Today, 70 per cent of all globally produced soy is used to feed production animals. Danish imports of soy for feed only account for 0.25 per cent of global soy production, and we’re committed to playing an active role in promoting responsibly produced soy. We are therefore members of the Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS), and we also participate in the research and development of alternative protein sources for feed.
Certified soy for pigs and cattle
In April 2020, we launched a soy action plan in cooperation with the Danish Alliance for Responsible Soy. We have defined a target stating that, by 2025, all slaughter animals from our cooperative owners and Danish suppliers will be fed on soy from producers who are able to document that their production is sustainable, and that rainforest or other vulnerable natural ecosystems have not been cleared to create space for soy production.
We apply the guidelines for responsible soy adopted by the European Feed Manufacturers’ Federation (FEFAC), and we set requirements for improvements to the criteria maintained by FEFAC. We expect FEFAC to implement an unambiguous and broadly recognised deforestation policy by 2025 that sets out clear guidelines for the prevention of both illegal and legal deforestation, and which are third party-verified and ensure full traceability throughout the chain.
Transition to certified soy
Until the supply lines for responsible soy have been established, we will buy credits to compensate for the soy consumption of our cooperative owners, Danish suppliers of slaughter animals and as ingredients in products made at our Danish food processing facilities. We buy such credits from Roundtable on Responsible Soy (RTRS), a certification programme supporting the production of responsible soy and certifying that one RTRS credit equals the production of one tonne of certified soy and that no illegal or legal deforestation has taken place in vulnerable forest areas.
New commitments to deforestation-free soy
- Danish Crown Fleisch, business unit in Danish Crown, will join the Forum for More Sustainable Protein Feed, a German multi-stakeholder organisation, by the end of 2022.
- We have signed the UK Soy Manifesto where partners in the industry work together to ensure that all physical shipments of soy to the UK are deforestation-free and conversion-free no later than 2025.
Phasing out palm oil in feed
Our goal is that by the end of 2023, all palm oil in feed must be phased out. To achieve this, we are a member of the Danish Alliance for Responsible Palm Oil and has shaped an action plan for responsible palm oil. Since October 2021, we have bought credits equal to the use of palm oil in our Danish meat production from the certification programme Roundtable on Responsible Palm Oil (RSPO). Our Danish suppliers of feed for our slaughter animals are on track towards the 2022 milestone to replace 50 per cent of all palm oil derivatives in feed with more sustainable alternatives and to use RSPO-certified palm oil or derivatives for the other 50 per cent. Therefore, the end goal to phase out all palm oil in feed by 2023 is within reach.
Target
All cooperative owners and Danish suppliers of slaughter animals use 100 per cent responsiblyproduced soy in feed by 2025, and all Danish suppliers of feed for our slaughter animals have phased out the use of palm oil in feed by the end of 2023.
SDGs
We support target 15.2 by fighting deforestation.