RTRS (the Round Table on Responsible Soy Association) and GMP+ International have signed an agreement of cooperation which they say will make certified responsible soy more accessible to a series of markets.
GMP+ International together with RTRS created the new standard GMP+ B101 production and trade of responsible soy. The main goal is to provide GMP+ participants the possibility for certification for both Feed Safety Assurance and Feed Responsibility Assurance within a single certification scheme. This, they said, prevents overlap of requirements, ensures uniform standards and conditions and allows for limiting the administrative burden of certifications. One (successful) audit would result in certification of multiple scopes.
“This is a big step forward in response to market demand to synergise and simplify existing processes in order to save time and costs,” said RTRS executive director Agustin Mascotena.
“This agreement contributes to provide a ‘one stop shop – multiple certification’ approach which will benefit the companies we want to serve,” said MP+ International’s managing director Johan den Hartog.
Many organisations involved in the soy production chain already have a GMP+ Feed Safety Assurance certificate: growers of soy, however, do not, according to the organisations. For that reason, the focus of the agreement is on the organisations that process soy beans (such as soy crushers) and traders.
The GMP+ Feed Certification scheme was initiated and developed in 1992 by the Dutch feed industry. Although it started as a national scheme, it has developed to become an international scheme that is managed by GMP+ International in collaboration with various international stakeholders.
RTRS is a multi-stakeholder initiative which aims to facilitate a global dialogue on soy production that is economically viable, socially equitable and environmentally sound.
