26 October, 2020

RTRS certified soy for Biofuels: record of uptake reflects a market in evolution

Uptake of certified physical soy under RTRS EU RED scope in compliance with the European Commission’s Renewable Energy Directive (EU RED) has increased since 2018. In the 2018-2020 period, more than one million tons of RTRS soy was allocated to the biofuels market.

Over the last few years, we have seen a sustained increase in the uptake of RTRS certified soy in Europe via RTRS Credits supporting responsible soy production or physical flow (Mass Balance). In this context of growth, it should be noted that since 2018 and so far in 2020, more than one million tons of RTRS soy have been purchased for the production of biofuel (RTRS EU RED).

The European Commission’s Renewable Energy Directive EU RED is responsible for regulating imports of raw materials (such as soybeans) into the European Union for the production of biofuels. Some of the EU RED benchmarks are related to changes in the use of the land, calculations of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) and traceability, and determine if the raw materials are sustainable. RTRS renewed EU RED recognition in 2017 for meeting under their new requirements after being recognized in 2011. Thus, organizations certified under RTRS EU RED Compliance Requirements for the Supply Chain can export soy to any European Union member state as a raw material for biofuels.

In 2019, 423,000 tons of RTRS EU RED certified soy were allocated to the biofuel market, representing an increase of 156% over 2018. And so far in 2020, over 500,000 tons were purchased with the same purpose, that is 19% more compared with 2019.

ADM CoC

ADM has bought over 450,000 tons of RTRS certified soy during 2020.

“We are proud of our participation with the RTRS, which began in 2007. The certification aligns with our own commitments on ethical sourcing and today, we are the largest purchaser of physical RTRS-certified sustainable soy. It enables us to support our customers who are looking for sustainability verification systems that ensure transparency, reliability, and quality across the soy supply chain, as well as versatility with the availability of a large range of sustainable products including soybean meal, oil and biofuel,” Jon Turney, General Manager, EU Soybean Crush.

The producer involved in this purchase was the Brazilian AMAGGI, that certified its production under the RTRS EU RED scope.

Every year since 2012, AMAGGI certifies an average of 40 rural properties against the RTRS standard in the states of Mato Grosso and Rondônia. In 2020, the company certified 27 properties under the EU RED module covering a total of more than 136,000 hectares. Production was over 450 thousand tons of RTRS soy, 290 thousand tons of which is physical volume allocated to the biofuel market.

In addition to rural properties, the scope of AMAGGI’s RTRS EU RED certification also spans the chain of custody. This ensures certified volumes are traceable. In total, this encompasses six warehouses (in Mato Grosso and Rondônia), two processing plants (in Lucas do Rio Verde-Mato Grosso and Itacoatiara-Amazonas) and five port terminals (two in Porto Velho-Rondonia and the rest in Itacoatiara-Amazonas, Barcarena-Pará and Guarujá-San Paulo).

Amaggi

RTRS EU RED Certification worldwide

Compliance with EU RED requirements begins at the production level. In Brazil, AMAGGI certified by year over  133,000 hectares and 441,000 tons of EU RED soy. Besides, Agriland Investments S.A., certified 11,483 hectares and 37,466 tons, and Antoine Jean Marie Dechamps, certified 2,817 hectares and 9,829 tons in the province of Tucuman in Argentina. Furthermore, in Cañada Seca, Buenos Aires, Caldenes S.A. certified 7,962 hectares and 27,007 tons.

Also, in Argentina Molinos Agro S.A. is certified against RTRS Chain of Custody Standard since 2011 including the EU RED RTRS for its storage plant, processing plant and port located in San Lorenzo, Santa Fe, which also enables Molinos Agro S.A. to trade RTRS soy for the biofuel market in Europe.

As a soy global platform, RTRS celebrates the progress in terms of commitment to sustainable soy shown by organizations, that choose RTRS certification as a practical and reliable tool to fulfil their sustainability goals and extends its reach to new markets and demands.

 

Notes:

-Learn more about RTRS EU RED Compliance Requirements for Producers here

-Find information about producers, hectares and tons certified against RTRS Responsible Soy Production Standard RTRS and find which ones have EU RED scope certification here

-Learn more about the RTRS EU RED compliance requirements for the supply chain here

 

.

This website uses cookies to make your browsing experience more efficient and enjoyable.
Take a look at our Privacy and Cookies Policy to learn more. If you click on "agree" we assume you are happy to allow the use of these cookies.