Latest BAP Feed Mill Standards Address Responsible Soy
The latest issue of the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) feed mill standards, published on May 24, include a responsible soy provision addressing the sourcing of responsibly produced soymeal and soy-derived ingredients.
The revisions reads: “Feed mills shall adopt preferential sourcing of responsibly produced soymeal and soy-derived ingredients such that a minimum of 50% (calculation based on mass balance) are derived from certified sources by June 2022. Acceptable certifications include ProTerra, RTRS (Round Table for Responsible Soy), and SSAP (U.S. Soybean Sustainability Assurance Protocol).”
“Aquaculture needs responsibly sourced feed ingredients, so it makes good sense for BAP to promote sourcing policies with certified inputs,” said BAP Standards Coordinator Dan Lee. “Up to now, the focus has been on sustainable marine ingredients. But the importance of terrestrial plant ingredients continues to grow. The inclusion of key components like soy is a very welcome development.”
The ProTerra Standard for Social Responsibility and Environmental Sustainability is administered by the ProTerra Foundation, which is based in the Netherlands and backed by industry stakeholders from Europe and South America. It covers all commodity crops, including soy.
RTST promotes responsible farming, processing and trading of soy globally. Its members include the main representatives of the soy value chain and members of the NGO community. The RTRS Standard for Responsible Soy Production assures soy production that is socially equitable, economically feasible and environmentally sound. Europe is the final destination of 90% of business done with the RTRS.
The U.S. Soy Sustainability Assurance Protocol, or SSAP, is a certified aggregate approach audited by third parties that demonstrate sustainable soybean production in the United States on a national scale. It was developed by the U.S. soy family, consisting of the United Soybean Board, American Soybean Association, U.S. Soybean Export Council and state soybean boards. In the 2016 marketing year, 6 million metric tons of U.S. SSAP-verified sustainable soy were exported from the United States, and in 2017 an increase is expected with shipments destined to 28 different international destinations.
Jim Sutter, CEO of the U.S. Soybean Export Council said, “this is yet another step in the right direction for the U.S. soy industry. The SSAP is a commitment to the future by U.S. soybean farmers. Because sustainability’s fundamental principle is continuous improvement, the SSAP is constantly evolving. We look forward to continuing to supply the aquaculture industry in EU and countries around the world with healthy, sustainable soy from U.S. farmers.”
About BAP
A division of the Global Aquaculture Alliance, Best Aquaculture Practices is an international certification program based on achievable, science-based and continuously improved performance standards for the entire aquaculture supply chain — farms, hatcheries, processing plants and feed mills — that assure healthful foods produced through environmentally and socially responsible means. BAP certification is based on independent audits that evaluate compliance with the BAP standards developed by the Global Aquaculture Alliance.
