Round Table on Responsible Soy

soy beans, Brazil.

A place for soy and forests

About the Round Table on Responsible Soy

Together with social organisations and business partners, WWF has initiated the international Round Table on Responsible Soy. This roundtable provides stakeholders with the opportunity to jointly develop solutions leading to responsible soy production.

Key facts

Established: November 2006
Governance: Executive Board of 10 representatives including retailers, producers, NGOs and banks
Participants: Retailers, producers, NGOs, banks
Round Table on Responsible Soy website

The Roundtable on Responsible Soy (RTRS) is a forum to gather all stakeholders involved - and affected - by soy cultivation. The goal is to promote economically viable, socially equitable and environmentally responsible production and use of soy.
Find out about the latest activities of the RTRS

The RTRS allows environment and social NGOs, finance and trade institutions, along with growers and retailers, to find ways forward for responsible soy production and use. In practice, this involves developing and implementing globally applicable principles, criteria, and indicators for the production, processing and trade of soy in a responsible manner.

In this task, the RTRS is supported and assisted by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (seco).

How does it work?

The roundtable was established with a governance structure that ensures fair representation of all stakeholders throughout the entire supply chain. The RTRS Executive Board includes 15 seats for representatives from the production sector, trade and finance, and NGOs.

Why join the RTRS?

Carving new markets instead of native forests

Some risks are just not worth taking. Look at the soy industry in Europe, where traders and retailers have been under attack for buying soy from producers that are causing deforestation in places such as the Amazon and the cerrado (wooded savannahs).

In South America, the soy industry has been criticised for deforestation, illegal appropriation of public lands, displacement of small-farmers and indigenous peoples, and the lack of compliance with labour laws. These allegations carry serious risks.

By joining the RTRS, you commit your company to carry out sustainable activities, avoid illegal practices, which allows you to reach new markets for responsible soy.

This conference has delivered [...] a clear timeline and a strong commitment to [...] ensure responsibility within the soy supply chain and most of all, clear commitment from our suppliers.

Jan Nicolai
Nutreco, leading animal feed supplier, speaking about the Round Table on Responsible Soy conference

What is WWF's role in RTRS?

WWF established the RTRS with a group of committed companies and NGOs in 2004. These actors share the same concern: the social, economic and environmental implications of the expansion - and increasing importance - of soy on the global market. As an international voluntary market-based initiative which brings together all soy supply chain actors together, the RTRS is the ideal platform to identify joint solutions to deal with the impacts of soy production. The goal is to develop and implement globally applicable criteria for responsible soy.

WWF is now promoting the RTRS throughout the supply chain in countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Netherlands, and the United Kingdom to ensure the round table reaches its full potential.

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