The U.S. soy sustainability story is a great one. From soil health to water management, when compared with competitors such as canola, palm and South American soybeans, the sustainable practices used by U.S. soybean farmers are second to none.
And now that great story is not only paying off in the field with environmental benefits, but it’s paying off with increased customer demand as well.
“A lot of our customers ask about sustainability, and some, like Unilever, a major manufacturer of food and other consumer products, have told us that they want to source 100 percent of raw materials from a sustainable source by 2020,” says Neoh Soon-Bin, director at the Soon Soon Group, an integrated grain, feed, oilseed and oil-processing company based in Malaysia.
As more consumers show interest in sustainably-sourced ingredients, more customers of U.S. soy need to prove that the raw ingredients they buy – such as U.S. soybean meal for animal feed – are produced in a sustainable manner.
“That puts a lot of pressure on us to find sustainable soybeans. And we will do what a customer wants us to do,” says Soon-Bin. “If a customer insists that they want a sustainable product, then we have to import sustainable soybeans.”
Systems that show the sustainability metrics of U.S. soy production, such as the U.S. Soybean Sustainability Assurance Protocol (SSAP), Life Cycle Analysis and Field to Market, provide mechanisms for customers to demonstrate U.S. soy sustainability. Customers that are able to demonstrate sustainability are also able to add value to their end products. Combined with increased demand, proof of sustainability brings value back to you, the farmer.
But, just because the U.S. soy sustainability story is great now, doesn’t mean it always will be. To prevent losing a seat at the table to another commodity, U.S. soy must maintain its sustainability advantage and continue to improve.
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