The Round Table on Responsible Soy Association (RTRS), alongside the PCI strategy and the Working Group on Sustainable Livestock (GTPS, Grupo de Trabalho da Pecuária Sustentável) and with support from the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil), coordinated a panel on 12 December at COP 24, the Climate Change Conference in Katowice, Poland.

The presentation aimed to presented the sectoral and jurisdictional strategies to meet the commitments of sustainable commodities production in Brazil. RTRS was represented by its External Consultant in Europe, Ariane Louwaege, who presented the actions carried out by RTRS to ensure soy production is environmentally sound, socially fair and economically feasible.

“The purpose of the panel was to discuss how the supply chain and jurisdictional approaches can contribute to market demand. Together with the GTPS, I presented the multi-stakeholder roundtable model, which involves all the links in the production chain. The idea was to explain how each entity works, as well as the relationships and promotion efforts in place for jurisdictional projects, such as the PCI strategy in Mato Grosso”, states Ariane.

Both institutions (RTRS and GTPS) mentioned and emphasized the fact that the state government of Mato Grosso has enacted a resolution with long-term goals, in which organized initiatives in productive chains (such as soy and beef) actively participate in promoting the growth of sustainable production.

“RTRS certification ensures zero deforestation in responsible soy production – i.e., no conversion is allowed in natural lands, steep slopes and areas designated by law as native conservation areas and / or cultural and social protection areas. This is extremely important when we strive to fulfill key global commitments”, says Ariane.

Apex Brasil was enthusiastic about this committee’s participation in COP 24. The agency works to promote Brazilian products and services abroad and attract foreign investment to strategic sectors of the Brazilian economy. In pursuit of these objectives, Apex Brasil carries out various trade promotion actions to promote exports and add value to Brazilian products and services abroad.

From December 3 to 14, COP 24 brought together world leaders, researchers, activists and representatives from the private sector and local communities to discuss how to respond collectively and urgently to global warming. The participants worked on an action plan to implement the commitments of the Paris Agreement, signed three years ago in the French capital.