New composition of RTRS Board of Directors
RTRS welcomes new Board members who will guide the organisation’s work.
The Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS) is pleased to announce the composition of its new Board of Directors, consisting of representatives from all sectors of the soy value chain.
The Board is comprised of representatives from three key membership constituencies: Production; Industry, Trade and Finance (ITF); and Civil Society Organisations (CSO), ensuring equal representation from each group. Each representative, serving as a member representative of RTRS, holds equal voting rights and is elected annually by the General Assembly (GA) for a two-year term.
The Association operates under the governance of a staggered Board of Directors, which functions as the official resolution-making body for the RTRS, allowing for continuity and experience within the Board across different periods. The Board holds powers delegated by the General Assembly Meeting or the RTRS Statutes and is expected to actively guide the progress of RTRS, contribute to its principles and goals, and support its objectives.
In addition, the Board is also pleased to welcome two new members, Caroline Correa Nobrega (Aliança da Terra, Brazil) and Peter Feilberg (Preferred by Nature, Denmark), who join as representatives of CSO to fill vacancies opened for this period. This means that the incumbent members will continue in their roles because they were reelected.
On February 20, the President and Treasurer were elected, and in the March 13 meeting, the three Vice Presidents were selected.
Leadership vision for RTRS
Newly elected President, Gerhard Adam, highlighted the importance of collective action to address the evolving challenges in responsible soy production: “Having served on the RTRS Board for the past three years, I’ve developed a sense of both the incredible potential and the significant challenges that lie ahead for responsible soy and corn production. My motivation stems from a firm belief in RTRS’s mission to lead positive change in global agricultural value chains. Because I firmly believe it needs all stakeholders at our roundtable to find answers to climate change and the geopolitical complexities, such as EUDR and tariffs.”
In terms of priorities for RTRS, Adam emphasized three key areas of focus:
“Strengthening the RTRS standard and innovating new solutions for carbon sequestration and regenerative agriculture; expanding market access for RTRS-certified soy and corn by meeting the evolving needs of downstream value chains; and empowering producers to adopt RTRS standards and solutions, including technical assistance, training, and incentive systems.”
He also underscored the importance of maintaining RTRS’s multi-stakeholder approach:
“By being true to our name ‘Roundtable,’ we reaffirm our organisation’s commitment to bringing together diverse stakeholders – producers, industry, and civil society – on an equal footing. This collaboration fosters open dialogue and consensus-building in the pursuit of a responsible and regenerative soy value chain.”
Open seat for Civil Society Organisations
The Board can accommodate up to 15 members, with a maximum of five representatives per constituency. Currently, there is one open position on the Board for a CSO representative. This role is crucial in ensuring balanced representation and continued collaboration among all stakeholders within RTRS.
The fifth CSO seat became available following the most recent election, but only two new candidates applied. The next GA, scheduled for November, will hold an election to fill the vacant seat.
As RTRS moves forward with its mission, Adam reaffirmed the organisation’s collaborative approach:
“We will continue to foster collaboration among all stakeholders in the soy and corn value chains, including producers, traders, processors, retailers, and civil society organizations. By working together, we can achieve greater impact.”
With this renewed leadership, RTRS continues to drive forward its commitment to responsible production, trade, and use of soy and corn worldwide.
