RTRS introduces Chain of Custody Standard version 3.0 with alignment to EU Deforestation Regulation
Within the true nature of a roundtable, RTRS, in its mission as a multi-stakeholder platform, continues to promote sustainability beyond deforestation, advancing responsible soy globally.
In the past years, we have dedicated a significant number of resources to analyse the requirements of the EU’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), starting long before the publication of the final legislation, to investigate how, as owners of a certification scheme, we could best meet the needs of our stakeholders.
As a result, between December 2024 and January 2025, RTRS approved by Written Resolution the launch of version 3.0 of RTRS Chain of Custody (CoC) Standard, which includes important changes. These changes aim at making RTRS CoC a more representative and comprehensive solution for producers, handlers, processors, traders, and feed producers, while streamlining processes and clarifying requirements, with a view to driving the increase of uptake of responsible soy globally.
The new RTRS Chain of Custody (CoC) Standard version 3.0 includes innovations such as a new Lean CoC model for improved transparency, and an optional module to support compliance with the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
The Lean CoC model includes new requirements to be implemented by organisations receiving, dealing with, and commercialising products containing embedded soy and/or corn (e.g. food producers, restaurants, retailers).
The optional module introduced in the revised RTRS CoC Standard V3.0 is specifically designed to help companies meet the EUDR due diligence requirements when placing soy products on the European market. It is important to highlight that compliance with RTRS certification requirements does not guarantee compliance with the EUDR.
Our aim is to consolidate our mission and build on the impactful results we are seeing through certification and certified material uptake. Thus, RTRS is introducing these new complementary supply chain solutions as an enabler of RTRS responsible soy growth.
A vision for the future
From this important achievement, we will continue working on upgrading and updating our solutions, including, Production and CoC certification schemes to keep strengthening our value proposition and encompassing our commitment and the full spectrum of sustainability, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and even expanding to regenerative agriculture and environmental footprint certification scope and metrics.
As a result of this, RTRS remains -and will be even more so- a strategic partner not only for the EUDR as it stands now but also future revisions that may shift its focus towards conversion and other ecosystems. We are also working towards alignment with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) and analysing closely the Green Claims Directive to keep delivering comprehensive solutions and being relevant for soy and corn sector stakeholders.
Together, we will continue turning our commitment to ending deforestation and advancing broader sustainability into concrete action, aligning our efforts with the guiding principles and objectives of our organisation, and building on our basis of almost 500 sites and 8 million tons of certified soy.
Explore the updated RTRS Chain of Custody Standard version 3.0 and join us in driving global responsible soy uptake: RTRS Chain of Custody Standard V3.0 – RTRS
