RTRS presented in a lecture at the State University of Maranhão in Brazil
A presentation by RTRS highlighted the role of soy and corn certification as a tool for sustainable development. This initiative is in line with the “RTRS goes to University” goal under RTRS Strategy “Beyond 2020” | 2021-2026, which aims to strengthen the relationship between Association and the academic sector.
This month, RTRS took part in the “1st Cycle of Agro Lectures” at the State University of Maranhão – UEMA. The initiative, organised by the Schools of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences, brought together technicians, engineers, academics and undergraduate and graduate students from the university to discuss various topics related to agribusiness, such as sustainability, field technologies and good agricultural practices.
At the meeting, Cid Sanches – RTRS’ external consultant in Brazil – introduced participants to the Association’s inner workings and to its objective of fostering the growth of production, trade and use of responsible soy. Participants learned about the main criteria that make up the RTRS Standard for Responsible Soy Production, the RTRS Standard for Responsible Corn Production and the RTRS Chain of Custody Standard, in addition to other tools like the Soy & Corn Footprint Calculator.
This was an important meeting for RTRS, as it showcased the work accomplished by means of its activities as a round table and in terms of certification in the different regions of Brazil and around the world. The presentation touched on the global reach of RTRS certified production, which spanned almost 6 million tons in 2022; last year, Brazil alone saw a 46.5% growth in certified production relative to 2021, which means the country accounts for over 80% of certified soy in total.
Josiane Isabela da Silva Rodrigues, a professor who teaches Seeds at UEMA, highlighted the importance of the presentation in helping the participants understand how certification can improve processes and trade, as well as its importance to the environment. According to student João Marcus Abreu da Silva, the presentation was very enlightening and useful: “This topic is of great relevance for Maranhão and for the country as a whole, considering what is happening around the world in terms of the environment and climate. It is a tool to achieve sustainable development,” he said.
This initiative strengthens the role of RTRS as a multistakeholder round table and helps insert the Association into the academic world by having it take part in discussions with professors, researchers and students. This objective is one of the priorities listed in RTRS Strategy “Beyond 2020” | 2021-2026, which seeks to further include the RTRS in the academic world and foster universities’ sustainability agendas.
In this way, RTRS participated in various activities in 2021 and 2022 to promote a closer relationship between the Association and universities and study centers. These meetings included discussions on the value and the role of multistakeholder initiatives, the development of sustainable supply chains, and the impact that tools such as certification (among others) can have at the regional level across soy and corn chains.
We invite you to watch the recorded lecture by clicking here.
