Data from 2018 from the Round Table on Responsible Soy Association (RTRS) shows that 4.5 million tons of the oilseed were certified and made available to the market last year, on more than 1.2 million hectares. Compared to 2017, there was an increase of 500 thousand tons.
The increased demand for responsible soy is one of the main incentives for producers to further expand the certification of their properties.
Brazil is the largest producer of RTRS soybeans in the world, accounting for more than 85% of the total volume. Currently, there are 226 certified producers in more than one million hectares of produced area. This is equivalent to 3.3% of the total production in the country already certified by RTRS, totaling 3.9 million tons.
In relation to production by state, the study indicated that Maranhão and Piauí have the highest percentage of certified production in relation to the total production of these states, with 30% and 16%, respectively, and Mato Grosso has the highest total production (1.7 million tons), and the largest Brazilian area.
Productivity on RTRS farms also stands out in relation to the national average. According to Conab, the average production is 56 bags/hectare; on certified farms, this number reaches 63 bags/hectare, which represents an increase of 11.5%. This means that at least 120 thousand hectares of land did not need to be converted to agricultural production.
On properties that follow the RTRS standard, for every 1 hectare of productive area, 0.59 hectares are preserved native areas. There are more than 600 million trees preserved in these areas and 64 million tons of stored carbon. Therefore, when a company buys a ton of RTRS soybeans, this includes 157 preserved trees or 16 tons of stored carbon.
According to RTRS data, in 2018, 3.9 million tons of soybeans were certified across 1,041,886 hectares in Brazil and there were 595,782 hectares of protected areas. In the Amazon alone, approximately 206 thousand hectares and 709 thousand tons were certified with the RTRS and 168,124 hectares of protected areas were registered.
In the Cerrado region, in the same year, there were around 836 thousand hectares and 3,210,789 tons of RTRS soybeans and 427,658 hectares of protected area. This shows that RTRS-certified farmers who adopt sustainable and responsible practices preserve areas of native vegetation, even more than required by law.
In addition to Brazil, RTRS has certified areas in countries such as Argentina, Uruguay, China, the United States and India. “The association is a pioneer in introducing new ways to improve the quality and scope of its soy certification standard, ensuring that it has tangible social impacts and minimal environmental impacts, not generating deforestation,” explains Cid Sanches, External Consultant for RTRS in Brazil.
Source: DATA
