Summary
This report benchmarks the European Feed Manufacturers' Federation Soy Sourcing Guidelines (FEFAC SSG) and 20 Voluntary Standard Systems (VSS) that currently pass the FEFAC SSG threshold against a set of 49 basic provisions and 11 additional requirements that cover the most important sustainability topics in the soy industry. These are deforestation and ecosystem conversion, landscapes and biodiversity, social issues and human rights, traceability, and governance and assurance. The criteria are based on EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), Accountability Framework Initiative (AFi) Core Principles, the upcoming EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), and FEFAC SSG. The criteria related to avoiding deforestation, wetland and grassland conversion and degradation of High Conservation Value (HCV) areas and other valuable natural areas were developed in cooperation with WWF Germany. The benchmark is a snapshot of the current status and shows where standards are now and in which areas they need to improve.