Environmentally friendly soy for Dutch organic layers

The Dutch organic poultry sector wants all soy in organic feed for laying hens produced under proper social conditions and on land that is already in agricultural use. Also, no deforestation is accepted in the production of soy.

The organic farmers have added additional requirements on imported soy and link them to the existing organic label ‘Eco-Social. By the end of 2015, all soy should comply with the new requirements.

Several parties in the organic sector are going to invest in projects to improve social conditions of soybean growers, beginning in China and then in Brazil. The soy should not only be organic, but should also cultivated on soils where no rainforest recently grew. Logging free production has so far not legally beendefined in the organic criteria, but is now anchored in additional private standards.

The companies participating in this project signed an agreement during the BioVak fair in Zwolle, the Netherlands. The initiators and signatories of the agreement are Green Food International (import and exporter of organic commodities), food manufacturer Van Gorp Organic Feed, the Biological Farmers Association, egg packing Gebroeders Van Beek, Foundation Bio +, Solidaridad (international network for sustainable trade) and BIONEXT (chain organisation for sustainable, organic agriculture and supply).

The aim of the partners is that in 2013, 30% of all organic soy in chicken feed for organic laying hens is produced eco-socially, 60% in 2014 and in 2015, 100%.