RTRS (Round Table on Responsible Soy)
The Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS) is an international initiative aimed at promoting the responsible production, processing, and trade of soy. It brings together stakeholders from various sectors, including farmers, industry, NGOs, and retailers, to develop and implement global standards for responsible soy cultivation. The RTRS focuses on ensuring that soy production meets high environmental and social standards, promoting sustainable farming practices and addressing key issues such as deforestation, biodiversity loss, human rights, and fair labor practices.
The Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS) is a certification scheme that aims to make the soy supply chain more sustainable by promoting responsible agricultural practices and social responsibility. The initiative is guided by a set of principles that focus on environmental conservation, ethical labor practices, and community development. RTRS is designed to ensure that soy is produced in a way that minimizes negative environmental impacts, supports the livelihoods of farmers, and respects the rights of local communities.
RTRS certification provides a framework for soy producers and supply chain actors to demonstrate their commitment to responsible practices through third-party audits and certification.
The RTRS certification is based on a set of principles that address various aspects of sustainability. These include:
- Environmental Responsibility:
- No Deforestation: Ensuring that soy cultivation does not contribute to deforestation or degradation of natural ecosystems. This includes safeguarding forests, wetlands, and other critical habitats.
- Biodiversity Conservation: Protecting biodiversity by ensuring soy production does not encroach on areas of high biodiversity value, such as indigenous forests or wildlife habitats.
- Sustainable Land Use: Promoting efficient use of land to prevent soil degradation, encourage responsible water use, and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.
- Social Responsibility:
- Respect for Human Rights: Ensuring that soy production respects fundamental human rights, including labor rights, freedom of association, and non-discrimination.
- Fair Working Conditions: Promoting decent working conditions for all labor involved in soy production, ensuring safe workplaces, fair wages, and the elimination of child or forced labor.
- Community Engagement: Supporting local communities through fair compensation, dialogue, and the development of social infrastructure such as schools, healthcare, and water management.
- Economic Responsibility:
- Fair Business Practices: Ensuring transparency in the soy supply chain, promoting fair trade, and enabling access to markets for smallholder farmers.
- Market Access: Providing smallholder farmers and large producers with access to global markets by adhering to internationally recognized sustainability standards.
- Traceability and Transparency:
- Supply Chain Transparency: Encouraging traceability within the soy supply chain, from production to processing, ensuring that certified soy can be tracked back to its origin.
- Monitoring and Verification: Regular audits and certification processes ensure that participants in the supply chain meet the RTRS standards and commitments.
- Environmental Responsibility:
- Environmental Protection:
- RTRS certification ensures that soy is produced without contributing to deforestation and promotes sustainable agricultural practices that minimize environmental impact. Certified operations help preserve biodiversity and reduce the carbon footprint of soy production.
- Improved Social Conditions:
- The certification fosters better working conditions, promotes fair wages, and ensures the protection of human rights in the soy supply chain. It contributes to the empowerment of local communities and ensures that farmers receive fair compensation for their produce.
- Market Access and Competitive Advantage:
- Certification provides access to global markets that prioritize sustainability and responsible sourcing. Companies that use RTRS-certified soy can appeal to environmentally-conscious consumers and businesses that demand responsible sourcing practices.
- Risk Management:
- By adhering to the RTRS standards, businesses reduce the risks associated with unsustainable soy production, including reputational damage, legal risks related to environmental violations, and supply chain disruptions due to unsustainable practices.
- Consumer Confidence:
- RTRS certification helps build trust with consumers who are increasingly concerned about the environmental and social impact of the products they purchase. Consumers can be assured that the soy they are consuming comes from responsible sources.
- Supporting Smallholder Farmers:
- RTRS supports smallholder farmers by providing access to markets, technical support, and capacity-building programs. Smallholders benefit from improved agricultural practices, better market access, and a fairer share of the value chain.
- Global Recognition:
- RTRS certification is recognized internationally and meets the growing demand for responsible sourcing from businesses and consumers alike. This global recognition makes it easier for companies to demonstrate their sustainability efforts in international markets.
The RTRS standard is used by a wide range of actors in the soy supply chain, including:
- Farmers: Who adopt sustainable farming practices and meet RTRS standards.
- Traders and Exporters: Who ensure that the soy they sell is traceable and certified as sustainable.
- Processors: Who handle certified soy and ensure that it is processed according to RTRS guidelines.
- Retailers: Who demand certified soy as part of their commitment to sustainability and responsible sourcing.
- Consumers: Who benefit from purchasing products containing soy that has been responsibly sourced.
- Cost of Certification:
- The cost of certification can be a barrier for some producers, especially smallholder farmers. However, the long-term benefits, such as market access and price premiums, can offset these costs.
- Supply Chain Complexity:
- The soy supply chain can be complex, involving many different actors from farm to final product. Ensuring traceability and transparency throughout the entire supply chain is a challenge, but necessary for maintaining the integrity of the certification.
- Continuous Improvement:
- Sustainability is an ongoing process, and certified producers must continue to improve their practices. RTRS encourages continuous improvement, but maintaining certification requires constant effort to meet evolving standards.
To achieve RTRS certification, producers, traders, and other supply chain actors must comply with the RTRS standards. The certification process involves the following steps:
- Self-Assessment:
- Producers begin by conducting a self-assessment to evaluate their operations against the RTRS standards. This helps them identify areas of improvement and determine the steps needed to meet certification requirements.
- Third-Party Audit:
- After the self-assessment, an independent third-party audit is conducted by an RTRS-accredited certification body. The audit evaluates whether the operation complies with RTRS criteria, such as responsible land use, human rights protection, and fair labor practices.
- Certification:
- If the operation meets the RTRS standards, the producer or company is awarded RTRS certification. This certification is valid for a specific period, usually 3 years, after which a new audit must be conducted to maintain the certification.
- Ongoing Monitoring and Improvement:
RTRS-certified organizations are required to continuously improve their practices and undergo regular monitoring and auditing to ensure compliance with RTRS standards. This helps to ensure that sustainability is maintained over the long
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