Consumers

Through public campaigns, the coalition raises awareness among consumers of the often-unknown negative effects intrinsic to the cultivation of soy and the increase aspects are:

• the relationship between Dutch consumption of meat and the deterioration of the socio- economic and environmental situation of the countries where soy is produced. By eating meat less or more consciously (for example, organic meat) everyone can contribute;
• by adopting purchasing criteria, importers and processors of soy can contribute towards a more consumers can exercise pressure on these companies;
• by asking questions regarding the supermarkets or to companies, consumers can exercise pressure to ensure that corporate social responsibility is taken seriously.

Companies

Companies also have their share of responsibility. A broad coalition of Brazilian non-governmental organisations worked together to define a set of minimum social and ecological criteria for the production of soy. These minimum requirements are the building blocks of the discussions that the members of the Dutch Soy Coalition engage in with companies, multinationals and banks established in the Netherlands. The minimum criteria that have been defined are:

• soy is produced taking local legislation concerning land ownership, workers’ rights, the environment and the right to free association into consideration;
• soy production and transport have not had adverse effects on rich ecological areas, such as tropical rainforests, grasslands or marshlands;
• soy production meets the national and international environmental requirements concerning the use and management of water and soil;
• soy is produced in plots of up to a certain size (the aim of this is to protect biodiversity and local farmers, as well as to prevent erosion);
• in order to prevent further deforestation, soy may not be sourced from land that has been deforested after a specific date in time;
• Small-scale producers are able to access markets;
• soy has not been genetically modified.

Policy makers

National governments have a crucial role to play.

They should establish policy measures that oblige all companies to take concrete steps. Those who lead should be rewarded, while those who lag behind should be discouraged.

The business world itself also benefits from clear regulation that is applicable to all companies – a level playing field. Only governments can guarantee this. The Dutch Soy Coalition promotes the development of these regulations.