UK Soy Manifesto
The UK Soy Manifesto is a collective industry commitment to ensure all physical shipments of soy to the UK are deforestation- and conversion-free (using a 2020 cutoff date), fully implemented as soon as possible, and no later than the end of 2025. With nearly 50 individual company signatories, its membership represents more than 60% of the soy consumed in the UK. It covers the whole of the UK soy supply chain, from feed manufacturers, major producers of meat, dairy and aquaculture products, food processors and manufacturers, to the leading consumer facing food service restaurants and grocery retailers operating in the UK market.
The Manifesto is facilitated by Efeca, an AFi Coalition member, which acts as the Secretariat of the group and provides strategic direction. Both the UK Soy Manifesto group and its individual Signatories have used the Accountability Framework as the starting point for an aligned, collective approach to setting robust commitments on the protection of forests and other natural ecosystems. As such, all Signatories are required to set a public commitment aligned with the Framework that uses the Framework’s definitions, which Efeca reviews to identify gaps and ensure full alignment.
Signatories of the Manifesto are also required to cascade their commitments through their supply base, contractually obligate the use of deforestation- and conversion-free soy in their supply chains, and publicly report on progress each year. This requires practical implementation approaches to assessing supply chains, improving traceability, and demonstrating compliance, which were developed in alignment with the Accountability Framework Approaches include cross supply chain agreements (shipper to retailer) on minimum standards of verification for deforestation- and conversion-free soy for UK imports, supported by other mechanisms, such as certification and partnerships with producer-focused initiatives such as the Responsible Commodities Facility. The Manifesto’s Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) working group, which supports collective progress tracking, focusing on the development, implementation, and verification of a transparent MRV system, is also guided by the Framework.
“The UK imports 3.4 million tonnes of soy every year, mostly from Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, home to valuable forests and other natural ecosystems like the Cerrado, Gran Chaco and Amazon. UK Soy Manifesto Signatories are committed to working with soy producers to protect these landscapes and support sustainable production. With the Accountability Framework as our guide, we have developed guidance for our Signatories that is aligned with broader market expectations and other similar initiatives across the EU and other global markets. The Framework gives us a roadmap for addressing the challenges inherent in sourcing deforestation- and conversion-free soy so that our Signatories can confidently progress towards their collective and individual goals.”
— Rose McCulloch, Senior Consultant, Efeca