guidelines.

Expert workshops will be organised in the autumn in Europe, Argentina and Brazil, to facilitate the benchmarking process.

The guidelines are available here.